The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-02-03
THE SHAME OF
THE j. S. SENATE
BY Senator Robert NJ. LaFOllette
(From LaFollete's Magazine.)

By a vote of 46 to Al, the United
States senate on January 18th de-
clared Truman H. Newberry "to be
duly elected senator from the State
of Michigan for the term of six years
commencing on the 4th day of March,
1919, and entitled to hold his seat in
the senate of the United States"
Newberry openly acknowledged
that $195,000 was spent in his be-
half by members fhis family in the
Michigan primary of 1918. The res
olution declaring Newberry entitled
to his seat condemned the methods
by which he obtained it in the fol-
lowing language: "The expenditure
of such excessive sums in behalf of a
candidate, either with or without his
knowledge and consent, being con-
trary to sound public policy, harm
full to the honor and dignity of the
senate and dangerous to the perpet-
uity of a free government, such ex-
cessive expenditures are hereby Sc
verely condemned and disapproved."
In seating the beneficiary of the
expenditures referred to, it is my
sincere belief that the as senators
who voted for Newberry have dis
honored themselves, put the stigma
of shame upon the senate in which
the campaign of political debauchery
was staged, and placed the United
States senate in a humiliating posi-
ton before the country. 1t is a fear
full price to pay in order to confirm
the sale of a single seat in the United
States senate.
Everyone of the 46 senators voting
for Newberry, who defended his vote
in public, pleaded that Newberry did
not know of the enormous funds eX-
pended in his behalf and was not a
participant in his campaign. This
lame excuse will make no appeal to
the common sense of the American
people. Indeed, the senators who adj
vanced it are contradicted by the adj
mitted facts on the record.
In the face of the pitiful claim of
Newberry and his protagonists that
"he did not know" the following
facts stand out boldly on the record
uncontroverted and unassailable:
Newberry himself suggested the
organization of the business mems
committee" which was placed in
charge of his campaign. Newberry
requested that his business partner,
Allen Templeton, act as chairman of
that committee and Templeton did so
act at Newberry's suggestion.
Nearly one year before the pri-
mary, Newberry sent his confidential
agent, Fred Cody, to Washington to
ask j. G. Hayden, newspaper man,
to become active manager of his cam
paign a few months later. Hayden, !
having declined the offer, Newberry
held a conference with Paul King at |
which Newberry definitely engaged |
King as his active campaign man
ager. At this conference King in
formed Newberry that the primary
would cost him Eat least
$50 1000"
The names of Mr.. Floyd as secre-
AIRY, and Mr.. Blair as treasurer, of
he campaign committee, were sent
o Newberry for his approval before
either of these two gentlemen began
% function as members of his COM
nittee.
From March 6, 1918, until primary
lay in August, Paul King reported
almost daily to Newberry the prog
'ess of the campaign, advising him
n detail by telephone, telegraph, or
etter of the methods and practices
being employed to secure his nami-
nation.
During the course of the campaign
King frequently applied to Newberry
for approvals of the policies he was
pursuing and Newberrv on numerous
offered advice, suggestions |
and encouragement to his campaign |
Every penny of the $195,000 openly |
acknowledged to have been spent was
contributed by members of Newber-
RVS family and his business partners
Of the total amount John Newberry,
brother of Truman. admitted he had
contributed $4,000. Fred Smith,
confidential agent of the Newberrys,
who held the power of attorney for
Truman and John Newberry, drew
checks for the use of the campaign
committee. Smith admitted under
oath that when the account of John
Newberry ran low he replenished the
account by checking from the account
of Truman Newberry, but Smith and
John Newberry swore that such
amounts were later made good by
John Newberry
In addition to the acknowledgment
of an expenditure of $4,000, abund-
ant evidence was produced to show
that the total expenditures exceeded
a quarter of a million. Other esti-
mates ran as high as 100000. The
state law of Michigan permitted only
an expenditure of $3.50 by a candi-
date for the senate. While the cam
paign was in progress, it is undis-
puted that both the lieutenant COVER
nor of Michigan and leading news
paper editor of the state advised
Newberry that doodle" campaign
was being waged in his behalf
Although put on notice that the
methods of which he was approving
almost daily in his letters to King
We're VIGOROUSLY calling for excessive
expenditures, hte record shows that
1 Newberry continued to encourage his
friends in conducting exactly the sort
of a campaign that required unlim-
tied expenditures of money and die
absolutely nothing to restrain the
reckless and corrupting activities OF
his appointed agents. Such are the
admitted facts disclosed in page after
page of the evidence in the New
berry case. Every senator who voted
for Newberry did so in the face Of
these facts. Newberry himself was
necessarily in possession of these
facts when he filed with the secre
tary of state his sworn statement il
which he declared: "The campaign
for my nomination for United State:
senator has been voluntarily conduct
ed by my friends in Michigan.
+alr In hnt