San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-09
Friesds Expect to Boom
Governor For Vice
president Next Year.
STRIKE AIDED HIM
His Work in Coal Contro-
versy Gives Him Strong
Hand in State.
By DAVID LAWRENCE

Copyright. by the San Antonio Light.
Washington, ID. C., Sept. S.-Gifford
Pinchot, governor of Pennsylvania, for
vice president of the United States
on the Republican ticket with Presi-
: dent Calvin Coolidge. That's the talk
here today following Immediately upon
the news of the governors mediation
in the hard coal controversy sparIns
the nation strike of serious pro-
portions.
Mr.. Coolidge is lavish in his praise
of the Pennsylvania governor. He
wants everybody to know how much
he appreciates Mr.. Pinchot's work.
When the Pennsylvania first came 10
the White House to volunteer his SER
vices, political folk wondered why Mr..
Coolidge at the outset of his admins
tration should pass up an opportunity
to gain some prestige for himself. But
there is ingrained in Mr.. Coolidge's
mind wholesome respect for state
governments as he hir self has been
the governor of Massachusetts.
Too Many Sought Help.
He felt as have others in the fed
eral government that one of the diff
ficulties America has had to face in
recent years was a tendency to run
to the White House with every in
dustrial controversy of major impor-
lance. States have not used their le-
gal or moral influence as effectively
as they have done. There have been
exceptions. as, for instance. Henry
Allen in Kansas, but in the main the
federal government has been constant
ly sought us n mediator for the last
ten years. Many strikes have been
avcrted and the work of Cancellation
has been effective, but with the power
full influence of state governments
widened by courageous governors it is
felt here that even more progress
might have been made.
There is also the question of power.
States have almost unlimited rights of
seizure under their constitutions. The
national government, for example,
could not seize and operate coal mines
under the federal constitutioH-this
point was cleared up for President
Harding unconstitutional experts a
year ago. Mr.. Pihchot had always the
threat of state operation to hold over
warning factions in the anthracite in
dustry.
Would Balance Ticket.
The President played no politics in
handling the coal strike or he would
have attempted mediation himself. On
the other hand the fact that there is
to be no strike, removes a source of
discomfort which might have been
charged TO the failure of the federal
government to intervene.
Notwithstanding Mr.. Coolidge's at
titude. of giving the Pennsylvania
governor free rein, the political phases
of the episode have grown in num-
Der. No outstanding candidate for
the vice presidency had been mentioned
among the politicians until Governor
Pinchot got into the limelight with
the coal strike negotiations. There
has always been the suggestion that
along with Mr.. Coolidge who is held
TO be of the conservative type of Re-
publican, running mate should be
chosen with an appeal to the so-called
progressive elements in the Republi-
can parry. Clifford PincLot was one
of the original Roosevelt progressives.
His controversy with Secretary of the
Interior Ballinger of the Taft admin
istration over the conservation of ma
tural resources stirred up the entire
West. So Governor Pinchot, it is
reasoned, would balance the Repub-
lican ticket nicely.