The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-24
Newberry Case Squarely
 Up To The Republicans
Republicans of Entire Nation Are Now Watching Ala bama Fight for Wood-Instructons Issued to
 Farmers for Testing Their Cottonseed
By HUGH ROBERTS

| brethren This course is regarded as
 even more probable in view of the fact
 that republican governor of Michigan will name a republican, most probably
 William Alden Smith, former senator, to
 take the place of the man about to be cast out.
 And yet the committee on elections,
 dominated by republicans, must proceed
 with it's calm deliberation under the dire
 fuI threat of Senator sherman of Illi-
 nois, hitherto referred to in this cor respondence. The Illinois statesman as may be recalled, declared in a speech on
 the floor that the republican membership must stand by Newberry irrespective of court decisions or any other conse- quences. He threatened that if the re-
 publfcans "laid down on Newberry in his direful emergency. the democratic minority would instantly become demo- cratic majority. Mfr. Sherman, in other crds. threatened to vote with the demo- crats who, by his accession and the elim- nation of Newberry, would become the majority party in the Senate.
 This speech was probably intended as a speech to the jury hearing evidence in the Newberry case. Its startling nature ob- viously distressed the republicans. The { democrats expressed themselves through Senator Beckham of Kentucky. God
  cratic minority may never become dem ocratic majority through such aeces- sions.' The Newberry case has since the cleo tioR of Senator Newberry been a cause celebre. It was admitted that in the republican primary in which he secured the republican nomination, his committee expended within the neighborhood of $200,O00. Following his election, Henry Ford, who had opposed him, filed charges with the Senate of political crookedness or the part of Newberry and his friends. At that time, the democrats were in pow CT. The committee on elections instantly undertook to find out the merits in rie case. And then the republicans, evidently fearing the result, made the point that a senator should be tried by the Senate in which he had been elected to serve lt was shown that the Senate in which Newberry had been elected to serve would be a republican Senate.
 When the republicans took charge they pretended to investigate. But despite the overwhelming amount of evidence which featured the recent trial of the accused senator, the republicans, acting through their most brilliant lawyers and their most astute sleuths, were unable to find a single item at which the world might point the finger of scorn.
 And then, like a bolt from the blue, came the announcement of Newberry' s indictment by a federal grand jury in Michigan. Newberry deliberately pade his brethren adieu, and left for the scene Of the alarm. Soon he returned, and as he entered the Senate chamber the repub- licans, in most conspicuous manner, walked across the floor to greet him
 and shake his hand They were express
 ing either a confidence that the charges
 were trumped up and political, if not
 mendacous, or their determination to
 stand by their own as if their own was
 their country. right or wrong.
 It is interesting gossip in Washington
 that centering in the eternal question,
 What might have been?" As result of
 the elections in the fall of 1918 the re- publicans returned to Washington with
 majority of two in the Senate. Had Newberrys money failed to operate in Michigan, his majority of trifle more