The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-28
Why the Change?

Judging by the character of the new publ
city drive launched by the entire capitalist
press of the country against the continuation
of the Teapot and Daugherty scandal investi-
cations, one cannot fail to be impressed with
its being very much akin to the powerful drive
organized several months ago in behalf of the
Mellon scheme. Just as the Mellon maneuver
was a product of careful planning, heavily
financed by the big business interests, so is this
present drive. The new publicity campaign,
in which the yellow Hearst sheets are especial
ly active, bears all the earmarks of an organ
lied conspiracy, far more developed than even
the Mellon and Box peace schemes.
The central point in the entire TRADE against
the continuation of the Investigations is that
Congress ought to wake up and do something.
The demand is now made that the Senate
should stop being grand jury and resume its
normal function of serving as a legislative
body. Bitter complaint is being made against
the failure to secure legislation on certain big
Questions confronting the country.
The ways of gods and politics are surely
devious. They are particularly devious when
the economic class interests of the employers
demand their being so. Why the complete
change of front? How comes it to be that the
Hearst sheets, always feeding the poor
public" on the dirtiest of sex and other scan
dals and peddling the worst of morbid "stuff, .
are now yelling against being overfed with
Washington scandals? What has happened
to its news stomach, always accustomed to the
coarsest of food, that it is now too delicate to
digest the information about the rottenness of
capitalist control of government? What has
happened to change the minds of the hired
editors that they are now shrieking for more
laws? Was it not only few weeks ago that
they were up in arms against Congress enact
ing so many laws and were demanding that
the House and the Senate stop legislating and
keep its hands off business? Why are these
Jackals and hyenas of the capitalist world now
splitting, growing and crouching against the
calling of witnesses from the underworld to
show what is what about Daugherty and Cool
idge when all their lives they have specialized
In feeding the readers on the sensations of
such witnesses? Have not these same under
world thugs been the most trusted agents of
our cabinet? Have not their same capitalist
masters organized leagues against the enact
ment OF more laws only few months ago !?
Why are these bankers and manufacturers now
so anxious to secure legislation on the bonus
and the railroad question when but yesterday
they fought tooth and nail against the con-
sideration of these problems by Congress?
Why the change? We have a bunch. We
know. The employing class of this country does
not fear legislation. The delicate balance Of
power in Congress Coolidge can be counted
upon by them to veto most if not all laws OBJ
Jectlonable to the bosses. But continuation
OF the Investigations always bears the danger
OF someone spilling information which will
tend to undermine further the already shaken
confidence of the masses in the strikebreakinu
government of the United States. Herein lies
the fear. Herein lies the cause of the change.
And herein lies the best reason for the workers
and farmers to put halt to these criminal
efforts of their employers and to force a con-
tinuation Of these Investigations to the limit