New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-24
Newl'erry Issue
Still Agitated
I'm Michigan
Senator Townsend Is Com
PEELED to Discuss 4-Year-
Old Question in All His
Speeches in Campaign
Defends Vote Successfully
Fund Excessive, but. Not
Used Wrongfully, He In
sisis; Audiences Approve
speeiol Dispatch to The tribune

special Dispatch to The Tribune
HOUGHToN, Mich, July 23.-The
100000 Nowberry| campaign fund in
1918 appears to be the foremost issue
In the Republican primary for the
nomination of a Senator.
1t is false issue, Senator Townsend
said to-day, trumped up by his oppo-
nents to distract attention from their
urwillingness or inability to meet
other issues of greater moment in this
period of reconstruction.
These other issues, such as the tariff,
taxes, temperance, the relations of
capital and labor. good roads. the ST.
Lawrence seaway anG agriculture, are
being discussed by the Senator in his
platform appeals. But he defends his
vote in the Senate for Newberry at
every mass meeting.
Although the election of Senator
Newberry when his primary campaign
expenditures were an issue, constituted
vindication by the majority of Mich
igan Republicans, it seems that every
gathering of voters wants to hear the
views of Senator Townsend on this
subject. The chairman of every meet
ing he has addressed has devoted most
of his Introductory talk to remarks on
"Newberryism."
Senator's Explanation Approved
Approval Of the Senator's analysis of
the Newberry case, showing that no
corruption or illegal expenses were in
volved, was registered Enthusiastically at
a meeting last night Applause greeted
his statement that the Supreme Court
had found Newberry was tried I'M
fairly.
EDO you believe the jumymen
who tried him were dishonest or
wrong?" shouted a man in the rear of
the crowded hall, the first heckler en-
countered on the journey through the
upper peninsula.
not believe they were dishonest" re-
piled Senator" Townsend. The heckler
subsidized and after brooding over the
matter for few minutes arose and
stalked out of the hall. He was iden-
titled afterward as one of the few
Democrats in these parts.
Senator Townsend went on to say
that while the Newberry fund was not
used wrongfully it was an excessive
contribution.
"There is a popular sentiment which
you mention $4,000 it seems like
lot of money, especially to those who
do not stop to think that Michigan is a
big state and that to write a single let
ter to each voter would cost S25 900
But the money was spent and the facts
were reported. Yet, knowing ali this,
the voters went to the polls and elected
Truman Newberry. After the election
Mr.. Ford's attorneys, acting through
the Attorney General at Washington,
brought suit against Mr.. Newberry.
They charged fraud and conspiracy
to spend more than the law allowed.
View of Court Criticized
when the case came to trial the
judge ruled out the fraud charge, as
there was no testimony to show it.
Truman H. Newberry and his friends
were convicted, however, of conspiracy
believe, and which | am not alone in
believing, was unfair and improper.
The United States Supreme Court de-
cided that it was an unfair trial and
set aside the law as unconstitutional.
81 would have voted to unseat Mr..
Newberry if l had believed that there
was any fraud in the election. There
was no corruption shown. You voted
for Newberry and one of my opponents
voted for him. Did any of you sell
your votes? Of course not. Yet they
lell you UHdC tHe cleCIIUu was pun
chased. l think that Mr.. Newberry
+unwisely spent too much money. be-
lieve that he would have had a bigger
majority if less money had been spent.
l voted to help Mr.. Newberry and |
also voted for the resolution condemn
ing the use of excessive sums of money
in the campaign.
'Yet some things that have happened
lately have made me hesitate and think.
Suppose you have some great news
paper which wishes to destroy some
candidate or a great syndicate which
wishes to elect some one else. These
papers can use hundreds Of thousands
Of dollars worth of space to attack this
man and he cannot buy advertising
space to answer their charges.
THE constitution provides for free
speech and a free press. There is no
limit to the amount a candidate may
spend. I, myself, cannot spend huge
sums. Perhaps my friends can, but l
wouldn't let them.
"They say voted for Mr.. Newberry
I did. | would do it again under the
circumstances and if I knew it would
hurt me with that kind of people"