The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-01-12
\ MANY FNCErED CASE.

MANY TNCErED CASE.
Almost everything that has been said ~ tho
Newberry case Is true, almost anything that
may be said of IT will be true--in principle.
The difficulty lays In applying tho principle
with even approximate satisfaction, ana the
danger is that those attempting 10 do no VIII
lean backward In their ovcrzcalous dctcrmlnh-
tlon 60 stand perfectly struight.
Senator Borah speaking for certain repub-
lican npostatoa cnunciated sound principle
whom he declared Il unsound to permit man
to become the beneficiary of corrupt practice
even though the man himself had no part IN
such practices No one dare gansny that. Hut
60 discover and follow the thread OF approx
mate justice through the mnso OF jobbery,
trckery and profligate use Of both money ana
political influence In the Michigan senatorial
election, one must very earnestly study all CON
ditions existing at the time ana the clrcum-
stances attending that notorious event,
Before Undertaking that. however, let two
points In tho record. as made up, be considered
First. Newberry's mistaken declaration that he
himself without knowledge OF what
being done; second. the absence ot any direct
proof Of a single instance Of corruption the
payment OF money for criminal act
That there was a profligate--a scandaious
nittcd. That the affair did attract wide
spread attention OF a notorious kind. that II did
and does tend TO break down the safeguards
thrown about elections by the state, and that
II did and does weaken public confidence IN
democratic institutions, must all be admitted.
But to consider Truman Newberrys COM
nectlon with Il and the effect OF his candidacy
upon 1t without also considering the possible
justification his friends might have had---the
apparent necessities they were compelled TO
meet by reason OF improprieties from the. other
side quite as vicIous as the worst charged
against Newberry and his frIends---Is palpaby
unfair and inevitably leads to n decision
wherein the spirit OF justice cannot be found
whatever may be sale ;oS tao letter, of Justice
Even man charged with tho supreme crime
is permitted to plead seif-defensc or justiflca-
tion.
Consider, then the stage settng In Michigan
at that tmo. The most autocratlc federal
administration the nation had known was at the
very apex OF It's power II had destroyed pub
lie men with ruthlessness which had aroused
the indignation of tho leaders Of all existing
political organizations. And Ia the Michigan
election coming on It had deliberately sot Itself
the impudeit task Of raising 10 opulent dis
tnctlon and authority court favortc who had
become such through ways hut dmly suspected
yet reprobatcd almost universally The son OF
this character had just been accorded exemption
from the military service OF the republic
through the friendly offices OF the chief exocu-
tive, and both democrats and republicans
OF Michigan resented deeply and lastlngly such
executive usurpation as involved In the at
tempt to place the father In authority and dis
turb the balance Of party power IN the senate
The man himself surrounded by an or
ganlzation greater and more effective than any
political organization that ever existed Hc
had agents and agencies In every political unit
OF the state Business agents It ls true but
the more effective FOR political purposes OF that
fact. The feeling widespread, not only IN
Michigan but throughout the republic that
o there was involved In the campaign a principle
which went directly to the heart OF the nation
itself Hundreds ~ thousands very kccnly be.
lIeved that the trucst and bcst ideals OF pa,
trIotIsm called for the defeat OF the Tord-wu.
coalition,