Evening star., 1924-09-16
COUzENS' VICTORY
RAISES PROBLEM
Success in Michigan Primary
Discussed in Relation to At
titude Toward Coolidge.
BY DAVID IAWRENC CE.

DETROIT. Mich, September 16.-
Maybe Messrs. Coolidge, La Toilette
and Davis aArunning for the presi-
dency, but SO far as Michigan is con-
cerned they are mere incidents in an
upheaval which carries with it a sig
nificance 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 Michi-
gan uphold Couzens and will that
same party in November give Cool
idge by an overwhelming ballot the
electoral vote of Michigan? And If
it 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 100000 or more
and Mr.. Couzens will be elected Sem
ator by an even larger vote.
Lack OF Inconsistency Analysed.
The reason why no inconsistency is
involved is that Senator CouZens was
not triumphant in a strictly Republi-
can primary. Had 1t been left to the
regulars" he would have been beat
en-. What happened was that in a
race of four candidates Senator
Couzens had a plurality Of $4,000 and
that If the regular Republicans could
have eliminated the other candidates
and thrown their strength behind
Judge Tuttle Mr.. Couzens would
have surely lost.
But it is not easy to beat a man
like James CouZens in any primary,
whether 1t is Republican or Demo-
crat. Next to Henry Ford, he prob
ably is the most flexible political
proposition in Michigan in long
time. The people are for Couzens
not because he is a Republican, but
because he is Couzens. He was a
popular mayor. He is worth so many
millions that the hand of financial
interests cannot touch him. and he is
regarded by the community as funda-
mentally honest and public-spirited.
CnqueStionably thousands of Demo-
Gratis and many thousands OF La Fol-
lette supporters entered the Republf-
can primary and voted for CouZens.
His per cent beer proposal alone
won him thousands of supporters. He
was beaten in the rural districts. but
the city of Detroit pushed him over
TIC tOp III style.
Accused Of Being Irregular.
During the campaign the regulars,
who had persuaded as distinguished
person as a federal judge to make the
race for them. accused CouZens of being
irregular. With characteristic frankness,
Couzens asked what was a regular
in Republican politics. He
wondered if Senator Henry Cabot Lodge,
who refused to support the President
when he vetoed the bonus or who is
against Mr.. Coolidge's World Court pro-
posal, could be called "regular.' And
he cited 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
he was right. and would decline
to support him when he was wrong, and
that if the people of Michigan wanted a
Senator who would support Mr.. Cool
idge whether he was right or wrong they
didn't need United States Senator, but
a rubber stamp.
Interchange of Kind Words.
AS for La Toilette, kind words
came from the Wisconsin senator
for the Michigan senator. And Mr..
Couzens in return said nice things
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 Cou-
zens, and a large number of voters