Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-14
BY M. e. HENNESEY
Especial Wire Service to The Journsl.)
DOWNRIGHT 1923

Especial Wire Service TO Inc JOURNAL
Copyright, 1921
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8. = When
Senator Lodge, of Massachusetts,
came out of the presidential suite the
other day after he had paid his re-
spects to Calvin Coolidge and talk
ed over the future of the new admin
istration, he said that Mr.. Coolidge
would make good president and the
whole country will be back of
him."
OF course. a great many Of persons
who don't like Senator Lodge will
say that he would make the same
statement of any president of his
party, but, in the present instance,
Mr. Lodge will probably find that
great majority of his own party and
Ii any who are not of his party will
agree with him.
The hope of the whole Republican
party lies in Calvin Coolidge. 1t
is within his power to make or break
it. Even those who are not close
students of political conditions will
admit that the Republican party
faced 1924 witt dubious feelings.
With new f. in the White
House, a new captain steering the
ship of state, the friends Of President
Coolidge feel that the tide against
the party can be stemmed. What is
it that leads them to believe that
the Republicans can recover their
lost ground?
First and foremost is the public
record of the news leader, the tell
ing appeal they believe this new and
strange man in the White House
can make to his fellow countrymen
bodies many of the good oId-fashion.
ed notions and ideas of the founders
of the government.
Not long ago, Calvin Coolidge was
governor of Massachusetts. If it
were not for the Boston police strike
and the manner in which Mr. Cool
ldge handled himself and the issues
| involved, the chances are that he
would have Joined the long list of
his predecessors and would have
gone to his grave "unhonored and
unsung." The police strike pro-
Jected him into the national
political arena. The great bulk of
the American people liked the way
he met the issue. President Wilson
declared the strike of the policemen
"a crime against civilization.
The Police Strike
Through an ancient act of the
legislature, the governor in Massa-
! chusettS controls the Boston police
department. And on September 9,
1919, when LOO of the $500 patrol
| men of the force left their posts, Cal
win Coolidge called out the state
| guard. He issued his famous procla-
| nation, in which he declared: There
is no right to strike against public
safety by anybody. anywhere, any
time" He told Samuel Gompers,
who had interceded in behalf of the
striking policemen, that nobody
could intimidate the commonwealth
| of Massachusetts; that there was no
middle ground; that those who had
betrayed the city and deserted their
posts had committed a grave Of
Tense against society.
The strikers lost. Not a man of
them returned to the force, because
the police commissioner, backed by
the governor. held that they were
false to their oaths. Mr.. Coolidge's
respondence with Samuel Com.
pers on that memorable occasion is
one OIL the IlOSI interesting e&-
changes of vigorous letter writing
| of the day. Calvin Coolidge was re-
elected governor of Massachusetts.
The plurality, a historic one, was
more than 125,000. Law and or
der" was the issue of the campaign.
On election night. Woodrow Wilson,
a Democratic president, wired Mr..
Coolidge his congratulations, say
ing: when law and order is the
issue. all Americans must stand to-
gether
Out Of the glory of this cam
paign, Calvin Coolidge became a
presidential possibility. Coolidge
clubs were formed. Frank w.
Stearns. his "Fidus Achates'-so
/ termed by political opponent, VINO
thought il was terrible name-as
/ sImed charge of the boom. Thou
sands of copies of Mr. Coolidge's
book. Have Faith in Massachu
setts,' wherein are published has
most important speeches, were cir.
culated throughout the country.
But the opposition of the Wood
and LoWden Contingents was too
strong. 1t was impossible to match
dollars with them. So one day
without a seconds hesitation, Cool
! ;dge gave orders to close his head
quarters. Field agents were called
in. and paid Off The boom was
dead-killed by Coolidge Onlv the
faithful Stearns retained hope. He
set out for the Chicago convention
with the never. say-die spirit of a
crusader. but the highest vote