Michigan's Dilemma

Michigan voters were embarrassed by their riches. For Senator they had to choose between statesmanlike Democrat Prentiss Marsh Brown, generally rated one of the dozen ablest men on Capitol Hill, and famed racket-busting Republican Judge Homer Ferguson, a great & good public servant. For Governor, they had their choice of big, able, incumbent Democrat Murray Delos Van Wagoner, or big, able Republican Secretary of State Harry F. Kelly, one of the most popular politicos Michigan ever had.

Senator Brown and Judge Ferguson tried a radio debate, got involved in personalities, later wrangled privately about each other's bad sportsmanship. But they could make no real, telling points against each other, and they knew it. Labor's friend Van Wagoner ran as "Michigan's War Governor"; War Veteran Kelly (he lost a leg at Chateau-Thierry) ran as "labor's friend."

Thus Michigan voters were left to decide the election on strictly partisan lines: more than in any other State the result depended on what--in each voter's mind--the labels Republican and Democrat stood for. C.I.O.'s Michigan political machine, strongest in the organization, worked mightily for the Democrats (though some of its leaders personally preferred Kelly). Michigan's traditional G.O.P. strength worked in favor of Ferguson and Kelly.

While the returns were coming in, Judge Ferguson pulled a pencil from his pocket to make notes. It bore the legend UNITED STATES SENATE; he had picked up Senator Brown's pencil at the radio debate. The pencil was an omen: Judge Ferguson got 576,307 votes; Brown 549,614. Harry Kelly polled 632,674 votes; Van Wagoner 560,880.

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