Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-09
The Sinclair Conviction.

Although Harry F. Sinclair is finally
adjudged guilty of contempt by the
Supreme Court and ordered to jail for
three months, the country is bound to
look upon the verdict as comprehend
ing vastly more than the oil mans
technical disrespect of Senate preroga-
tives.
The American people will conclude
that the long arm Of the Federal law
has at last reached out and clutched
one of the authors Of the foulest scam
dals to stain the pages Of cotemporary
American history. Though various prop
critics were involved, the Teapot Dome
naval reserve gave the oil era at Wash
ington the name by which 1t will live.
It was to the Sinclair interests that
Teapot Dome was transferred under
circumstances sweepingly condemned by
the Supreme Court as saturated with
corruption and fraud. The justice now
tardily meted out to a principal actor
in that orgy of corruption is the first
~ 4dn uPOLl ally Va eAAS
cast.
BY unanimous decision of that same
tribunal, Harry F. Sinclair is now held
guilty of contempt for refusing to give
a committee Of Congress information
necessary to a full investigation of the
devious dealings that placed Teapot
Dome in his keeping. Sinclair's plead
ing that the Senate sought to intrude
upon his private affairs Is pronounced
untenable. Mr.. Justice Butler speaking
for an undivided bench, effectually rid
dies the contention that a man may
withhold, under the cloak Of inviola-
bility as to his own affairs, facts re-
garding public property which be-
came his private property under pro-
cedure already branded as criminal by
the highest tribunal in the Republic.
The Sinclair conviction will arouse
still other emotions In the breasts OF
the people. Many of them this day will
remember Theodore Roosevelt's lament
Of a quarter of a century ago that you
cannot convict a million dollars" The
Nation, it must be sadly conceded, was
beginning to think that Roosevelt, like
Sherman, was right" AS culprit after
culprtt in the oil scandals wriggled out
of the laws meshes, through succeeding
trials in the Federal courts. American
citizens were forced to the conclusion
that the possessor of bank account fat
enough to command the services OF the
most astute counsel could laugh the law
to scorn in the United States.
That, indeed, seemed to be the situa-
ton up to yesterday. Today Roosevelt's
aphorism of despair Is meaningless. "A
million dollars" has been convicted. A
hundred million dollars has been found
guilty. It had its day in court-nany,
many days. It had every advantage,
enjoyed every right that linitless
wealth, consummate skill at the bar
and constitutional guarantees could give
1t. Now it Is sent to "a common jail"
for ninety days, like the most ignoble
felon in the land.
No one with trace Of sporting blood
In his veins will indulge in gloating over
the humiliation which now descends
upon Harry F. Sinclair. But no Ameri-
can with a fiber of civic decency in his
makeup can help rejoicing that the
majesty Of the law, though 1t took a
painfully long time to bring it about
has received majestic vindication.
AS the final arbiter of our destinies
and the paladin Of our liberties, the
Supreme Court Of the United States
strikes blow for the public good that
will clang down the materialistic age in
which we live.
Teapot Dome is avenged.