Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-03-24
Newberry's Conviction


None Will rejoice that Senator New
berry, the republican senator from Michi-
gan, and sixteen other human beings
have been convicted of a crime and sen
fenced to Imprisonment, but there viii
be general satisfaction over the verdict
because it will at least for the time be
ing deal death blow at a custom OF
buying seats in the senate of the United
States. There will be general sympathy
for the men and their families because
they stand in the eyes of the world
violators of the law, for no matter what
the final outcome their regulations have
been blasted by their conviction on a
charge of felony by jury of theil
peers.
In the scheme of life individuals
amount to very little, after all. 1t just
happens that Senator Newberry and his
associates were caught in a net through
which viOlators in the past have escaped
because Of the Indifferent attitude OF
citizens or the potent influence of money
In Michigan, corrupted and contented
commonwealth has started to clean
house.
There was never any doubt in the
minds of the public that Senator New
berry had purchased his seat In the sen.
ate. In common with others we RETAINED
from expressing an opinion on his in
nocence or guilt, for that was a matter
for the jury to decide. He actually vio-
lated the law. but whether technically
it could be so construed was a question
TO be decided by the courts. The de-
Tense admitted the expenditure of more
money than the law permitted, but de-
MED that Senator Newberry had knowl-
edge Of the fact. sensible Michigan
jury believes he did have knowledge Of
the details of his campaign, and his con-
viction followed.
Fresh in our minds is q verdict of an
other jury-the one which sat in the
Henry FOrd-Chicago Tribune case. The
Chicago newspaper editorially said that
Ford was an anarchist. He sued for libel,
asking for damages in a large sum. The
proceedings in the case are still fresh in
the minds Of the public. The judge sit
ting at Mt. Clemens was not the kind
of jurist that Judge Sessions, who pre-
sided at the Newberry trial, proved to be,
for there was more irrelevant testimony
admitted at the Ford trial than during
any trial In the history Of the country,
Judge Sessions made it very plain that
Henry Ford was not on trial at Grand
Rapids, but that Senator Newberry ana
his Co-defendants were But we doubt
whether any testimony that might have
! been ad1uced. no matter how irrelevant,
could have changed the minds Of the
second Michigan jury which showed a
marked intelligence In separating the
wheat OF facts from the chaf Of irrele-
vancy.
None but a fool could contend that
Newberry's case WAS an exceptional one.
His seat in the senate is but one that
A. 49,. IS
dollar mark would not have been pasted
ali over illegally and in the eyes Of
all the world-if there was In power q
department Of justice IN sympathy with
such methods or a political party IN
power that condones such acts as best
exemplthed by the cheers which recently
came from the republican side In the sen
ate when the Michigan senator took his
seat for the first time after HIS indiet-
ment. The action of the senate on his
next appearRnce-for he still is a member
Of the senate until that body acts or tne
Ford charges-will reflect atlu furthr
the attitude Of that great legislative body
on the custom Of corrupting celebrates
by the Wholesale use OF money.
(Ncwberry for years has been an active
republican leader in Michigan. An arts
tocrat, a man of great wealth. he has
been an angel OF the party workers HIS
own and his family's money have pumped
oxygen into the republican party In
Michigan and kept It alive. Il was the
Newberry idea Of government, the delega-
ton Of old families to seats Of power and
the perpetuation OF special privilege
through delegated government Such a
thing as a corrupt practices act to a man
of Newberry's training and trend OF
thought was simply a moral SOP 10 ap-
pease the demands q idealsts. He could
not see the practicability OF it; his vision
fell far short % the time when he might
be q victim Of such 4 thing. He never
dreamed that laws were made to be
obeyed or that courts were incorruptible