Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1924-02-08
QUICK CHANGE
NATIONS LEADING LAW OFF,
CIAL is NOW SILENT.
The Attorney General Not Now Yelp-
ing For Government By Law" As
He Did During Railroad Trouble.

The attorney general of the United
States, laundering against striking
shop men in Federal Judge Wilker-
sons court, is one picture.
The same official in the seclusion
of Florida hotel, while the Teapot
Dome scandal rocks the nation, is
another picture.
The attorney general threw the
shop mems case into an equity court
because, he said, he wanted "quick ac-
ton" The shop mems rights were
not considered.
Their plea for justice fell on deaf
ears. They were charged with con-
spiracy, condemned and enjoined. The
government spent millions to break
their strike and the attorney general
proclaimed his allegiance to the anti
union shop.
But worse than all this, the attor-
ney general caused government by
injunction to be substituted for gov
ernment by law.
In the Teapot Dome case the same
individual is different attorney gen.
eral. He gives no interviews to news
paper men. He does no heroic pose
about government by law"
No injunction process is suggested,
and out of the welter of corruption
that ooZes from the senate probe
comes whispers that the law is shaped
to permit escape.
1t is whispered that the Teapot
Dome oil lease in itself can not be
proven criminal that it will be hard
to prove the money transactions were
illegal, as these are alleged to be
loans, payable on demand.
Though the oil lease may be cancel
ed, the lease holders have unloaded.
They have sold stock to the public
and have secured the cash, while
others "hold the bag"
Individuals of small importance
may be punished after being discred-
tied in the public eye, but the "higher
ups" will not be reached. The usual
policy is to secure a few victims of
little standing, or of temporary popu-
larity, who will be used to appease
popular wrath.
The "higher ups" are the inner cir
Gle, the respectable citizens who
grease the political machine, suggest
candidates, judges, or department
heads, who shape policies and who
"rig" the stock market when the trap
is ready.
Various sums alleged to have pass
ed between parties in the public eye
is but cigarette money as compared
with the $10O,000,0OO that Teapot
Dome is claimed to be worth to its
private exploiters.
1t may be said that public official
can not apply the shop mems proceed
ure to the Teapot Dome case.
Labor does not ask this. Labor op-
poses government by injunction. 1t
insists on the even distribution of
justice-not government by courts
for the workers and a law code fill
ed with loop-holes for the influen-
tial and rich.
Justice may be thwarted by legalis-
tic hair splitting, but labor's higher
consciousness repels tricky pleadings
and unlawful attacks against the
workers while natural resources are
filched and public office is defiled.
To the workers, equity proceedings,
chancery courts, criminal law and
civil action are but other names for
moral conduct between men.
Labor makes little distinction be-
tween law and the moral code.
When this code is violated they feel
that the spirit of the law is ignored
and that government is brought to
debasing levels.