The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-09-29
TOWNSEND'S VOTE
CLOSE IN MICHIGAN
Newberryism and Popular
Democratic Candidate
Hurts Republicans
WET SENTIMENT
is ON INCREASE
Volstead Act Violated so Much Public Is
Disguised - Some Feeling Against
Harding-Pnblic and Business Men
Criticize His Strike Action.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Despatch to The Reformer.) |
Copyright 1922.
DETROIT, Mich, Sept 29.-Thc |
Democrats have the best chance of elect !
ing United States senator in Michigan |
that they have had since the Civil war
Translated into political actualities.
however this is only another way of say
ing that the Republican majority of $780,
600 will be extensively reduced and
Senator Townsend, Republican. will
pull through by a relatively small mar
gin.
The campaign has hardly begun but it
viii be admitted that former Governor
Ferris, who is running for the United
States senate on the Democratic ticket
is q fascinating speaker and vote-getter
Twice he carried this state and to do so
any Democrat must win the Republican
voters to his standard by tens of thous-
ands. His strength was not sufficient.
however, two years ago to offset the
Harding tide and he was defeated by
100000. which was only $4,000 better
than the Democratic totals for president.
Those who believe former Governor Fer
ris has chance to win base their bunch
on the fact that he has twice carried
Republican state of such size as this
and they argue that the 1920 landslide
would have buried anybody. Mr.. Ferris
makes friends on the stump and draws
immense crowds. He twits his Oppon-
ent constantly and promises an interest
ing campaign for Michigan.
Newberfyism Still Alive.
As for issues, the chief complaint
/ against Senator Townsend is that he
/ has refused to vote to unseat his col
! league. Truman II. Newberry. There
/ is good deal of agitation over New
! berryism. 1T didn't al vanish after the
| primaries either The 125.O00 votes
| which Herbert Baker got in the Repub-
! lican primaries for United States sena-
! tor is variously described as sinister
/ and significant It's the same type
| of vote that helped Roosevelt sweep the
state against Taft and the same radical
/ fringe which carried the presidential
| primaries for Hiram Johnson. The Dem
/ ocratic calculators simply add the 49,
/ 900 to Mr.. Ferris's prospective total and
! remark that Mr.. Townsend really
polled only one-ninth of the state vote
on primary day.
/ Just why Mr.. Ferris. who was by no
| means a radical when he was governor
! clear. though it is apparent he will win
! large blocks of Progressive and Liberal
votes. The addition of the 125,000
wouldn't of course be enough TO insure
| the election of Mr.. Ferris. This much
| is certain Mr.. Ferris will poll the nor
/ mai Democratic vote and will draw TO
| lis banner on personal issues alone part
! of the Republican strength. Unless the
campaign should develop unexpected
| fireworks. the forecast of a close vote
! with IA safe majority for Townsend is
! what is given by most persons of disin-
| tereSted Judgment in the political world
| hereabouts Two or three days of cold
! weather Just before election might cause
| many Republicans to stay at home and
| express in that way their protest against
! tl,e handling of the rail and coal strikes.
i The supply of hard coal is as yet too I'M
| certain too decide the fate of the candi-
/ dates. but the party in power viii suf-
fer some losses here as elsewhere ON
that grievance.
Again, in Michigan as in Ohio, the
public has the impression that Mr..
| Harding wasn't firm enough in the strike
4 crisis. No one comes forward with Il
! concrete suggestion as to what he might
have done-opiniOn hasn't crystallized
on alternativeS-but the people criticize
the President for what be did while the
| business men criticize him for what he
! didn't do and between the two elements
the administration must expect some
| losses even in this realm of Republican
| ism.
Ford Strong Element.
Henry Ford's shutdown of his various
,,lapte JiJu-t last lone aupu0h to dpyelDr