The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-26
NEWBERRy CASE
ST|RS SOCIALISTS
Point to Houses Treatment
+ of Berger and Claim
Discrimination
NO SQUARE DEAL
FOR THEIR MEN
Expected Newberry Will Resign His
Seat and Governor of Michigan Ap-
point Another Republican-Will Be
Guided By His Colleagues.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright By The Reormerf)


WASHINGTON, March 26-Announce-
| ment by Governor Sleeper of Mich
| igan, that he would not ask any of
| ice holders to resign who were recently
convicted in the federal courts for viola
ton of the election laws has revived the
inquiry here not merely as to what the
state of Michigan would do but what the
/ United States senate would say about the
retention by Truman H. Newberry of
his seat
The question concerns not alone Mich
igan politics and the reduction of the Re
publican majority in the United States
senate to one vote-a narrow margin ON
which to do business-but it affects the
opportunity of the Socialists and radicals
in the next campaign. Already the So
cialists are drawing a parallel between
the expulsion of Victor Berger from the
house of representatives because he had
been convicted in a federal court on a
charge of violating the espionage act and
the case of Truman H. Newberry who
has been convicted and sentenced to two
years in the penitentiary.
a I Both Mr.. Berger and Mr.. Newberryl
have appealed their respective cases and
each hopes to secure a reversal even if it |
IS necessary to carry the fight to the SUI
preme court of the United States But
: in the meantime, the house of representa- |
-. tives not only refused to seat Mr. Berger
l but when he was reelected by the people
/ Of Wisconsin and by their votes gave the
I impression that they did not find him guilty
of wrong doing, the house declined even
/ then to accept Mr. Berger into its men,
1 bership.
III All the soap box orators are getting
ready to point out that Socialist can't
/ get a square deal from the federal govern
men and the Newberry case is the very
ammunition they say they have needed
to drive their point home. Berger's
/ friends claim his crime consisted merely
/ in expressing an opinion-in saying the
! war was not for democracy but for com
/ mercial gain and rivalry. Some of the
I very criticisms of the war made by Mr..
/ Berger during the heat Of the conflict
! were later repeated in substance by Pres
I idnt Wilson himself on his western trip
| in behalf of the league of nations but of
course the fighting was over and there
/ was no sharp scrutiny of words or argu-
ments in postbelum days
N There are three ways by which the
= problem developed by the Newberry case
can be solved Mr. Newberry can re-
sign of his own volition and spare his
colleagues in the senate any embarrass-
-. ment The senate can by majority vote
4 declare Mr. Newberrys seat vacant and
the governor of Michigan can make a
temporary appointment and call new
election
- The state of Michigan can have a new
election before the senate acts and say
whether in view of the federal court :
verdict, the people still want Mr. New
berry to represent them in the senate
Then the senate in the event that the
vote is favorable to Mr. Newberry can
Sc vindicate its position and reverse
the principle adopted in the house IN the
Berger case and permit Mr. Newberry to
- remain in the senate while his case is be
ing appealed.
The Junior senator from Michigan has
not yet returned to Washington Imme
diately after his CONJUNCTION, he said he
would consult his colleagues in the sen
-, ate before deciding whether or not t
resign. Truman Newberry is the kind OF
Die man who would not stay in the senate
rs. a second longer than his colleagues
Id wanted him to do so. He would not engage
in a controversy or fight for his seat as
did Senator Lorimer of Illinois If he
- stays it viii be because his Republican
associates insist upon it though from the
IL viewpoint of political control, the vacancy
caused by a possible resignation of Mr.
:. Newberry would be filed at once by the
all appointment of another Republican as tho
governor of Michigan is a Republican.
Personally Truman Newberry is wei
- liked in the senate. He made many
- friends here when he was assistant see
rotary of the navy and the general i'm
preston given by his defenders is that he
was the victim of over Jealous friends
who spent large sums of money to defeat
Henry Ford, and give little concern to q
possible check up.
As a matter Of fact although it is un
fortunate that Truman Newberry alone
should have been ordered punished for
what so many officeholders would have
gotten away with in mast years without
prosecution Of any kind the effect of the
Michigan verdict already has been to mt
campaign managers on their guard and tc
promote a healthier regard for federal
and state corrupt practices acts and cleo
ton laws The upshot of the Newberly
. case however probably will he the volnn-
tary RESIGNATION by Mr.. Newberry OF his
seat in the senate
A physician can look wise and get