The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1919-02-21
THE CASE OF HENRY FORD.

Washington, Feb. 1.-THE Republi-
can Publicity association, through its
president, Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr.,
today gave out the following state
ment from its Washington head
quarters:
protests against the effort OF
Henry Ford to force his way into the
United States senate in spite of his
Reputation by the people of his state,
lis not based upon any personal pre-
judice against Ford. 1t is purely.
question of maintenance of the prin-
ciples and practices of representative
government.
"Mr. Ford does not represent the
governmental ideas of the people OF
Michigan in any respect. He is free
trader. while great majority OF the
people of Michigan are protectionists::
He is a pacifist, while the people OF
| his state believe in aggressively assert
| ing and defending the rights of the
nation when infringed upon by any
other nation He takes no interest in
public affairs, as evidenced by his
statement that he voted for Garfield,
although Garfield was elected presi-
dent before Ford was of age. The
people of his state want a man in
Washington who has taken an active
interest in public affairs and who has
shown his patriotism in a very prac-
! teal way. =.
| "But, more importance than all
these, Mr.. Ford believes in selection OF
senator's by the President. He says
that he did not want to be candidate
for senator but entered the race be-
cause the President wanted him to.
He let all the power of the admins
tration be placed behind him in the
effort to force his election in spite of
| the will of the people. He let the ad-
ministration exert an influence that
could not have been enlisted by the
expenditure of million dollars in his
lbehalf. He is so far out of sympathy
with representative and truly popular
government that he was willing to let
a national executive invade a state
and try to dictate to the people whom
they should elect to represent them in
1.-THE United States senate. Such man
is out of harmony with the thought
and desire of the people of Michigan
and of the whole United States. He is
out of harmony with them not only
in superficial matters but upon the
very fundamentals of government.
michigan has a history of which
she is proud. She has a citizenship
that is independent in thought and
courageous in action. Her people are
accustomed to do their own thinking
and to act upon their own judgment.
They may err, but not more frequent
" when they act upon their own judg-
ment than if they accept the dictation
of an autocrat at Washington. If they
err, the responsibility is theirs and
they will profit by experience. But
they have not abandoned and will not
abandon their rights and duties one
of which is the selection of senators
who represent their ideals in govern
ment.
Michigan has no personal objec-
ton to Mr.. Ford. On the contrary
the state is proud of his achievements
as an automobile manufacturer. But
the state cannot agree with his econo-
mic theories, his ideals OF internation-
alism, or hB acceptation of executive
dictatorship. Because Michigan doe:
not propose to be misrepresented in
the United States senate. her people
are making their protests heard in op.
position to the effort to place Ford in
the senate after one of the most pow.
erful political machines in the history
of the world had failed to force his
election"