The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-20
The Newberry Trial.

1t is much too early to guess the
outcome of the trial at Grand Rapids.
where Senator Newberry and 122 OF
his campaign workers are accused of
violating the federal election laws IN
the 1918 campaign. The Baltimore Sun
IND, Dem.) predicts that 1.-The trial
vii be an exceedingly protraeted one -
But, says the Detroit News Und4 even
as early as this the Newberry trial Is
not without heart interest. e..
That's what makes it all such q good
story"
Although the outcome may involve
the conflicting claims of the Republi-
can and Democratic parties to a Mich
igan seat in the United States senate,
the newspapers of the country. for the
most part, are not inclined to take a
partisan view of the trial. For in
stance, the Republican Knoxville Jour
nal and Tribune says of Senator New
berry:
He is charged with having spent
an enormous amount of money or that
his supporters did. in violation of cor
rupt practices laws of both the nation
and the state of Michigan. 1t will be
for the jury to decide after hearing the
evidence and what the lawyers on each
side have to say for the client on the
subject 1t is not yet proper for the
public to say--but on its face it has a
nasty look and smells bad"
,, on the other hand, the independent
Democratic Baltimore Sun thinks the
prosecution has revealed at the outset
that it is weak. The Sun says:
zone thing that will catch the atten-
ton Of the ordinary reader is the black
ness Of the picture which Mr. DALEY
(the prosecutor) draws of Senator New
berry. . 1t is nearly always sigr
n uTn n ? M = IL, 4E
bolster up a case at the outset with
professional 'dramatics, or to destroy
the alleged criminal with verbal vitrio
before single witness has been heard.
This is no defense of Senator New
berry, the sun goes on; but the
governments case is prejudiced by g
lack of dignity and self-control in Its
| obscured and the country as well as
the jury may be left in a state of in
decision. The case Is too serious to bt
| allowed to end in that way"
1t seems to be conceded that large
sums of money were spent on Senator
Newberry's election, but the defense
insists, first, that Senator Newberrl
| even acquainted with the campaign
methods of his followers, and second
that there is no evidence OF 'conspira
| cy' among the latter to violate tn,
law This line of defense, in the view
Of the Chattanooga Times Und. Dem.
| is too technical:
Whether there is conspiracy or not,
it says, the stark, bald and disgrace
| full fact is made clear that enormou!
sums of money were used to corrupt thu
electorate of the state-'the lid is off,
! said one of the workers to an intimate
| and the sky is the limit Whether
| Senator Newberrv shall be able to es
| cape on the technicalities of the Law
is not SO much the question as tina
decency and honest regard for tn
| law were thrown to the winds and {
reckless and contemptuous program fo
| buying the election was adopted by thu
managers of the campaign"
But, remarks the Columbus Dispatch
| Qnd):
Men of the Newberry type are reall!
not so much to blame. They are mil
| lionaires who are worked by designing
politicians in most instances. They arr
willing to disburse their money to OBJ
tain the honor, and they do not. pa!
enough attention to the details of thu
| disbursement. They do not see that /
is terrible thing to have established
| in this country such systems and poll
cies as will enable a man literally t.
buy his way into the senate.
The defense reminds the jury alst
|
Henry Ford, because of whose known
pacifist attitude" as the Idaho States
man ERep) puts it, many patriotic
people of Michigan were greatly aroused
lest he should be elected to the sen
ate in war time However, the Chat
tanooga News CDem) declares tina
| Ford's views on preparedness an'
peace were not essentially differen
from those of the president and re
minds US that president Wilson con
! sdered Mr.. Ford the best man in Mich
| iean for the senate" The News hold
that our institutions are in more dan
ger from men like those who manipu
lated the Newberry fund than from
MIR. Ford" The Atlanta Journal Ond
Dem) thinks Mr. Ford's views irree
want to the case; 1--WE might sunoose
| from the tone of the eminent counsel
Speech" it says, that Ford and no
| Newberry was on trial"
The trial has its amusing side. IN
whole country chuckled appreciatively,,
says the Grand Rapids Press und
"over the prosecutions description o
Senator Newberry in uniform standing
on the bridge of a toy batleship in
New York park while motion pictura
were taken for the benefit of his cam