The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1924-03-11
PRESENT FLARE-UP IS
NOT THE FIRST SCANDAL
THE TEAPOT DOME AFFAIR
HAS HAD MANY PRICE,
DENTS AT WASHINGTON.
III. S. GOING TO THE DOGS"
Pessimistic Note Has Been Sounded
Before, But Nation Has Survived
More Than One Plant Following
Some Exposure or Other.

Before, But NdfiOn mas ouIViNeu
More Than One Plant Following
Some Exposure or Other.
The country is going to the dogs?
Is the cry OF many persons because
corruption has been found in high
places in Washington, D. {.
The hue and cry is the result OF the
Teapot Dome oil scandal which is be-
ing Investigated at the present time
bv congress. 1t has TO do with the
leasing OF government oil lands in
Wyoming and California to private in
terests. A former secretary of the in
terror, Albert B. Fall, IS charged with
having accepted money, as loans,
from the men to whom he leased the
valuable lands.
Other Scandals.
The country is going to the dogs,
has been heard in this country, and
i'm fact every country on the earth,
ever since governments were lnstitut-
ed. The first great scandal to disturb
the United States occurred in the time
and under the administration of Pres
ident Grant. 1t was known as the
Credit Mobilier case.
The Credit Mobilier was a company
organized to build the Union Pacific
railroad, which linked the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans with lines OF steel.
The Union Pacific railroad was to
be financed by bond issue OF ST.
600 900; a similar sum loaned by the
United States government; by bond
issue upon the land granted by the
government. and by a regular issue
OF stock The total amount collected
was S70000,00O, but the Credit Mo
bilier Company built the road for
S50,00O000
1t seemed as if Uncle Sam had been
imposed on to the tune of about $40,
eco 900 The stockholders OF the Cred
II Mobier Company made enormous
profits There were hints OF an investi-
cation.
Ames to the Rescue.
One Oaken Ames, a representative
from Massachusetts,. was interested in
the Credit Mobiler and afraid OF an
investigation. He went to the Credit
Nobilier officers and said:
Give me a large block OF stock and
J will see that congress does no nos
ing into our affairs
Ames was given 243 shares OF the
stock. which he sold to congressman
at par though the stock was selling
for twice as much on the market. If
a congressman did not have the
money Ames loaned it to him. Many
congressman. when they suspected the
purpose OF the sale, returned the stock
to Ames, but SOME did not do so.
When the storm broke many a repu
tation was ruined and many thOus-
ands OF persons said, The county IS
going to the dogs
Another scandal that stirred the
country in Grants time was the San
born case John d. Sanborn had been
given Internal revenue bills to the
amount of S427 900 to collect. The
bills were overdue and Sanborn was
to receive so per cent of the money
collected. Sanborn collected the entire
amount and pocketed $2l3,000. The
affair created a great hulaballOo and
it was decreed that Uncle Sam would
do his own collecting thereafter.
No sooner than the Sanborn affair |
been forgotten than the Belknap case
began to usurp the front pages OF the |
newspapers.
Got Rake-off.
Gen. w. w BeEnap was secretary |
OF war under President Grant. He |
had a great record in the civil war,
and for this reason and also because |
of his ability attracted the attention |
of the chief executive All went we'll |
until complaints began to come in
from Fort Sill, then an army and |
trading post in Indian Territory, that
the trader out there was charging too |
much for his goods.
Then a soldier said he knew some
thing that would make the secretary
OF war resign. The lid blew off and |
the story came out Belknap was