Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-07-27
Keynote Speech or Claude Bowers
Delivered AT The Democratic
National Convention.
PART ILL.,
REFERs To OIL SCANDAL.

We have seen the money appropriated
for the care of the sick and wounded
soldiers squandered on the pleasures of a
drunken libertine. We have seen the
Nations oil reserves. set aside by the pre-
science OF Roosevelt and sacTedly guarded
by the honesty and wisdom OF Wilson and
Daniels. battered away by a member Of
the cabinet for bride in little black
bag.
shameful as these things are, more
shameful far has been the cynical silence
and Indifference of the high functIonaries
OF the state to whom the people had
right to look for the protection of the
Nations property and Nations honor We
submit in no spirit Of political fiubdubbery
that 1t is a shocking thing that we have
waited vainly for seven years for one word,
one syllable. one whisper of the mildest
criticism Of these criminals and crimes
from single representative of the admin
istration.
They heard La Follette's denunciation
OF Teapot Dome and we're silent. They
saw the various processes in the aliena-
ton of the Nations property-and we're
silent. They heard the gossip of the Capt.
tai that buzzed for weeks and months
and were silent. There was not a man
among them with enough will power, or
lung power. to blow a police whistle
Nay, more: When a warning of the i'm
pending crime was sent to a member Of
the cabinet. but recently kniehted by the
golden wand. he sent the letter to Albert
b. Fall, with this notation: Il shall be
glad to convey to this gentleman any reply
you may suggest"
SLOGAN Or CORRUPTION.
sometimes think that the virtues Of
silence may be overdone. Sometimes silence
is gOlden-fOr the thief.
Some years ago cOuuptionist de luxe
phrased the shibboleth Of the powers of
pillage in these words. Addition. division
and silence" When the pilaeers got their
loot there was addition, when the faithless
public servants got their share there was
division, and from the men set by the
people in the watchtower to guard their
treasures there has been the invaluable
contribution of silence.
Imagine Andrew jackson silent in the
midst OF crimes; Imagine Tilden; imagine
Cleveland imagine Wilson Why, they
would have Numbered their denunciations
from the loftiest station in the world and
have scouraeed the rascals forth with
scorpion whips tipped with consuming
flame
do they tell us that all these things have
been exposed and something has been
doneY This is our answer: If an Attorney
General of odorous memory no longer sits
at the council table Of the Nations chief,
IL is because a Democratic Senator so ex-
posed the crimes Of his regime that public
sentiment dashed him out and il he was
permitted to 60 without rebuke and to
march out with all the h0nors Of war, il
was not with the ernest consent Of the
party Of Thomas jefferson
CLAIMS CREDIT Or EXPOSURE.
And this is our answer. II the Nation
oil reserves have been rest Ored IL is be-
cause the inquisitorial genius of Walsh, of
Montana. exposed the crime and forced
the proceedings that brought the restitu-
tion Of the Nations stolen goods.
And why the silence in the watch tower ?
Because the organization Of the party of
the men stationed there was beneficiary
Of the crime. Not only did il know Of the
crime. and maintain silence-it knew of
the division of the spoils and knew that
eoodly part was being used to pay the
party debt
What picture for American history 2
We see the erstwhile chairman of the
national committee Of the regime in power
laying aside his duties as an elder of the
church to stink into the Office of Sinclair
TO get the tainted bonds. We see him
sneaking about like a receiver of stolen
goods to men Of means to persuade them
dishonesty to contribute these to the party
fund under cover. We see him sending
portion Of these bonds to the dictator Of
the administration. affectionately known
as Andy" and thus we know that the
party was to be beneficiary Of the crime.
And the revered head OF the Treasury
made no protest against the party taking
its shareout Of the pot filed by the pillasins
Of. the Nations property. Silence was
golden-for the party chest.
And thus the campaign debts of the
regime in power have been paid by Harry
Sinclair. and now with pious platitudes il
enters another campaign free from debt
because there was Teapot Dome
REvERrs To HAMILTON.
And why the strange insensibiity 10 the
common instincts Of honor Keep in mind
the Hamiltonian theory that governments
are strong in proportion as they are made
profitable to the powerful There is no
moral difference between selling leeisla-
ton in advance for campaign funds and
selling oil reserves. and il is not remark
able that he who practices the one may
condone the other. Or that he who thinks
that giving money to slush fund is lust
like giving money to a church should" play
the silence end in the tale Of the tainted
bonds in the game Of Addition. Division
and Silence"
And so we 90 forth to recover the Gov
eminent from those who pillage by law as
well as those who steal by stealth. Even
as a minority we dragged these Ioathsome