The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-02-28
Teapot Dome Scandal Gives
America Chance To Clean House

mier of Great Britain, real working
man, and you will see the difference.
We could multiply examples of this
kind of reform, but suffice with one
more. The country disliked the way
the railroads were operated and the
Interstate Commerce Commission was
created. Have the rates on your coal
supply been reduced? Have the pas
senger rates been reduced? Are the
railroads more efficient in any respect
than when there was no supervision?
William Jennings Bryan compelled
the railroads to adopt the Janney
coupler and he did it as member Of
congress.
Why should not congress attend to
its own business instead of having so
many boards and bureaus that are
eating up the taxes of the people:
The expense of government, even be-
fore the war, had grown to alarming
figures on account of all these gov
ernment activities. Why does not con.
gress invite the secretaries in the cab
met to sit in joint session with them
and explain what is being done in
their departments? Why did not con-
gress quiz Attorney General Daugh-
erty about the Morse pardoning?
Why not ask Secretary Wallace why
he does not examine the books of the
big packers and find out why the
stockman is not getting returns on
his cattle? Why not ask Secretary
Mellon why he dismissed the en-
ployes of the Bureau of Engraving
without warrant of law? Why not
ask him about that other big Acandal,
the duplication of Liberty bonds?
Why not ask Secretary Hoover how
he happened to issue report that
the sugar crop was short, and thus
enable the stock gamblers to clean
up on the people and send the price
of sugar soaring?
| Why not ask Secretary Hughes
about those Americans who went
down to Mexico and started the latest
revolution in order to make Doodle
out of that poor country, which was
getting on its feet after so many
years of turmoil, which they lay to
American interference?
Why not ask the Secretary of War
and the Secretary of the Navy why
their departments are building up an
immense military machine in this
country against the wishes of the
people?
Your member of congress comes
home and tells you how busy he has
been. The fact is the senate and the
house are so bound by rules and sem
iority that little clique controls
all legislation.
1t is time for Americ ans to speed
up their reading and to give more
time to public discussion of public
problems and to quit asking congress
and the government to do everything
for them. Eternal Vigilance is the
price of liberty and beware this coun-
try's future if the people are caught
off guard.
Out of all this undertaking will
come several benefits. The American
people have been losing interest in
their government. The newspapers
have not been printing the doings of
congress. and the state legislature.
Only those who read certain maga-
zines are kept posted. The people
hereafter will demand more publicity
of the actions of congress and the
various departments of government.
The English people are the best gov
erned in the world for the simple
reason that the common people take
an interest in their government
They read the newspapers and discuss
political questions. We are more in
terested in the latest Hollywood scam
dial than we are in our government.
-Salida Mail.