The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-02-04
Senator's Attorney Says He
Was Running Against Best
Advertised Man in America
HAD TO SPEND MONEY
Newberry's Machine Was Most
Perfect Ever Built Up At
tOrney Martin Says

Grand Rapids, Mich, Feb. 3.-Tru-
man II. Newberry entered the 1918
the solicitation of others and not in
furthrance of a scheme to get seat
in the senate. said James o. Murfin,
of Detroit. in outlining to the jury
in federal court the attitude the de-
fense will assume toward the charges
of conspiracy and fraud for which
123 men are on trial
Mr.. Murfin explained the defense's
view of the specific details of the Of
fenses 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, corrup-
tion in the election or anything of that
description, but that these respondents
are charged with conspiring to aid.
abet, assist. and encourage Truman HI.
Newberry to commit an offense to wit:
| the offense of expending more of his
money than the law allows"
1t was argued that under the Michi-
gan law as long as expenses coma
withln the eleven enumerated classes
IN the statute there is no limit as to
I-lhe amount of money a committee of
candidates friends can spend in his
| behalf '.7
1T is my purpose Mr.. Murfin told
tne Jurors. ito point out to you in
exact detail everything that was done
ny ANYBODY connected with this cam
paisn IN order that you may under
stand 1T in its infinite detail The
campaign was unusually hot and in
anaiyzing and considering what those
respondents did, the atmosphere under
which they did it should be consid-
| cred.
| 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 NIichf
gan sent to this war 10000 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
|
| a candidate for the senate, his can
didacy was actually announced on
June IA. 1918.
Rightly or wrongly--and this ia
neither the time nor the place to dis
cuss it.-there was very general feel
| ing that Mr.. Ford did not represent
the type of American who. at that
critical juncture should represent his
state in the United States senate.
/ Rightly or wrongly. many people
remembered his campaign against
/; military preparedness. Many people
remembered his we'll meant misguid-
ed efforts to bring about what now
appears would have been a German
peace. Many people were bitter over
+, the fact that he was not active in the
war and that none of his family had
/ become active in the war.
! 'On the other hand Commander New
berry had had an honorable record
| 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 circumstances
reused many American in Michigan
| to the firm belief that IT was their
! patriotic duty to do all in their pow
/ er to assure the election of Com
| mander Newberry and we expect to
conclusively show they were prompt
ed not by pay, but by patriotism
they were actuated, not by avarice,
J but by Americanism.
! Getting into this campaign was
not of the choosing of Commander
\ IL
most reluctance and only after re-
peated urging He stipulated that he
could not leave his duties: that he
could not be active and that he could
not contribute one dollar to this move
ment. This determination not TO be
active nor to contribute one cent was
lreligfousIy adhered TO by him from the
beginning TO the end and the proof
will positively show that not one dol
lar of his money was ever handled by
any one.
! The organization that was subse-
quently built up under the supervision
of Mr.. Paul King was undoubtedly
the most perfect political organiza-
tion ever put together. With a few
conspicuous exceptions every town
ship. hamlet and city in the state was
organized. The commander was run
lining against the best advertised man
lin America It was indispensably
necessary, in the judgement OF these
respondents in principal charge OF the
campaign. that his qualifications be
given the widest publicity. general
advertising campaign of newspapers
circulars. pamphlets, and similar de-
vices was organized. in charge OF the
most skillful publicity men who could
he fot,ud-who did their work thor
ouehly and with absolute honesty"
| From this point the attorney told
the Jury in detail the connection OF
most OF the respondents witE the case.