The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-02-03
|AMERICANISM
NEWBERRY PLEA
Judge Murtin Fires Opening
BroadSide in Behalf of
Arraigned Senator.
ATTACK ON HENRY FORD
Defense Admits Campaign
Was Highly Organized.
Not Newberry Money.

Grand Rapids. Mich, Feb. g., )
IP)-Truman II. Newberry ente, e :
1918 senatorial campaign in : A.
igan at the solicitation of OF \ and
not in furtherance of s 4e to
get a seat in the senate. - James
O. Murfin. of Detroit, in ming to
the jury in federal cou : attitude
the defense will assuh ward the
charges of conspiracy am fraud for
which 123 men are on trial.
Mr.. Murfn explained the defense's
view of the specific details of the
offenses charged in the six counts of
the indictment, emphasizing that con-
spiracy is the essence of the charges
1t was pointed out that on the first
four counts the gist of the charge is
not fraud in the election, corruption
in the election or anything OF that
description, but that these respond
ents are charged with conspiring to
aid. abet, assist and encourage
Truman Fl. Newberry to commit an
otfense, towit The offense of ex-
pending more of his money than the
law allows"
1t was argued that under the Mich
igan law as long as expenses come
within the eleven enumerated classes
in the statute there is no limit as to
the amount of money a committee of
a candidates friends can spend in
his behalf. ut is my purpose" Mr..
Murfin told the jury, ito point out to
you in exact detail everything that
was done by anybody connected with
this campaign in order that you may
understand it in its infinite detail.
The campaign was unusually hot and
in analyzing and considering what
thees respondents did, the atmosphere
under which they did it should be
considered.
MIchigan's Record
our country was at war, as the
campaign began to liven up we had
just passed our first year of partici-
patton.
THE records will show that Mich
igan sent to this war 100000 young
men in the army, navy and marine
corps they left behind them fathers
relatives and friends. Americanism
and patriotic excitement were at their
crest.
"While there had been rumors in
Michigan that Henry Ford would be
a candidate for the senate his candi-
dncy was actually announced on June
IA, 1918. Rightly or wrongly-and this
is neither the time nor the place to
discuss it--there was n very general
feeling that Mr. Ford did not repre-
sent the type of American who, at
that critical juncture should repre-
sent his state in the United States
senate.
Brightly or wrongly, many people
remembered his campaign against
military preparedness. Many people
remembered his well-meant, mis-
guided efforts to bring about what
now appears would have been Ger
man peace. Many people were bitter
in the war and that none of his fam
ily had become active in the war.
ION the other hand, Commander
Newberry had had an honorable rec
ord in the Spanish American war. He
had been secretary Of the navy in the
cabinet of Theodore Roosevelt.
within forty eight hours after our
country threatened to enter the world
war he volunteered. His brother and
his two sons were also in military
service. This combination of cir
cumstanccs reused many Americans
in Michigan to the firm belief that
1t was their patriotic duty to do all
in their power to assure the election
of Commander Newberry, and we ex-
pcct to conclusively show they were
prompted, not by pay, but by patriot
ism-they were aCtuated not by
avariCe, but by AmeriCanism.