Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-23
DEMOCRATIC SWEEP
Foss Gets 5,64O Plurality in
Massachusetts District.
MADE FIGHT ON TARIFF
Congressional Election in Republic
an Stronghold a Surprise.
CAMPAIGN WAS LIVELY ONE
Defeated Candidate, w. b. Buchan-
an, Hopes Leaders Of the G. o. P.
Will Take' Warning.
FIGHT ON TARIFF
CAMPAIGN WAS LIVELY ONE

BROCkTON, March 23.-On clean-cut
issues of high tariff, Canadian reciprocity
and the high cost of living. helped by
party disaffection, Massachusetts, repub-
licans yesterday lost their strongest con-
gressional district, the fourteenth Eu-
gene N. Foss. running on the democratic
ticket, overturned a plurality Of 14.25O
given in 1908 to the late w. C. Lowering
| and won the seat made vacant by Mr..
Coverings death by a plurality Of 500
over William r. Buchanan, republican.
The total vote was: Foss, 1880; Blu
chanan, $50.
1t was the most severe defeat that the
| republicans have met in Massachusetts
since Gov. Bates was overthrown by
William L. Douglas, six years ago. The
result is considered of more than state
| Importance, for Mr.. Foss stumped the
district on national questions and the
people backed him up with whoop. The
fourteenth district, known the Old
Colony section. has been the most con-
| sistently republican one in Massachusetts.
having never before elected q democrat
| to Congress. But where the two cities
and every one of the forty-four towns
| gave republican majorities only four
| months ago at the state election, q scant
dozen remained loyal to the republicans
yesterday.
Foss Was Volunteer.
At the beginning of the campaign the
democrats had no hope Of victory. Charles
s. Hamln was nominated as a matter Of
form. but he declined to run, and 1t
looked as though the election would not
be contested. Then Mr.. Foss, who lives
in Boston and SO does not belong to the
district. volunteered to make the fight.
Mr.. FOss is well known as champion
Of Canadian reciprocity, and on this issue
he left the republican party last year
and became the democratic candidate for
lieutenant governor of this state. He
failed Of election by only 5000 votes at
that time.
He threw himself into the campaign
with his customary energy. and talked
tariff and high prices in all parts of the
to the "oligarchy'' which rules the le-
publican party. He told the voters that
his candidacy applied only to the unex-
pired term OF Mr.. Lowering. and he
should not be a candidate in the regular
election. He was assisted by ex-Repre-
sentative John r. Thayer Of Worcester,
Charles 8. Hamlin, Mayor John F. Fitz-
gerald and members OF the democratic
state committee.
Lodge Made Speeches.
Mr. Buchanan, in his campaign, had
the help Of the republican state commit
tee, which sent both money and speak
ers into the district. Senator Lodge came
here to make speech, In which he de-
MED that high prices were due to the
tariff. Gov. Draper. Lieut.. Gov. Froth-
ingham. Representative w. S. Greene and
other prominent republicans also gave
aid
The republican leaders attribute the
disaster in part to the failure Of Judge
Robert o. Harris Of Bridgewater to win
the republican nomination in the prima-
ries. Judge Harris. whose father held
the seat for several years. was slow in
signifying his willingness to be a can
didate, and Mr.. Buchanan. who is the
editor Of the Brockton Times and was
tary. meanwhile got lot of delegates
from the region Of Cape Cod. The fact,
too. that Brockton was entitled to the
nomination helped Mr.. Buchanan. Judge
Harris took no part in the campaign,
but many OF his friends worked to de-
feat Mr.. Buchanan because Of his service
to Mr.. Douglas, democrat.
Statement by Foss.
Mr.. Foss, in a statement last night,
declared the result Of the election show
ed "a demand by the people that the re-
publican party fulfill its pledges for an
honest reduction Of the tariff 1t is a
demand for the immediate repeal Of Sec
ton Of the Payne-Aldrich act, which
substitutes retaliation for reciprocity and
threatens commercial warfare with our
best customers
The defeated candidate, William r.
Buchanan, said:
IF the result will serve to convince
the republican leaders at Washington
that something must be speedily accom-
plished in the way of lowering the cost
Of living l shall feel that my defeat has
not been without value
A feature Of the return was the I'M
precedentedly early hour at which the
first election districts were heard from
The town of Norwell, the first to send
its vote. closed Its polls at IL am. and
announced the result half an hour later
Representative-elect Foss is a promi-
nent manufacturer. banker and capital
list Of Boston. He had been twice de-
feated for Congress in the eleventh dis
trfct, when he ran as a republican. He
expects to take a prominent part in the
80 to-