The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-02-14
Corruption Rampant In Political Washington

which should be developed will show Attorney Gen
public in with the Morse pardon scandal
numerous other notorious prior to his appointment
TO the Cabinet is in position prosecute the oil lea
ing grab" any other fraud against the
President Coolidge assigned Mr. Daugherty to appoint
observer for the committee hearings More recently
Pesent Cooidges campaign managers have selected Mr.
Daugherty to stand Coolidge delegate in the ap
preaching presidential primary in Ohio
Whatever the sincerity of his disposition to pun
ish those guilty of actual crime in this transaction
the fatal weakness in the position of President Cool
idge is that in his public policies and in his political
associations he is closely allied with the Sinclairs the
Standard Oil and railroad magnates and other mo-
nopolies in control of the government.
All sorts of looting goes on in government big
as ours in spite of anything that be done
Grafters' "Happy Hunting Grounds
The most scandalous gouging of the public by private
interests probably occurs in time, and the plunderers
operate through the War Department. But in normal
peace times the sluceway for large part of the
on to which the is subjected is the Interior
Department That department has been befoued under
nearly all administrations in greater degree by
the corrupting influences which work through it to plum
der great heritage of public lands timber coal
of iron, of copper; of Oil.
James R. Garfield, Secretary of the Interior for a
brief term from 1907 until 1909 put stop for time
this policy of plumber His able and conscientious
vice hope to the nation that policy
servaon in the public interest," had least esta
hsneo rresldent Tart appointed Ballnger Secretary
OF the Interior, and Ballinges action in turning
$50000O00 worth of government lands favored
interests drove him from public life.
DENLY Defended Ballinger
of the Navy DENLY who signed the naval Oil leases jointly
with Mr. FALL sat member of the congressional
mittee which investigated the Balnger and that
DENLY submitted minority report in defense of Ball
ger. He rewarded decade later by place in the
Cabinet of President Harding.
The public will never forget the tenacious brilliant
and thorough investigation by which Louis D. Brandes
exposed the Ballinger frauds 1t will forget that
President Taft proved the records of the commit
tee to have resorted to Justification of official docu
ment in his zeal to protect Balinger.
Mr.; Taft sits ON the Supreme Court of the
United States as Chief Justice, on the same bench
with Justice Brandeis who publicly discredted him
in the Balinger-Pinchot case
The Fall is thus not the first, though prob
ably the worst in the long record of public pundering
which has gone on in the Interior Department.
The Case Of Secretary Lane
1t will be recaclled that under the Wilson admnis
traton former Secretary Lane who used every effort
secure the leasing of the nations private
interests retired toward the close of his accept
employment at salary of $4,000 year counsel
Mr.. Doheny--the Mr. Doheny who gave the "Ioan"
which Mr.. Fall accepted
Let it not be thought that predatory wealth exerts
its power solely in the outright corruption of public Off
cals to obtain valuable special privileges
How Plundering lie Legaized
Every railroad BILL every piece of ship subsidy leg
saton every taxation and tariff bill has behind
same unlimited power which was brought to bear upon
Mr.. Fall and which influenced him betray his trust
1t is not always necessary for these
rectly from the government to bribe public officials
measurers like the Cumnins Ech railroad law which
egalizes public plumber, and which always possible
70 put tnrough Congress when majority Of the members
OF that body are friendly to- blind to- the monopoly
system
Let the people realize that they have been betrayed
not only by Mr.. Fall but by large element OF both
parties in Congress favorng the leasing lesa-
ton and by other members of the cabinet and other
partment officials who we'll knew what being done.
1t is the systematic system of organized monopoly
controlling the demands condem-
nation of the people Until that system is broken and
the parties and the public officials who have
driven from power the public will continue be plum
dered and chapters will be written in the
governmental scandal and corruption.