San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-02
ALL EYES ON
POLITICS OF
COAL: STRIKE
Washington Watches for
Possible Effects on
Presidency.
CHANCE FOR PINCHOT
Some Wonder That Cool
idge Passed Opportunity
to Take Action.
CHANCE FOR PINCHOT
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

cause in some way or other. 1t seems
to be agreed here that the coal strike
negotiations are going to have dis
dinct bearing on the next presidency.
II was said soon after President
Coolidge took the oath of office that
his handling of the threatened strike
situation in the hard coal fields might
have much to do with the question OF
whether or not he would succeed him.
self in the White House. 1t was point
ed out that Mr.. Coolidge had firsi
come into national fame through his
vigorous handling of the police strike
in Boston.
The public recognition given hin
for the part he played in that strike
won for him the vice presidential nom.
ination at Chicago in 1920 and placed
him in line for his present position Of
influence and power.
1t seemed that the fate which e!e'
waited him to the White House was to
be kinder still in providing thus early
in his administration another strlk"
of national importance in which he
might once more play the strong hand
and win the favor OF the people.
PinchOt Asked the Chance.
Mr.. Coolidge was virtually directing
the coal strike negotiationes through
the medium of the national coal com
mission when suddenly there came =
shift. Mr.. Coolidge stepped aside and
gave Clifford Pinchot, governor OF
PENNSYLVANIA an unquestioned asplr-
ant for the presidency, the center oil
the stage. There has been much discus
sion pro and con as to how the Pin
chot episode came about. but it is fair
" well settled now. that the governor
asked il he might not be given an op-
portunity to settle the coal strike mas
much as the anthracite industry was
confined entirely to his state.
President Coolidge evidently was
Impressed by the reasonableness Of the
idea for state Intervention before the
national government should act. In
any event he told the governor TO go
ahead and see what he could do. The
friends of the governor, not TO say,
the governor himself. were delighted
with the situation. Frankly they had
not expected SO favorable an answer TO
the request here in Washington. Be
fore many days had passed they were
amazed that President Coolidge would
so thoroughly efface himself in situa-
ton which might have been turned so
thoroughly to his own political advau'
tagc.
OF course the friends Of Governor
Pinchot realized that he was biting off
quite large chunk in tackling the al
thracite situation after the deadlock
had become so adamant as to defy the
best efforts Of the federal coal com
mission.
They realized that the governor
might get his fingers burned and thew
were conscious that there might have
been some such feeling prevailing in
Washington when Mr.. Pinchot under
took the job.
Had All to Gain.
At the same time. il was realized
that Governor Pinchot had everything
10 gain and nothing to lose through
his attempt to bring the warning
miners and operators together. In fail
ure he would get credit for at least
attempting the job: in success he
would be n big factor in national poll
tics.
In the circumstances it is perfectly
natural that throughout the proceed
incs at Harrisburg the governors enc
mics should accuse him of playing
politics and of attempting to force a
"political settlement" upon the anthra-
cite operators. Politics is great game
in Pennsylvania. 1t is the all year
round sport. The death of Boss Pen
IzrA &c e. oil f,0h.
within the Republican party. Cover
nor Pinchot has the whip hand at the
moment. but there are plenty of fac
;iors against him.
BE that ms it may. the enemies OF
Governor Pinchot have been saying
that his proposals to the miners and
operators were in reality political
sneeches. calculated to catch the favor
of the people. They say that even
among shS friends. the addresses to
the coal conference were referred to as
speeches" and were considered as TO
their political effect.
The governors friends resent these
assertions. They sag the governors
mind always has gone along with "the
under dog" and that in the Harrisburg
negotiations he has believed the miner
10 De lnP CdIlHe III uutSllOiI.
Sentiment Is Reversed.
IL is certainly true that with the
removal of the anthracite negotiations
from Atlantic City. New York and
Washington to Harrisburg. the case
of the miners took on new life. They
were being generally blamed at At
lantic City for their refusal to arbi.
trate of their differences. The opera
tors. on the other hand. were being
praised for their conciliatory attitude.
After he had heard the case in Har-
risburg. Governor Pinchot formed q
proposal to the operators which grant
ed most Of the important principles
OF the miners contentious and took no
especial note of the claims of the op-
orators. That is why his enemies &C
cused him Of playing politics. They
say that nobody loved an operator be
cause he represented capitalistic greed
They said Governor Pinchot exalted
the miner and condemned the opera
tors for MANY faults in their system.
President Coolidge's friends here in
Washington have learned there are
more sides to a fuel controversy than
To n policeman's strike and perhans
the exneriences Of Governor Pinchot
with HIS political critics have given
fhenn more confidence than ever in the