The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-06-10
Dissatisfied Republicans Are
Asking State Senator Dav-
export to Be Candidate
STRONG OPPONENT
OF BARNES FORCES
Followed Roosevelt Out of the Party,
But Returned to Republican Fold in
1915-Was Strong With the Hughes
Forces in State Legislature.


NEW YORK, June 1O.-Certain Repub-
leans opposed to the denomination of
United States Senator James w. Wads-
worth, IT., are engaged in sounding out
sentiment on the availability of State
Senator Frederick Morgan Davenport as
an anti Wadsworth candidate to the pri-
mares. They have urged him to consider
making the race but so far he has reached
no decision on the proposal.
From the time he entered politics SEN
ator Davenport has been opposed to Viii
liam Barnes, the political sponsor of Sen
ator Wadsworth, and this is being used
as an argument to induce him to get into
the race 1T is urged upon him that there
will be an anti-Wadsworth candidate any
way and that his record makes him the
natural opponent of Senator Wadsworth
Senator Davenport has been called the
"'schoolmaster in politics. but in many
| political fights he has shown himself to be
two-6sted fighter. For many years he
| has held the chair of law and politics in
| Hamilton college, having gone there alter
| getting an A b. at Wesleyan, PHI d.
| at AOlulllDld, anu SIuNA llIS tLtUiOEN IOI
| a time.
| In 1908 he was elected to the state son
ate from the Utica district and gained a
place in the Hughes group in the legisla-
| ture, being particularly active in the at
| tempt to put through direct primary
measure In the 1910 fight between Vice
President sherman and Col Roosevelt for
| the temporary Craftsmanship of the state
convention. Senator Davenport was on
the colonel's side Later he accused the
| sherman organization In Utica of treach.
Gery in failing to support his candidacy for
reelection. He was defeated because OF
this factional feeling
| Senator Davenport returned TO the sen
ate last November. having defeated the
organization candidate for the nomination.
| He was one of the five insurgent senators
who dehed the Republican leadership in
the senate last winter and fought for the
minimum wage, health insurance anu 9TH
CT welfare bills. As chairman of the com
| mlttee on taxation Senator Davenport
sponsored the state income tax BILL Al
| though the Democrats and Republicans
united in putting it on the statute books
so that it might not be made a partisan
issue, it is thought that his opponents
might use this bill against his candidacy il
he should desire to run for the United
States senatorial nomination.
Senator Davenport followed Col. Roose
welt out of the Republican party in l9l:
and ran on the Liberal ticket for lieuten
ant governor of New York state that year
Two years later he was the Liberal candi
date for governor In 1915 he returned
to the Republican organization. At the
time he declared the issue was the domi
nation OF William Barnes and that the
Liberal Republicans could not keep this
leader ont of control unless the Liberal.
who had left the Republican party re
turned to that fold
Friends of Senator Davenport say thai
he would suit the sudragists, who ar,
determining to fight Senator Wadswortl
because of his record on suffrage. The!
also assert that he would appeal particu
larry to the forces that are back of til,
prohibition movement and which the Anti
Saloon league has started out to line VI
lugainst Senator Wadsworth