Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-02-19
Underwood on Oil

political standpoint, is the oil
scandal.
1t will be one of the big issues
in the coming presidential cam
paign. In fact, ther- are those
who predict that it will be THE
question.
The miserable disclosures be-
ing made daily in Washington
are enough to shake the conf
dence of the nation in its gov
eminent, and the danger hes just
there.
The average man is asking
himself where is the end of this
reasonable graft of high Off
Gals. His distrust will extend
to all.
In making a choice for ma
tional standard bearer, it be-
hooves us to choose with the
greatest care man who has the
confidence of the AVERAGE
MAN. He should be a man
who has been tried and found
to ring true. He should be
man who has not been aligned
with big corporations, serving
them for big fees.
There is no harm in any man
working for the largest corpora
ton for the greatest sum he can
command. The point we are
trying to make is that just now
just at this time-we should
select a man who is farthest
from the source of possible
tesnptatien, a.s ~.
Senator Underwood, Of Ala,
bama. has told us where he
stands on the oil question and
what he would do in disposing
of the oil scandal,
IN a speech in the Senate re-
Gently He struck directly al the
principles involved He said
hesweuld, leave to the courts the
question of the measure of guilt,
and, disregarding technicalities,
cancel the leases. He regretted
that the issue was not put to
direct vote so Congress would
be, compelled to go on record on
this question.
In this connection the Mobile
Register quotes and comments
on Senator Underwood's speech
as follows;
cts question" declared the
Senator, ''that goes directly to
the heart of government. A pub
lie office is a public trust, and
when an official deals with the
recipient of government bounty
for his own benefit, the fraud is
plainly apparent" This ringing
declaration shows the quality Of
Senator Underwood's statesman
ship. 1t is also a challenge TO
every man in public life and ev
cry politician who is inclined to
gloss over irregularities and cover
up wrong for the sake of political
eSpediency.
Mr. Underwood said further:
1T is SO apparent that the man
in the street may read as he runs
that the officer of the government
who made the grant did not bring
in the decision of the case that
disinterested mind that the
American people were entitled to
at his hands" With the evidence
in hand, said the Senator the
issue before Congress sis wheth-
ersthey, as representatives of the
people, will take position and
DECLARE it in regard to these con-
tracts"
IN his Enthusiastically logical
and ,dispassionate manner, Sena-
TOR Underwood shows Congress
lts duty, at the same time voic-
Ing his disapproval that every
right-thinking man in public life
must have of such practices as
have caused the oil scandal. These
forceful and statesmanlike utter
ances cannot fail to impress the
American people. They indicate
what course Senator Underwood
would follow if he alone were
charged with the disposal of the
matter.
Again Mr.. Underwood dem.
snstrates that happy faculty Of
aging what he thinks, and that
II no uncertain terms.
This splendid Southerner,