The St. Joseph observer., 1922-09-02

the public and for the prosperity Of
honest business, In the Fordney-
McCumber Tariff bill the Republican
reactionary leaders have arrayed the
Republican party against every honest,
legitimate, business enterprise in the
country and have entered upon an
alliance with every prlvilege-seeking
profiteerlng business class.
Secretary Hughes Newberry Roor-
back
The biggest roorback Of the cam
paign so far is Secretary Hughes de-
Tense of Senator Newberry in a letter
to a New Jersey clergyman. secre-
tary Hughes letter stated only what
everybody already knew. that the ma
tority opinion OF the supreme court
turned wholly on whether Congress
had the authority to enact u Corrupt
Practices Act applicable to the pri-
maries as well as elections, and 1t was
held that it had not. Nothing else in
the Newberry case was decided.
The immediate reply OF Cordell
Hun. chairman Democratic National
committee, exposed the weakness and
futility OF the. Hughes statement,
pointing out the mistake in appointing
civil lawyer like Mr.. Hughes for
this task when the administration
needs the ablest criminal lawyers to
defend II. Chairman Hull also assert
cd that If Secretary Hughes does not
know that the Newberry seat in the
United States Senate was bought ne is
the only intelligent person in America
who does not know that fact. -.
TheNtelling statement of Senator
Pomerene of Ohio. calling attention to
the fact that the testimony against
Newbcrry in the Senate trial was ig-
nored BY Secretary Hughes, aided in
exposing the hypocritical and partisan
character of Mr.. Hughes defense of
the Newberry purchased seat.
That Unkind Cut
Tho most unkindest cut Of all" was
that OF the New York World which
odltorially characterized the letter of
defense as "Mr. Hughes Dirtiost Days
Work" This is the severest kind Of
condemnation in view Of the fact that
the lew York World invented Mr..
Hrghes, gave him his first great op-
nortunity In the New York insurance
expose and has always treated him
with the utmost consideration in his
capacity qs a public man.
The CONSENSUS OF opinion here is
that Mr.. Hughes letter to the New
Jersey clerpYmdn defending Newberry
! is as much OF boomerang as the
. Burchard incident in the campaign of
! 1884, and THAT In reopennG the New
/ berry case in behalf of the Republican
National committee. Secretary Hughes
/ has started afrCsh the discussion OF
| the case by the press and the public
/ and has put the seal of Republican
| party approval on Newbcrry and
| Eewberryism and the purchase OF
seats in the United States Senate. AS
| former Senator Kenyon (Rep., Iowa)
now Judge Kenyon of the United
| States circuit court. pointed out in the
| Senate. the Newberry case must ulti-
mately be tried in the highest of all
courts-the court of American public
opinion. Secretary Hughes by his i'm
potent defense Of Newberry has great
ly aided in insuring a verdict from
that court of guilty"
Hughes Ire for Ncwbcrry Case
While Chairman Hulrs statement
charged that the Republicans were at
tempting to distract the attention
from the tariff. the industrial panic
Of 192l-22 and the demoralized state
cussion of the Newbcrry case, helped
by Mr.. Hughes respectability, it 4
also a fact that Secretary Hughes
defense was made necessary by thu
popular revolt against Newberryisn
throughout the United States. Wher
ever the Republicans have turned
, they have been faced with this issue
, and it was with the hope Of minimiz
ing it that the former Justice of tn
t supreme court was selected to d
q what the World calls the dirties
, days work of his life."
D Mr., Hughes. it viii be remembered
T was Senator Newberrys attorney be
a fore the supreme court Of the Unite
- States. HV received a large fee fo
e his services Common report places
a as high as 500 900. or half as muc
g as Newberry, admitted had been sper
G previously in his contest. Perhaps
n the exact figure were known 1t migi
n help further 70 explain why NJ
= Hughes was willing to use the gre'
j. office Of secretary Of state for partisa
's political purposes to defend an q
3. client, who while escaping legal pun
D ishment. has been morally conVicte