The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1920-05-28

Ihe candidate had to place himself
before the people; it took advertising
and posters and circulars and litera-
ture OF all kinds. DENLY said he did
not see how he could get through the
campaign without spending the mon
ey-and he spent tall for legiti-
mate purposes.
Then Came Doremus
DENLY mad no more than closed the
door than in came Frank E. Doremus.
Denby's opponent.
The DENLY people are spending
lots of money" Doremus said, 81 have
got to overcome majority of 5000
to beat him. l haven't the money to
spend, and unless l can get publicity
In the news columns l am a goner."
Doremus was given publicity, but
not word was said against Denby's
character in any way. It couldn't be
said. DENLY had taken what seemed
to be the wrong course in Congress-
had taken it honestly and fearlessly
and was beaten on that issue.
Campaigns for the mayoralty or for
other offices have cost money, large
quantities of it. In years gone by
to expend $4,000 in a mayoralty
campaign was just an ordinary affair.
The poor man without wealthy
friends as rule would have no show
at all, so great were the costs of
newspaper publicity.
The same held true in state politics.
Nor does that mean that the money
was used to buy votes outright, nor
for what under the old rule was con-
sidered illegitimate purposes.
Paul H. King stated that the can.
didacy of man as honest and with so
little financial means as Senator
Townsend cost $4,000.
Money has not ruled in every in
stance, but it has always been there
and has always played it's part, the
most of the time being used for ad-
vertising, clerk hire, literature, post
age and the like.
In the Roosevelt-Taft- Wilson fight,
Roosevelt's friends and Taft's friends
and Wilson's friends put up large
amounts of money for newspaper and
other advertising, and it was repeated
in the Wilson-Hughes campaign.
And Newberry Entered
1t was into this system, into this
condition, into this mess Of politics
by money that Truman H. Newberry
entered as candidate for the United
States Senatorship from Michigan.
isiThe Newberry family is one of the
"old and wealthy" families of Michi-
gan. Mr.. Newberry has always had
all the money he wanted, more than
he could spend. And he married into
wealthy family. Mrs. Newberry,
through her father being large own
er of stock in the American Book Co.
Much money meant little to Mr..
Newberry. Money meant little more
to those close to him. All about him
were relatives and friends who were
willing to spend large amounts to
bring the honor of United States
Senatorship into the family.
The Law Was Changed
But we are making progress as a
Democracy-we move slowly, but we
move just the same.
This was notmeant to be a govern
ment of the dollar any more than
it was meant to be a government of
the aristocracy.
More and more do our laws reflect
the will of the average man. More
and more do we attain a real demo-
cracy.
There have been so many evidences
of elections being secured in recent
years through the use of money, that
the public wearied of it. There was
not what could be called wild clam
or for reform but there was grim
determination to do away with the ex-
cessive use of money in elections.
Our system was no worse nor any
better than it had been in the past.
With the entry of Mr.. Newberry in
the senatorial campaign there was no
change in the system, but there did
take effect change in the law.
So far as the evidence produced at
the Grand Rapids trial goes the meth.
DDS of Mr.. Newberry's supporters
were not as bad as the methods used
in many campaign that had gone be-
fore in the election of United States
Senators and other officers.
There was nothing to show that Mr..
Newberry or those directly response
bic to him bought votes or did many
things that are likely to come to mind
in connection with corrupt election.
The evidence did show vary lavish
use of money for organization and
advertising purposes.
Prejudices to Overcome
The organization started out with
the proposition that Mr.. Newberry
was little known personally to Michi-
gan; that he was looked upon by
many as ar aristocrat a~l 60 ef touch
with The Tve""~e nan md ,av mo
,,oco1 cr-ct.,, -, ',,l, 49,