New Britain herald., 1927-10-11
RETURN OF TEAPOT DOME WHAT OF CONSPIRACY

at St. Lotus "nlCn sad the tnllFt transaction is tainted with tavorit- ism. collusion and corruption, de ,eating the proper and lawful func- tions Of the Govcrnment.'
 This was a few days more than year ago.
 Yesterday the tainted transaction was finally settled in the |. :. Su- preme Court. Former Secretary of the Interior Fall was called faith less public oficcr"-someth,ng that general public opinion had accepted without the formality of judicial im- primatur three years ago.
 But that does not mean that Messrs. Fall and Sinclair will be found guilty Of conspiracy. Their trial on this criminal charge begins in Washington next Monday.Whcn 1t is remembered that Fall and Ed ward l.. Doheny, receiver Of the Elk Hills oil concession, were found not guilty of conspiracy in one court while another ordered the return Of the lease, there is al least the pos -ibiity that the sam" comic result may accrue 10 the manipulators of the Teapot Dome reservation. Tn all conscience. the oil scandal cases have taken desperately long time 10 come to a final decision as to tho disposition of tn" oil land. They have dragged nearly five years. which may not br long enough for the public to have lost the keen edge Of its interest. but certainly long enough for the public to cu- phasize once again the intcrmiuable delays that tochnicalitjes can pro vide.
 Five and half years ago the late Robert M. LaFolIcttc in the Senate offered his resolution to inv. ,,isatc the peculiar deals Of Albert E. I'aIl Of New Mexico. on" of the "bcst minds' in the cabinet of th" Harding administration. The naHo oi S,na- for Thomas Walsh Of Montana wont bctoro the nation in gow.ng letters during the famous inquiry, which several times threatened stale mate when the int.r, stod EepubIi- can politicians hiudercd rather than helped
 The first trial of tho Teapot Dome , case, at Cheyenne, Wyoming, was neat attempt 10 defeat the govern m"nt through the flight 10 Europe Of several officials Of oil companies. The Sinclair and Fall side won the case at that point through inc lack of the governments evidence being available for the roasou mentioned. But succcssiy" victories later. at the federal Circuit Court Of Appeals in S' Loujs, and in the |. <. Supreme Court at Wa,hin-ton. s.ttlos all doubt as to tine character Of inc transaction. r. means that Trapot Dome is returned to trr government. as Elk Hills was r"tmuwI prcvious- Y,
 Those oil scandals I2,e h"rn inc most ieuomiuious i9 a generation. The party in power. instead of being thoroughly rchulivd hy an jndiguauf public, vent through lhm m acathcd, propagauda taEire root that the administration could not bc blamed for the affection or dis honesty of officials,
 We might say that no party eyer did better under such dire circum- stances In the former fine admin istra'ions wore quite generally held responsible for the type of officials appointed. Hut Mr. Coo!jdge. who succeeded thr impoSod-upou Hard ing, so well shook off all rrmom- uwauco of the o1ifyrous scandals that D. enjoyed tho biggest land- slide in American history when ho ran for ro-"lyrtiou.
 Th" criminal conspiracy charges "hjrh Fan and Sinclair face next "'e!l ar" quite as important as tho lji"atjon just tudad Indeed. the nal test o' punishment com"s at that tjwa Both Fall and Sinclair can "r'I consider themselves at least partly victorious if all that happens |, a .rlicial or,lrr for tho return of 'h" iroporty. 1T found guilty in the ron piracy cases jtJl may raHr; if they are not, they win bc able 10 go their way as free cjtiz nS. Men ir 'hD street wonder cyntrally whcthot Wu "f power and wealth like Sin clair "ill h" ahlq 10 g"t awuy with
 Heh a deal minus punishment
 Doh,ny did.
 WORLDS BABY NATION