Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-01-09
Michigan Senator Declares
His Innocence Before
the Senate.
ASTONISHED WHEN TOLD
CAMPAIGN COST S195,000
Asserts He Did Not Have Faintest
Idea of Amount Until Re-
port Was Filed.

A sweeping declaration of his in
nocence was made by Senator New
berry, republican, Michigan. today
in the Senate.
Taking the floor for his own de-
fense in the custer proceedings
brought by Henry Ford, the defeat
ed democratic candidate, Senator
Newberry emphatically denied per-
sonal knowledge of the collection or
expenditure of the large campaign
fund spent in his behalf.
las God is my witness, l am not
to this day and hour conscious of
having done in connection with either
the primary campaign or the gen.
eral election, of 1915 in the state of
Michigan" said Senator Newberry, "a
unlawful, dishonorable or corrupt.
and this / say to the Senate of the
United States without reservation or
qualification.
Has a Clear Conscience.
lieved them to be, and as l now be-
lieve them to be, l shall abide the
result with clear conscience,
MIR. Newberry added in dramatic
conclusion of his prepared address.
His colleague. Senator Townsend. an
nounced last Saturday. that Mr.. New
berry would submit to questioning
by senators, but not to heckling or
CroSS-eNamlnat1On.
A business man and not an ex-
perienced public speaker. Senator
Newberry. of short, sturdy figure, with
glasses over his blue eyes. said he de-
sired to give the Senate what little in
formation he had personally regarding
the charges made against his manner
OF election. At the outSe the asked
that he be not interrupted until he
concluded his prepared address.
Cannot BE Silent Longer.
Il cannot remain silent any longer
during the consideration of my right
to represent the state of Michigan as
one of it's senator's" he said. Il did
not volunteer to appear before the
committee which took testimony in
this matter because 1 really had no
information that would assist in the
investigation of the charges filed by
my opponent. 1t seems to me that
the time has come to speak, because
my silence might be misunderstood
by my friends.
"As my colleagues in this body
know, and as is also well known by
my associates and constituents in
the state of Michigan, 1 am not ac-
customed to public speeches. and
whatever service / have been able to
render to my country or to others has
been entirely along lines remote from
oral debate. Therefore, l earnestly
request my associates in the Senate
to permit me to proceed with my
statement without interruption.
Lays Case Before Senate.
II shall state the whole case as I
know it-fully. frankly and honestly.
as in the presence of God and before
my fellow senator's in this great
tribunal. and 1 shall do this just as
completely as I am able to do it. I
can add absolutely nothing to what
/ am about to state to the Senate. 1
must abide by whatever effect it may
have upon the conscience and the
judgment of the members of this
body.
1T is perhaps unnecessary for me
to say that l shall confine myself
strictly and entirely to the facts as
! know them to be, and shall not at
tempt in any sense, either by argu-
ment or appeal, to affect in the
slightest degree, the judgment Of
this body. So far as 1 am concerned,
] desire that the facts as they are
shall determine this matter.
Commissioned in Navy.
ION the 9Th day Of June. 1917, I
was commissioned a lieutenant COM
mander in the United States Navy.
and on July %, 1917. 1 was assigned
IN the third Stysio
headquarters in the Brooklyn navy
yard. 1 Immediately took up my
duties there, and from that day, July
%. 1917. until after the signing of
the armistice, November II, 1918,
was never in Michiga a single hour.
The primary election and the
general election of 1918 occurred during
my absence from the state of Michigan
I'm the early fall of 1917 began to
receive visits and letters from men
active in public and political affairs
in Michigan, urging me to become a
candidate on the republican ticket
for United States senator. / was not
unmindful of the suggested honor
and yet, I fully realized that l GER
tainly would not .esign my commission
in the Navy to become a candidate
for any political office, and that
could not take any personal active
interest in a campaign while I con-
10 De al oilCeT Oh QuIy In
the United States Navy.
Hoped for Business Mems Aid.
while / was considering whether
or not it was my duty to become a
candidate for the United States SEN
ate at the November election of 1918,
I said to Mr.. Allan Templeton, a cit
izen of Detroit, who was actively en-
gagged in a large industry in which 1
was a stockholder, and who was also
president of the Detroit Board of
Commerce, that if I should decide to
become a candidate hoped it would
meet with the approval of my Detroit
business friends and associates, and
that 1 trusted the campaign might be
looked after by business men of that
description. This is as far as / had
any direct connection with the selec-
Iion of the committee Of business
men, whose management of the cam
paign in my behalf 1 shall remember
with gratitude as long as shall live
Mr.. Paul II. King was induced to
accept the active management of the
campaign. The selection of Mr.. King
did not originate with me. 1t was not
in any way arranged by me. I knew
Mr.. King but slightly. My last con-
tact with him had been in 1912, when
we were political opponents.