Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-23
MASSACHUSETTS
DEMOCRATS WIN
FIGHT FOR FOSS
G. 0. P. Stronghold Is Shat
tered in COngreSsiOn-
al Struggle
IS TARIFF REACTION
Defeat of Buchanan Is Re-
garded as Political
Earthquake
IS TARIFF REACTION
TAssociated Press1

II ROCKTON, Mass, March 22.-The
X political weathercock turned
~ Democratward in Massachusetts
today, when the Old Colony section, one
of the Republican strongholds of the
state, placed Eugene N Foss of Bos-
ton, one of the country's leading eX-
ponents of reciprocity with Canada, in
the congressional seat Of the late VIII
liam G. Lowering.
Foss accomplished what is regarded
as almost political miracle, turning a
Republican plurality of 14,25O into
Democratic plurality of 6S40.
The vote today was
Eugene ~ Foss of Boston, Democrat,
1880 William II. Buchanan. Brock
ton, Republican, 9340.
II was the most Overwhelming dereat
the Republicans have met in Massa-
chusetts since Governor Bates was
overthrown by William L. Douglas, six
years ago.
The result is considered as of more
than statewide importance, for Foss
stumped the Fourteenth district on ma
tional questions and the people backed
him up with a whoop
Of Tariff Significance
1t was the first contest in the east to
be decided by the voters since the
Payne Aldrich tariff bill became ope-
rative, and had a peculiar interest on
that account.
Another subject discussed in the cam
paign was the high cost of living. Inc
Democratic orator charged the Payne
Aldrlch tariff bill and the failure of the
Republican party properly TO supervise
the trusts with responsibility for the
high cost of living.
This attack was met by Senator Hen
ry cabot Lodge, who delivered an ad-
dress at Brockton last Saturday night
in which he stated increases had oc-
Cured principally In articles upon
which the duty had been lowered when
the tariff law was revised last year.
Mr.. Foss in replying to Senator
. Lodge. presented a list of comparative
food prices In Montreal, st. Johns, N.
B., and Boston, which he used as an
argument against the allegation that
the cost of provisions Is due 10 Worlu-
wide upward price movement.
The Fourteenth district has been the
most consistently Republican district
I'm Massachusetts,. having never before
elected a Democrat to congress.
Congressman Lowering carried the
district in 1908 by the enormous plural
ity of 14.250, and it appeared at the
time of CONGRESSMAN Lovering's death
last winter that a man under Demo-
cratic colors would have no nope what
ever.
Overthrow a Puzzle
The remarkable shift of votes today
is difficult to analyze. The Republican
leaders admit their party in the dis
triet was divided, partly by the failure
of Judge Robert o. Harris to win the
nomination at the primaries. Judge
Harris took no part in the campaign
but many of his friends, with other
dissatisfied Republicans, worked to de-
feat Mr.. Buchanan.
Mr.. Buchanan had also TO meet the
statement that he was not strong
party man, his opponents pointing TO
the fact that he was formerly secretary
10 Governor Douglas, a Democrat. the
Brocllton man was further handicapped
NV q theory that Mr.. Foss was as good
a Republican as himself, and 1t is true
that Mr.. Foss prominence in the Re-
publican party prior to last year
brought many supporters to his stand
ard.
Twenty-Five thousand ballots were
cast today, which is about four-htths
of the average vote in the three last
congressional elections.
Congressman ELECT Foss Is proml-
nent manufacturer, banker and capital-
ist of Boston He had been twice de-
feated for congress in the Eleventh
district He is a brother of Congress-
man Foss of Illinois.
Mr.. Buchanan is the publisher of the
Brockton Times.