San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-06
BY ROBERT .TOMPKINS.


Boston, Mass. Aug. 6. - The
Coolidge administration already has
mystery man, Frank W. Stearns. rich
Boston merchant. hacker Of Coolidge,
the original Coolidge man. in fact,
who said ten years ago that the finger
of destiny pointed to Calvin Coolidge
as man who some day would be
President of the United States.
For decade Frank W. Stearns
has been spending his money and
working his brain and his hands TO
bring about the ambition of two lives
I-Coolidge's and his own. 1t was an
| uphill. hard fight. with almost every
political hand against him, but he
toiled and sweated and strove. and his
desire was reached last Friday morn
ing at 8: Al o'clock. when the then
vice president. stood before his vcner-
able father, Col John c. Coolidge, in
| the little sitting room of the old
Coolidge homestead way up on top
! of Plymouth Notch. Vermont. and
Of the United States.
Frank Stearns was not there. 1t
was the first important political hap
pening in the life OF Calvin Coolidge
in the past ten years that he was
not present as spectator, but Mr..
Stearns joined the new President
when the latter's special train reached
New York City en- route for Wash
| ington. 1t was a sad, but happy meet
| ing between President Coolidge and
his constant and faithful friend. How
much would the latter have given cf
his great fortune if Coolidge had sue
ceeded to the presidency by election
instead of by death? Nobody knows
except that the relationship between
| these two men is so close that money
is no object 10 accomplish Stearns'
all-possessing ambition to see Coolidge
in the White House.
No Ambition for Office.
Mr.. Stearns is new and strange
figure in the political situation of the
! country. He wants no office honors.
1t is doubtful IL he would accept pub
lie office. unless by so doing he would
be in position to help President
Coolidge. He will be mentioned for
almost every cabinet position in the
next few weeks by the Washington
cabinet makers. Mr.. Stearns is fat,
jovial and good-natured, and merely
offering him job will not anger him
in the least. There is little doubt
that he can have anything that Calvin
Coolidge has TO give. but his ambi-
ton does not run in that direction.
He has two hobbies-Calvin Coolidge
and Amherst College. To the ad-
vancement of the former and of his
alma mater he has dedicated his life
and his fortune. Both are making
satisfactory progress. thanks TO the
answering loyalty and devotion of
this man of mystery of the new admin
! istration. Mr.. Stearns is not Il poll
4 tician. He is a business man. the
owner Of a large department store in
Boston which he inherited from his
| father, an old-time Boston merchant.
The business left by the elder Stearns
has grown tremendously in the past
- years and Mr.. Stearns. with n we'll
nigh perfect organization functionins
in his store has time 10 devote to his
twin hobbies.
Some years ago he determined 10
| interest the graduates of the little
| Congregational college in public az
i fairs and 10 induce them to get behind
some OF their fellow graduates in pub
lie life and push them along. He had
his eye on a young man. from the
western part of Massachusetts, Sena-
tor Calvin Coolidge of Northampton,
who was president of the State Senate.
The district he represented had fallen
into the habit of electing Democratic
senator. but when Calvin Coolidge ran
as the Republican candidate after hav-
ing served in the House. he ran so
fast that he took the whiffletree with
him aud soon was chosen president
of the Senate.
Makes Coolidge Governor.
Mr.. Stearns had formed the ac-
quaintance of Coolidge after he was
elected to the Senate and decided that
he was n man worthy of the support OF
all Amherst and good citizens gener-
ally. Stearns furnished the sinews OF
war and the merry fight in Nassa-
chusetts politics began. That year
ended in the election of Calvin
| Coolidge as lieutenant governor. But
| this was only a starter. for under the
spur and guidance of hard-headed
| business men, Calvin Coolidge became
governor of the Bay State.
Coolidge had no sooner been elected
governor than Stearns was talking
him for President. but old-timers like
Senators Lodge and the late Murray
Crane and their lieutenantS scotfed at
the idea. Indeed, Stearns became IN
their eyes, q pest, obsessed as he was
with the idea that Coolidge some day
would be President.
The Boston police strike found
| Stearns representing Coolidge at many
of the conferences. He was the spokes-
man for the governor. Folks up III
Massachusetts began to take the mer-
chant-politician more seriously and
they begged his aid on appointments,
but he told them he was not in the
office brokerage business and further
more that he had no Influence with
the governor. He was not interested
in offices. He was interested in see
ing Calvin Coolidge President. When
the Boston police strike broke. Stearns
believed his great chance had come
and it was he who entered Coolidge
as a potential presidential candidate
with the shibboleth LAW and order"
But against Lowden. Wood and other
candidates. Coolidge had little chance.
Coolidge determined 10 quite the race
and did. not Stearns. He kept up
the Coolidge propaganda, went TO the
Chicago convention, believing Coolidge
would be accepted as a compromise
candidate and left the convention ball
in disgust when things went other
wise.
Sticks to His Prophecy.
As he was preparing to return TO
Boston he was told that Coolidge
should be selected as vice president.
TOO bad" he said. Il regard Cal
win Coolidge as the greatest living