Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-10
POLITICAL! BL UNDER
BY c. D. ?. SEEN IN
WHEELER ATTACK
BeIated Indictment May Put
Montana Senator on DEM
ocratic Ticket Gives
Party New Ammunition
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ucased Wire Service to The Jodrnal.)
- .:.rI.t i

WASHINGTON, April 9.-Have
the Republicans committed another
political blunder? The Democrats,
including men like Senator Walsh,
Of Montana, are convinced that the
trumping up of charges against Sen
ator Wheeler, of Montana, is simply
an effort to discredit the work he
has been doing in investigating the
department of justice.
The suddenness with which d
grand jury Indictment was returned
against Mr.. Wheeler for something
that is alleged to have happened be-
fore he was sworn il as a United
States senator, and the fact that
Albert b Fall received a large sum
of money While in office, and yet
was not subjected to investigation
by the department of Justice is
pointed to by the Democrats as
proof of the political nature of the
attack on Senator Wheeler.
If the technical violation against
the junior senator from Montana
should hold in court, then there
are others who may be subject to
investigation. Indeed, the case prob
ably will not be tried i'll Montana
at all, but here, and the senate in
Vesti9ating committee will probably
ask if the department of justice has
investigated the records of all the
members of the United States sen
ate before they were sworn in or
whether they have confined their
efforts to the one man who has been
,uncoVering Irregularities in the de-
partment of justice.
WheeIer's Stock Boosted
Politically speaking, the attack on
Mr.. Wheeler may cost the Republic
ans the state OF Montana, fer Mr..
Wheeler has achieved u certain
amount of attention as a result OF
his efforts here, and he is popular
with the radical elements. IT the
Republicans make him martyr
they may put him into the presl
Dental race or make him posi-
bility, at least, for the vice presi
Dental nomination on the Demo
cratic ticket.
For Burton X. Wheeler is a sort OF
Democratic La Toilette. The more
he is attacked the stronger he seems
to get. His fights in Montana
| against certain, interests have made
MIN the center of fierce controversy
aud while the Republican administra
ton i'll Washington, through the
postoffice department inspectors, has
brought on the grand jury proceed
| ings, there are enough enemies OF
! Mr.. Wheeler in Montana to add fueI
10 the flames and help the case
along.
Tnduestionably the method by
which the grand jury Indictment was
Obtained-all the letters, kilograms
and documents bearing upon the
choosing of the grand jury and the
instructions from Washington to the
local district attOrney-Wlli be
brought before the senate investigat
| ing committee here.
Trumpet Up. Says Walsh
But it would not be surprising II
when Dean Harlan Stone, the new
attorney general. get down to the
bottom Of the case, he would ask fOl
the quashing of the Indictment,
From what I know Of the case, y
said Senator Walsh. of Montana,
there is not the slightest basis for
it. ] have no doubt thai the whole
thing was instigated to prevent Sen
ator Wheeler from continuing s in
vestiGatiOn Of the department OF
Justice 1t will not succeed
Senator Wheeler was a United
States attorney in Montana before he
came OF Washr.g ton. He made a
number of enemies by his vigorous
prosecution and also his unwilling
ness to prosecute persons who he be
lieved were not guilty of violating
war time laws. When the senate
committee began investigating the
department of justice. agents OF
the federal government began IN
vestigating his own record. He terms
/ the grand jury proceedings a frame
up and received word today from
Montana which indicates the inner
workings of the grand jury. the fore
man of which is an active Repub
lican politician and bitter opponent
( of Senator Wheeler
/ Instead of Quieting the agitation
with the appointment OF a new at
torney general the administration
runs the risk Of having a. new issue
! injected in the far west where per
secution Of the man who was mostly
responsible for a change in the port
folio at the department Of justice is
punished with grand jury indict
ment on vague and doubtful charge
Gen Leonard Wood