Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-21
BAD TASTE, BAD POLITICS,
. NEWBERRY'S UNDOING
The Old Guard, Having Tossed Him "a
the Wolves, Should Be Wiser, II
Not Saddsr, Men r

Il A1HDEsXtO VI tuo kSepuUlACuu 0tdIWuEtU
~ fleeing. as, you might say. across the
drenry SHOWS Of the recent election for q
place to rest and refuge, tossed Newberry
to the pursuing wolves. Obviously they
felt that the ferocious Democrats and
radicals. who thirst for the blood Of stout
conservatives. ought to have something to
distract their attention. few bones to
humble, an out.and.o outer Of the Old
Guards own ranks to tear to pieces.
Newberry deserved the sentence pro.
nounced upon him. my friends" he said
plaint!vely, "got me into this and they will
have to get me out of It," His friends got
him out Of 1t. They threw him.
While he was saying in Detroit that he
wouldn't resign, his resignation was already
in the hands Of Vice President Coolidge.
II Newberry was utterly helpless in the
hands of his friends, If he had to have his
mind made up by long distance telephone,
he was out Of place in Washington and
likely to be dangerous in the Senate.
There we're two ways in which he might
have saved his political self respect and he
chose neither. lie might have resigned as
soon as he was vindicated by the Supreme
and stuck TO his seat until he was formally
voted out in the next session and permitted
to retire fighting, as man should who Is
sure Of himself and the rghtness Of his
cause.
Money in clumps has been spent in
American elections before and 1t will be
spent again. The average voter. rather than
the candidate, is to blame for this. His
doorbell has to be pulled he must be driven
to the polls. He must be wheedlcd and
coaxed and canvassed and persuaded to take
even a passing interest in elections.
4 man might be an angel Of political
light or genius and a seer able and
anxious to do priceless service to the COM
munity or the State. yet he could not be
assured Of election against a ward heller If
he were without the usual campaign fund
for the education" Of voters who will not
use their eyes and ears or the information
provided daily in the form Of political
news.
The fault with Newberry was not his
spending habit alone or the spending habit
OF his friends. The election Of 1918 in
Michigan was sort of Roman holiday for
the political managers. It grew to be sort
of caricature Of all that Is worst
in the system Of dollar politics. There
was a quality Of gay cynic,sm in the
method BY which the professional boosters
rolled up the Newberry vote. Bad taste was
more conspicuous even than bad politics in
all the prelIminaries Of that election.
Newberry has said that he didhst know
what his friends were doing. All the rest
of Michigan did. And Newberryism. as at
last It came to have a meaning for the
country. meant not SO much a misuse of
money in politics, but fragrant disregard
on the part Of campaign managers Of all
the lesser political decencies. It was the
frank and cheerful abandonment Of the rules
Of restraint that seems to have offended the
public.
The reactions Of public opinion to the
case have been purely instructive and In
many ways illogical. For 1t seems to be
the feeling of the public that II you are II
good man. with a record that assures good
conduct in the future and good works. you
may spend as much money as you can spare
in a campaign for Office. II you are not.
you will not have that privilege. There Is,
too, a growing general suspicion that the
more money you spend the less desirable you
are likely to be.
In the case of Newberry there is lesson
which the Old Guard and all its friends and
supporters will do we'll to learn. There vii,
be no end to large campaign funds But It
will not be safe in the future to 60 out
and try to buy a political Office as you
would buy a horse or an automobile.