Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-18
COUZENS' VICTORY
PERSONAL RATHER
THAN POLITICAL
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Leased Wire TO The Journa1-Copy-
right 1921

Especial Leased wire 10 Inc JOuEUdI--loHy
right, 1921
DETROIT, Mich, Sept. 16-May-
be Messrs. Coolidge, La Toilette AMI
Davis are running for the presiden-
cy, but so far as Michigan is Goa
cerned they are mere incidents in
ar upheaval which carries with it q
significance that will last beyond
election day.
For the election of. Senator James
CouZens, after an extraordinary pri-
mary battle is assured, and at least
one man who refused to follow the
leadership of President Coolidge has
been approved at the polls and will
continue to act independently in the
next congress.
Did the Republican party in Mich
igan uphold Couzens and will the
same party in November give Cool
idge by an overwhelming ballot the
electoral vote of Michigan? And If
1t does, isn't that inconsistent of the
Republicans? The answer is that
there is no inconsistency and that
next election day Mr.. Coolidge will
carry Michigan by 200, 900 or mora,
and Mr.. Couzens will be elected sen
ator by an even larger majority.
CouZens' Popularity
The reason why no inconsistency
Is involved is that Senator Couzens
was not triumphant in a strictly Re
publican primary. Had it been left to
the regulars" he would have been
beaten. What happened was that n
a race of four candidates Senator
Couzens had a plurality of so 600 and
that if the regular Republicans could
have eliminated the other candi-
dates and thrown their strength be-
hind Judge futile, Mr.. Couzecs
would have surely lost.
But it is not easy to beat man
like James Couzens in any primary,
whether it is Republican or Demo
crat. Next to Henry Ford, he is
probably the most flexible political
proposition in Michigan in a lOnS
time, The people are for Couzens.
not because he is a Republican, but
because he is Couzens, He was a pop
ular mayor. He is worth so many
millions that the hand of the fina1
cial interests cannot touch him, and
he is regarded by the community as
fundamentally honest and public
spirited. Unquestionably thousands
of Democrats and many thousands of
LJ1 II OIlSlL0 SUllpOI lSIS GU Lie
Republican primary and voted for
Couzens. His per cent beer pro
posal alone won him thousands Of
supporters. He was beaten in the
rural districts, but the city of De
troit pushed him over the top in
great style.
What Is Regular"
During the campaign, the regulars
who had persuaded as distinguished
a person as q federal Judge to make
the race for them accused CouZens
of being irregular. With character
istic frankness, Couzens asked what
was a regular" nowadays in Re
publican politics. He wondered if
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, who
refused to support the president
when he vetoed the bonus, or who
is against Mr. Coolidges world court
proposal, could be called@a regular.
And he cited a number of other
cases in which Republican senators
had refused to follow Mr.. Coolidge's
leadership Senator Couzens argued
that he would support the president
whenever he thought he was right
and would decline to support him
when he thought he was wrong, and
that If the people of Michigan want
ed a senator who would support Mr..
Coolidge whether ne was right or
wrong, they didn't need a United
States senator, but a rubber stamp.
AS for La Toilette, kind words
came from the Wisconsin senator
for the Michigan senator. And Mr..
Couzens in return said nice things
about Senator La Toilette, but said
he couldn't follow him on his atti-
tude toward the courts and other
things. SO there is an entente at
least between La Toilette and
Couzens, and large number OF
voters who will ballot for Couzens
will mark their votes for the WIS
consin leader for the presidency. La
Toilette is strong in Michigan. lie
may even run second to Coolidge,
leaving Davis a close third 1t is
conservatively estimated however,
that President Coolidge will poll go
per cent of the vote. Things are
not as they were when Roosevelt
carried Michigan in 1912 over both
Taft and Wilson. La Toilette is
strong in the railroad centers and
will have an impressive total, but he
has hardly won many of the regular
Republicans of today, SO many OF
whom were Bull Moosers twelve
years age.
No Disaffection
Ordinarily a primary fight SUCH as
that in Switch Couzens engaged
leaves disaffection. But as rule,
this happens only when regular
or ''standpatter' beats out pro-
gressive, for then the independent
te swings to another party. While
NE regulars in Michigan do not like
Couzens, they prefer him to voting
for a Democrat. The Republican
organization, however, is pledged to
support Couzens. Before the primal
ny fight, all candidates seeking a
Republican nomination were asked
to state in advance that they would
support the national ticket and
platform, and SO on. Mr.. Couzens'
letter was not wholly satisfactory,
but on the other hand, it was hard
to construe it as a refusal to sup
port Coolidge, since Couzens said he
himself would vote for Coolidge.
Now, with CouZens nominated, all
the party machinery is by the same
token pledged to support him, for
he is regularly selected Republican
nominee and entitled to the support
OF all factions in his party. And he
will get the same plus many thou
sands of votes from the ranks OF
the Independents.