Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-16
CONTEST AGAINST
LODGE MUST WAIT
Will Probably Lie Dormant Un.
til March a, Senate Lead.
ers Declare
NEW PROTEST IS ENTERED

Washington, Dec. 10. - G.. W
Crooker. chairman of the Liberal re.
publican League Of Nrsssacbusetfs ~.
filed with Vice President CooliJpo" "'o .
contest on the election of Seno,oa
Lodge. Mr.. Croker issued a stotemant
alleging that Mr.. Lodge was renmd''
ated by the people of Massachusetts s' ond
that "fagrnnt irrcgularities' occ,rro% %
in the election. e'''ed
The papers are to be referred n n.
Senate Privileges and Elections Come ,ne
mittee, Of which Senator Dillinpbam
OF Vermont. is chairman. It il n"t
customary for the committee or Tho
Senate to take action on election con. IN.
tests until the convening of the new
Congress. which they effect. and Senato %
request for immediate action p'', ,ha u
Crooker proceedings would lie dormame. ,ne
until March 4. ''''''
Reports that Vice President Coo,ido,
might make preliminary reference %
his petition to Senator's Lodge ana
Walsh, in accordance with n Sorota
custom. today led Mr.. Crooker To snnd
Mr.. Coolidge another protest npainst
any such move. He declared that ~.
impropriety. Of referring his paper, 'te ~
Senator Lodge Twas obvious. y !"
"As chairman Of the Liberal Renuh.
licnn League Of Massachusetts, ssid
Mr.. Crooker, IAN organization tb.,
represents over 1000 Repub,;c.an,
voters in that State, I have come 20 -
Washington to lay out the procedurs
for the opening of our fight to dislodse
Lodge:
Lodges alleged re, election to the Sen.
ate on November Z, and therefore oh.
Ject to his being seated for the term be.
ginning March 4, 1923.
out OF total vote cast for Senator
OF s67,157 Lodge polled only 414,I30:
tne opposition, as represented by the
vote for all other candidates, polled
5o9,o1i. Lodge was minority can.
didate by 1897 votes.
-, what was Lodges actual legal vote,
1nat Is one OF the questions yet to be-
satisfactorily answered, a question that
can only be settled finally and conclus.
lively by a senatorial inquiry.
NO two tabulations thus far made
seem to agree. The original Associated
tress and other newspaper returns for
the state complete gave Lodge mar.
gin of only 1045 votes. Later nress
estimates were appreciably higher.
Inc recount obtained by our
League and by the Democratic candi.
date, Colonel CASTOR, gave CASTOR net
gain OF over 400 votes, notwithstand.
ing the inclusion by the tabulators in
the Lodge vote Of thousands of ballots
that were protested by our representa-.
tives and by representatives Of candi.
dates other than Lodge.
'F'lagrant irregularities in the ron.
duct of the election occurred all over
the State and the result as tabu.
lated by the Governor and counsel as
the basis for the issuance Of n certificate
OF election to Lodge is result that can
not be accepted or recognized as repre-.
sentative Of legal or final result"
MIR: Crooker said his fight was not
IN behalf Of William A. CASTOR, who
was the Democratic candidate, and was
not partisan move, but wns designed
TO unseat the man who has accom-.
plished more harm as an obstructor Of
world peace and the natural expression
Of liberal thought than any man since
Nero"
more than that" he continued,
the practices by which Lodge has
maintained his power in Massachusetts
are as vennl and mcnaceful as any.
thing that Platt, Penrose or Quay ever
attempted"
Mr.. Croker added that he realized
the Administration would fight to IRE.
tain its principal senatorial prop,"
but he said Lodge was beaten at home
and his machine is shattered
wreck.