New-York tribune., 1919-10-30
Police Strike
Issue in Bay
State Election
Governor Coolidge Seeks
Reelection as Claw
and Order'' Champion
on Republican Ticket
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence
BOSTON, Mass, Oct 29.-The big
issue in the Massachusetts election
next Tuesday is the Boston police
strike.
Governor Calvin Coolidge. Republi-
can candidate for reelection, holds
that the policemen who quit their posts
are not strikers, but descrters. He has
refused to reinstate any of them. Rich
ard II. Long, the Democratic candidate,
has extended hope of reinstatement to
the police and SO has rallied the labor
unions to his standard.
Union men in the street and in their
halls are saying that the election of
Coolidge would be death blow" to
will the union man say to himself
when he is alone in the booth with a
ballot and a pencil? ?"
The supporters of Governor Coolidge
believe he is going to put a cross under
the eagle. A union man in union
hall and union man in his own home,
they point out, are two distinct indi-
viduals. They believe that the home
element will prevail over the mass
element in the voting booth
Against Coolidge as Unions
AS unions, however, these organized
workmen are more nearly united prob
ably for the defeat Of Governor Cool
idge than labor ever has been for &
political purpose in any Eastern state
trolled by the state guardsmen who
have been on duty since the strike of
the police. The Republicans estimate
that Bo ton will vote against Coolidge
by $4,000 to 10000. That is the plural
ity they estimate Long Will nave.
Nevertheless the Republicans are con-
ident. A Democratic plurality Of 25,-
600 in Boston is about normal The
western countries of Massachusetts,
however. usually give the Republicans
a plurality.
Reports which the Republican State
COMMITTEES received to-day and yester-
plurality, which viii come rolling
down from the western hills. The
reason, the Republicans. say, is law
and order That is Tie Republican
campaign slogan; it is the watchword
of Coolidge. The Republicans arc
counting on ninety-five per cent of
the vote that will be cast in those hill
counties. That is why they believe
eighty-fve per cent of a vote that is
sixteen per cent of the total vote of
the State will go into the ballot box
this year, instead of only forty-two
per cent, as last year.
Count Textile Cities
Besides this the Republicans arc
countinv on Fitchburg and Lowell
manufacturing cities, and homes of
thousands of textile workers. To
these textile workers have beer sent
lidge received last July from John
Golden. president of the United Tex
tile Workers of America, thanking the
Governor for obtaining fifteen per
cent. wage increase.
Lawrence and Lynn. the former
"Red" and the latter safe in the Demo
cratic pocket of Mike Phelan. are
counted out by the Republicans Bev-
erly and Brockton likewise are put into
the profit and loss column. Those
cities are Democratic or Socialist
normally.
Somervillc, Taunton, New Bedford
Fall River and Springfield are claimed
by the Republicans
In all the Republicans were counting
to-day on plurality of $4,000 to 125,-
600. Mr.. Long and his forces expressed d
equal confidence, but showed more re-
straint in their estimates.
"Well win," said Mr.. Long emphat-
ically. We'll win by 5oo0o-and that's
no dream"
Both candidates were asked to-day
on what Issue each expected to win.
Coolidge for Law and Order
Claw and ORDER" replied Governor
Coolidge
The reply made by Mr. Long fol-
lows:
"To give Massachusetts a business
administration.
"To bring about harmony between
labor and capital
ITO correct our present system of
taxation by having graduated in
come requiring citizens of larger
wealth to pay fair share and relieve
the working man and small taxpayer
of the burden.
"On the business end to develop
water power estimated to be worth
more than 100000 tons of coal an
nually, now undeveloped; to establish
our transportation lines in q pros
porous condition with laws that will
permit state ownership so far as ad-
visablc
"Our street railway management is
the most corrupt in the world, and re-
ports of their operations are secret
citizens seeking information being abb
solutcly denied it.
"The liberal treatment of our serv-
ice men. Correction of the inhuman
treatment of the Boston police after