The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-09
new BERRY
PROCLAIMS
INN0CE
Calls God to Witness He
Is Not Conscious of Do
ing Unlawful Act.

Washington, Jan. 9.-A sweeping
declaration of his innocence was
made by Senator Newberry, Repub-
lican, of Michigan, today in the
senate.
Taking the floor in his own de-
Tense in the custer proceedings
brought by Henry Ford, the defeat
ed Democratic candidate, Senator
Newberry emphatically denied per-
sonal knowledge of the amount or
the expenditure of the large cam
paign fund spent in his behalf.
"As God is my witness, | am not
to this day and hour, conscious of
having done, in action, either in the
primary campaign or the general
election of 1918, in the state of
Michigan" Senator Newberry said,
"a single act that was, or is, in any
way unlawful, dishonorable, or cor
rupt, and this say to the senate Of
the United States without reserva-
ton or qualification"
Upon these facts, as l then be-
lieved them to be, and as l now
believe them to be, l shall abide
the result with a clear conscience,
Mr.. Newberry added in dramatic
conclusion Of his prepared address.
At the outset, he asked that he be
not Interrupted until he concluded
his prepared address.
Must Break Silence.
81 cannot remain silent any
longer during the consideration of
my right to represent the state of
Michigan IS one of its senator's" he
said. Il did not volunteer to appear
before the committee of the senate
which took testimony in this mat
ter, because / really had no infor-
nation that would assist in the in
vestigation 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.
"On the sixth day of June; 1917,
! was commissioned a lieutenant
commander in the United States
navy and on July %, 1917, l was
assigned to the Third naval district
with headquarters in the Brooklyn
navy yard l Immediately took up
my duties there and from that day,
July %, 1917, until after the sign
ing of the armistice, Nov. IL, 1918,
! was never in Michigan a single
hour. -. The primary election
and the general election of 1918 oc-
CURED during my absence from the
state of Michigan.
In the early fall of 1918 I began
to receive visits and letters from
men active in public and political
affairs in Michigan, urging me to
become a candidate on the Repub-
lican ticket for United States SEN
ator. While l was considering
whether or not it was my duty to
become a candidate for the United
States senate at the November cleo
uon of 1918, l said to Mr.. Allan
Templeton, citizen of Detroit, who
was actively engaged in large in
dustry in which I was a stockhold-
er, and who was also president of
the Detroit Board of Commerce,
mat If l should decide to become a
candidate, l hoped it would meet
with the approval of my Detroit
BUSINESS friends and associates, and
that trusted the campaign might
De looked after by business men of
that description. This is as far as
l had any direct connection with
the selection of the committee of
business men whose management
OF the campaign on my behalf 1
snail remember with gratitude as
long as l shall live.
Didn't know King.
Paul H. King was induced to
accept the active management of
tue campaign The selection of
MI. King did not originate with me.
II was not in any way arranged by
me. l knew Mr.. King but slightly.
NY last contact with him had been
1912, when we were political
opponents. -.
In my Judgment, Paul King is a
man OF the highest character and
sterling integrity, and when he had
oeeh selected as manager of the
senatorial campaign in Michigan,
winch was done without the slight
est knowledge on my part, he in
sisted that before he would even
accept, much less undertake to en-
Ter upon the work of the campaign,
ne should and must learn for him
sen, because OF our differences in
IS1Z, whether or not his manage