Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-29

World Herald independently, twas 'ob.
viously dumfounded' when the ju,-y
returned a verdict of guilty. 1t is in
deed from the Sinclair viewpoint a
pretty pass to which things are COM
ing in our Federal courts. . .
If this judicial tendency, so recently
str1kingiy manifested, keeps on march
ing along in the direction in which it
iS headed the time is RAPIDLY
approaching when it will have to be
admitted that no millionaire has supe.
rfor rights which the law is obliged to
respect. And nothing could be more
dumfounding than that idea"
The Pittsburgh Sun independent
Democratic) adds: Sinclair smiled
when the jury's verdict was read. 1t
remains to be seen whether he will be
found smiling after the case is finally
disposed OF, and especially after the
forthcoming decision of the Supreme
Court Is handed down in the Govern.
ment's suit for the cancellation of the
Teapot Dome leases" On this point
the Louisville Courier-Journal Demo
cratic) comments: Before Sinclair
can complete the appeal of his CON
tempt case, the Supreme Court will
have acted on the legality of his Tea
pot Dome grab. The Doheny decision
appears to indicate that the Sinclair
rights are short-lived. With the nub-
lie property restored, it will not be
important whether Sinclair serves a
month Or year in Jail or whether he
serves at ALL"
Recognizing that Sinclair took the
position that the Government of the
United States had no right to question
him about transaction in which
Government property was directly In
volved," and that the Senate investi-
eating committees "have been at
tackled by those who did not want
in the Senate, supposedly there to
represent the people OF their respec-
tive States and the country" the
Portland Oregon Journal independent
Democratic) declares: Now the in.
vestigating committees are unheld.
The right of the Government to obtain
facts relative to public business is
sustained, and with that confirmation
the people of the country can have far
more faith in the protection of their
rights against those who deal in dark
and devious ways"
Harry +. Sinclair pitted his own
wealth and prestige against the inter
ests of the Nation at large" saws the
Democratic). "but he failed, unless the
Supreme Court. to which he will ap-
peal the contempt verdict, supports
his contentious. And there Is scant
chance indeed that the highest tribunal
of the land will do that The Kansas
City Journal Republican, similarly
, states: Sinclair does not want the
stigma Of meeting the demands the
law makes of the guilty. So he will
lappeal. He may win on a technicality
It is not likely that he ever will be
adjudged innocent. Thus the oil man
wages a losing fight" The Kansas
City Star independently utters the con-
domination. His conduct has been a
disgrace to American business, a cause
of humiliation to every decent Ameri-
can citizen" The forecast of the Buff
falo Evening News Republican) is:
$50 there will be an end of the oil
scandal. The men involved in it are
of not unfamiliar types. Doheny is Of
the rough-and-ready. trample EN-
down sort OF promoter; Sinclair is an
opportunist in oil; Fall Is of the old
class of ward heller. Politically, they
have run their course. The country
will welcome the day when the record
of their activities is closed"