Milford chronicle., 1923-08-10

a practice that had been going on
with little public attention paid to it
for many months, but which was sud
denly checked following the object
lesson presented by Boston's plight.
Governor Coolidge, to be prepared
for any emergency, also called on the
United States Army and Navy De-
partments to be ready with forces to
cooperate with the State troops in
the event that such cooperation
should be necessary.
1t was soon admitted that only the
promptitude with which Governor
Coolidge acted and his inflexible de-
termination to do mis- duty in a grave
| emergency as he saw it, regardless of
| political consequences, saved the Gay.
For some time the eyes of the nation
were riveted on the Capitol Of Massa-
chusetts with anxiety, at first, indeed,
/ with grave forebodings. But the strike
| soon petered out. When the Central
Labor Union, backed by President
Gompers of the American Federation
of Labor. sought to intercede with the
Governor in the interest of the strik-
ing policemen and urged their rein
statement under conditions that had
obtained prior to the strike, they were
met with the firm declaration that
there was nothing to arbitrate," that
what had occurred was not a strike
| but a violation on the part of the po-
licemen who quit their jobs of their
oath of Office.
He referred all who sought TO inter-
cede to the Police Commissioner and
subsequently gave the latter all the
support at his command in replacing
the derelict members of the police
force.
Brought Out for Presidency
The first term of Governor Coolidge
was drawing to a close when the Bos-
ton police strike occurred. In the Fall
primaries of that year the Republi-
cans nominated him for a second term,
while the Democrats nominated Rich
ard H. Long. The latter had been the
Democratic candidate for Governor in
the preceding election and had been
defeated by Coolidge by little over
1000 plurality.
In the 1919 campaign Long pledged
himself if elected, to reinstate all of
the striking policemen in an appeal to
the labor element among the Massa-
chusetts electorate, whose votes weigh
heavily in elections in that industrial
State. Governor Coolidge took the
law and order" end of the argument,
declaring that his opponent had made
that an issue. He defeated Long by
upward of 125,OOO.
hond1inor I,rv Oo,I351.c
of the police strike had brought him
national prominence. His victory in
the subsequent election on an issue
growing out of that episode brought
him into the public eye as a Presiden-
tial possibility. Massachusetts Repub-
licans met late in November of that
year and pledged themselves to place
his name before the Republican Ma
ional Convention the following year.
Political expediency finally led to
the nomination of Mr.. Harding, al
though on the first ballot the latter
had only 651s votes out of 984 in the
convention. Governor Coolidge had "a
and remained inthe running until the |
tenth and final ballot had been TAX
en-. The Massachusetts delegation cast
its twenty-eight votes solidly for the
Governor. He received two votes from
the New York delegation, two from
South Carolina, and one each from
Kentucky and Texas.
He was nominated for Vice Presi- |
dent on the first ballot taken for that |
office receiving 6741a votes to 1461a |
for United States Senator Irving Len
root of Wisconsin, his strongest COM
4Ia4
ing votes were cast for some other
candidates, but the vote was finally
declared unanimous, all rivals with |
drawing in favor of Mr.. Coolidge.
Speeches on League Of Nations
During the campaign Mr.. Coolidge,
in the course of number of speeches,
vindicated his reputation for independ-
ence, although in the main he went
along" with the policies proclaimed by
Mr.. Harding and embodied in the par
ty platform.
On what was one of the leading is.
sues of the campaign-the League of
Nations issue-Coclidge as Vice Pres
idential nominee was not as orthodox
as some of the Republican leaders
might have desired. In his speech of
acceptance delivered in Northampton
where he lived and later after the
campaign had begun in an address de-
livered at Carnegie Hall, Mr. Cool
idge declared that ''he did not believe
that the covenant intended to create a
er-Government."
This was after the League Covenant
had been repudiated by the Republi-
cans on the grounds that it might bind
this country to undertakings that
would run contrary to the Constitution
of the United States. In connection
with this it was recalled at the time
that President Harding as member
of the Senate had pronounced in favor
of ratifying the Treaty OF Versailles,
including the League covenant, with
1t was pointed ont that
the stand taken by Mr.. Coolidge on
he League issue was in closer con-
sonance with the original Republican
attitude than the reputation Of the
League, as such, by the candidate for
President.
In December, after he had been cleo
ted, Mr.. Harding was visited at his
home in Marion, Ohio, b y the Vice
President-elect and Mrs. Coolidge and
then formally invited him to become
an ex-off1cio member of the Cabinet. I
Mr.. Coolidge at first demurred on the 1
ground that it involved a departure
from precedent which might entail an
mosities that the President-elect
ought to avoid. But Mr.. Harding in
sisted and the Vice-President-elec
inally gave his assent.