The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-20
:. SUFFICIENT ANSWER

The repudiation by Senator Thomas j. high-principled, and unswerving in the course of duty--of the lamentable willingness of q few Democratic journals and reactiOnary party spokesmen to involve members of the Democratic Iparty in the infamous conduct of the Republican administrators of public
 trust is sufficient answer to such journals and spokesmen. One newspaper in Alabama, the Montgomery Advertiser, though profess ing Democratic allegiance, and without wait ing for more substantial evidence than mere under grave suspicion. even said that Mir. McAdoo was "as badly tarred with the oil scandal as Mir. Fall" Senator Walshs re- pudiation of that charge was sisnified by his statement that Mir. McAdoo's character is untouched by any revelation made before the committee" IT.
 The Advertisers assertion, born, perhaps of the desire that it be true, did no credit to the Advertiser. A mental attitude, un- able to define the distinction between the wanton violation of a public trust by pub lie official under the primary obligation to guard the public interest, and legal employ ment many months after retirement from public office to serve in legal capacity on matters unrelated to the scandal that has developed, forfeits the public confidence, either because it reveals an incorrect un- derstanding, or else deliberately misinterprets the situation.
 As The Age e-Herald said on February 13, in referring to the vigorous, courageous and fair-minded conduct of Senator Walsh in this investigation: "The pity of it is that some Democratic spokesmen and Democratic journals have been willing to play the part of prompt and faithful echo to this Republican attempt to assault the regulations of men high in Democratic counsels. Their course of conduct is 9tlnworthy and all the more difficult to understand in view of the fact that only insinuation and innuendo, and not one single, specific charge of wrongdoing, have been directed at any member of the of ficial family of Prseident Wilson's adminis- tration, although adequate proof of the be- trayaI of public trust by members of the ad- ministration that succeeded President Will sons has been put forward.".
 Not content with the attempt to impli- cate in the oil scandal only one of the high officials of the preceding administration, the Montgomery Advertiser dragged in also the name of Franklin K. Lane, referring to these trusted advisers-ef Mir. Wilson as "the cor rupting influence of members of his official and personal families" Every citizen, every public journal, every one of high or low de- gree possesses the freest. privilege of affilia tion with any political party, but is it not disloyalty to the party and to that affilia- tion when, without Justification and without excuse, that party's record is impugned through effort to destroy the honorable rec ords of those distinguished in party councils and of distinguished service in party ad- ministration? When such attempt comes from Alabama, it but serves, as The Age Herald has previously said, to create hostility against Senator Underwood's campaign on the part of men loyal to the purposes and principles of the administration of Woodrow W AfSOh ioi thS <Au'CAtiSci iS PubAiShcN ih Senator Underwood's own state, at the state capital, and is one of the chief journalistic supporters and assumes the role of one of the spokesmen of the statesman Alabama is to present to the nation as its candidate.
 Senator Walsh, refusing to take personal advantage of the conspicuous position into which his inquiry has brought him, is the fitting figure to expose and repudiate those members of the party who have so violated their party obligations. Between Senator Walsh, on the one hand, and those who have sought to injure the party, on the other, the American people will not hesitate in their judgment or conclusion. Walsh of Montana, staunch in his determinination to expose cor ruption, fearless in, the attitude he has pur- sued in the investigation, and fair in his appraisement of the circumstances surround ing the whole proceeding, and of the infer ences that should be drawn, will not have his word questioned by the American people, whose distinction is love of fair play and square dealing.