The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-03-30
BLAME NEWBERRY FOR DEFEAT OF
 PEACE TREATY
Convicted Senator Enabled Republicans to Gain
 Majority.

Washington, D. C., March 30-In connection with the conviction of Senator Truman H. Newberry, of Michigan, for conspiring to commit election fraud and the imposition of a sentence of two years in prison, it is now a matter of comment in Wash ington that defeat of ratification of the peace treaty was due to the pres ence of Senator Newberry in the Sen ate.
 The slender majority gained by Senator Newberry's presence in a seat the Michigan court has adjudged him guilty of criminal practices in gaining, enabled the Republicans to organize the Senate and gain control of all the committees. It enabled Sen ator Lodge and other Republicans to pack" the Foreign Relations com mittee against the peace treaty and President Wilson, and thereby made it possible to load down the treaty and the League of Nations covenant with destructive reservations which, after many months of wearying de- bate, resulted in the defeat of ratif- cation. Had not Senator Newberry participated in the organization of the Senate, the Democrats would have re- tained control of the committees Senator Hitchcock would have con- dnued as chairman of the Foreign Relations committee, the treaty would have been reported out many months ago, unquestionably would have been ratified in reasonable time and the country have been at peace, business would have been stabilized and in dustry again in its normal channel.
 In this connection, it will be inter esting to watch the course of the Re publican Senate, holding a slender majority of but two votes, in the Ford-Newberry contest Attorneys for Henry Ford are urging prompt action by the Senate, but the neces- sity, for partisan reasons, of main taining this slight but effective major ity will probably serve to keep the Republican majority from taking any prompt action to clear it's presence of member, even though the stigma of conviction of crime is upon him. Nor is it expected that Newherry will resign, certainly not before his sen tence is affirmed by higher court, for though he will not likely appear in the senate and participate in it's de- Alterations, he will be F'paired' in his absence and under Senate custom, pair is as effective as a vote.
 Newberry is the third member of lne senate III the last thirty years to be convicted of criminal practices during tenure of office. The others were Senator John H. Mitchell, of Oregon, who was member of the Senate for tWenty-six years, and Sen ator Joseph R. Burton, of Kansas. Both were Republicans. Both were convicted of using their influence as Senators before Government Depart ments at Washington for corrupt purposes, Senator Mitchell in gaining contracts for a constituent and Bur ton for accepting a fee for appearing as attorney before the Postoffice De- partment Mitchell never served any of his sentence, nor did he resign from the Senate his death occurring in Portland, Ore, in 1905 before his term of Imprisonment began. Burton served a term Of six months. He did not resign from the Senate until his prison term began.
 The most recent Senatorial investi- gation, of course, was in the Lorimer case, from Illinois, Lorimer was expelled in 1912 when the Senate adopted a resolution declaring ''that corrupt methods and practices were employed in his election, and that the election therefore was invalid.''