Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1928-09-20
DANIELS PLEADS
FOR HAIR NOM.
Former Navy Secretary Heard 5
Large Crowd at Democratic =
vention Here Saturday; Tai 4
Oil Lease Scandal

DelOIe all eIlIIuSldSIlC CIf VI
Democrats that taxed the acity
of the courthouse auditori here
Saturday, Hon. Josephus Daniels,
secretary of the navy under Wood |
row Wilson, told an inside story of
the lease of the naval oil reserves.
Mr.. Daniels said that while he was
secretary of the navy, Democratic
senator from Colorado wrote him
asking that they discuss the leasing
of Teapot Dome with two good
Democrats" Mr.. Daniels refused in
stantly, saying that the oil in that
reserve belonged to the navy and
would some day be badly needed.
His friends then said, eff you don't
give it to us, the Republicans will
give it to some of their friends with
in six months after they take office"
Mr.. Daniels scoffed at the predic-
tion and said he made speech for
the Republican party in which he
said he did not believe the Repub-
licans could be so unprincipled.
In the light of subsequent events
Mr.. Daniels said he has vowed never
to make another speech for the Re-
publican party.
Mr.. Daniels pleaded for loyalty to
the party on the ground that it is the
only party that guarantees equality
to all and special privileges to none.
He denounced Hoover as having de-
serted the principles of the man
who made him-Woodrow Wilson,
and deserting the very principles of
international relations that Hoover
himself had in 1920 espoused.
He urged all Democrats to cast
their votes for Governor Smith, be-
cause, he said, although, Smith has
expressed personal preference for
an amendment to the eighteenth
amendment, with Democratic con-
gress, he cannot "turn the trick"
He warned Democrats against voting
for Hoover in the belief that he was
dry, and quoted the Republican can
didate's statement that the 18th
amendment is "a noble experiment"
o.. Mr.. Daniels was roundly cheered
after his eulogy of Woodrow Will
son and his personal "reminiscences
/ and comments on the Teapot Dome
! steal The large crowd gave close
attention while he dramatized a cabi-
net meeting, using the table at which
spoke, to show that Hoover sat ad-
jacent to Fall while the oil lease was
being discussed. He declared that If
Hoover knew this traversity was be-
ing carride out, he was not fit to be
in the cabinet, and if he did not
know it, he was "dud."
His strongest plea was made for
support of the Democratic party to
prevent further bartering OF the ma
TONS resources.
Mr. Daniels was introduced by At
torney w. R. Lovill as "North Caro-
lina's foremost citizen, and the
greatest of all secretaries of the
navy. Mr.. Daniels spoke in part as
follows:
l believe in the doctrine proclaim
ed by Thomas Jefferson, founder OF
the Democratic party, that call men
are created equal" From the begin
ming of the republic that fundamen-
tai principle has been denied and de-
rided by the Republican leaders,
who have sometimes professed, and
always, with an occasional exception
by Lincoln or a Roosevelt, lived up
to the theory that some men are
born booted and spurred to ride on
the backs of others. Only when a
jefferson or a jackson or Wilson
have incarnated this Americanlsm
has the declaration Of independence
been in full force and effect.
/ believe there can be no just gov
ernment except by adherence to-
Jefferson's equal rights to all and
special privilege to none." That is
the sheet anchor of justice and
equality. Every high tariff act is a
reputation of the letter and spirit
of this declaration, as is every I'M
munity enjoyed by monopoly, and
every grant of subsidy, bonus or
privilege. jefferson unhorsed Ham,
ilton's plan of making the govern
ment the partner of the rich and the
powerful, Jackson ended the rule OF
banking plutocracy, and Wilson re-
stored the governmental ship to the
Democratic tack. Never from Ham,
ilton to Mellon has privilege been so
entrenched, so defiant, so regardless
or contemptuous of equality as to-
day. Always and everywhere privl-
lege is the fruitful mother of cor
ruption. The era of corruption that
has flourished since 1920 was born
of favoritism. So long as govern
ment heaps favors on some and i'm
poses burdens upon others, it is idle
to hope that public office will be re-
garded as public trust.
l believe that the people ought to
support the government and not that
the government should support the
people. The departure from that
principle has brought about eXtrava-