Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-06-07
Timely Views
TEAPOT DOME CASE TERMED WORLDS
GREATEST FRAUD"
BY GERALD p. NYE
L. s. Senator From North Dakota.

Senator Nye was born in Hortonville. Wis, in
1892. At the age Of two he moved with his parents
to wittenberg. Wis, where he received his educa-
ton. Nye began his career in the newspaper field
and in 1915 became manager and editor of the
Daily Plain Dealer at CreSton, Iowa. About a year
later he moved to North Dakota and purchased a
local paper at Fryburg. In 1919 he settled down
in Cooperstown, n. d., and became manager and
editor Of the Griggs County Sentinel Courier.
Nye was appointed BY the governor as a member
Of the u. s. senate in 1925 and was elected 70 the
same office in 1920.
Never has the world known a case involving a de-
gree Of fraud, quite evident bribery, thievery. con-
spiracy and corruption. to compare with what has come
to be known as the Teapot Dome-Elk Hills Continental
Trading company case. The leases involved in the case
are estimated to have been worth not less than $780,,
900, 900. and were contaminated, to use the language Of
the supreme court of the United States, "by conspiracy,
corruption and fraud"
The investigation has uncovered the slimiest of
Of Shiny trails beaten by privilege. The investigation
has shown, let US hope, privilege at its worst. The trail
is one Of dishonesty, greed, violation Of law, secrecy,
concealment, evasion, falsehood and cunning. II is q
trail Of betrayals by trusted and presumably honorable
men-betrayals Of a government, Of certain business
interests and the people who trusted and honored
them; it is a trail showing a fragrant degree Of the
exercise OF political power and influence, and the
power and influence Of great wealth upon individuals
and political parties.
Slow to unfold itself and slow in being unraveled.
the table OF those who engineered, aided, and abetted
in the naval oil reserve leases and the affairs Of the
Continental Trading company goes beyond the most
fertile imagination. The enormity Of the ~cffenses in
volved in these transactions In increased by the fact
that these great oil reserves, created by the acts Of
Presidents Taft, Roosevelt and Wilson, were essential
to the national defense and were intended to be held
inviolate until they were actually needed for the use
OF the navy by reason Of the depletion Of other oil
sources or four some other great national emergency.
In addition to the startling story which the invcsti-
CATION itself has ~unfolded, there are results, the direct
outgrowth of facts uncovered by it, further to startle
and stagger any mind which has followed the case.
The acquittal verdicts which followed the Fall
Doheny and the Fall-Sinclair trials have been consid-
cred most deplorable failures of justice on every side,
excepting only the side Of privilege. These failures
have been Of such nature as to prove the need for such
changes in court procedure as will advantage no moro
easily to the criminal Of great means than to the Of
fender who comes out of the most lowly classes.
Justice has been proved not q thing to be applied to
and enjoyed by all alike. but, instead, a commodity 10
be bought and otherwise influenced by wealth. and able
lawyers