The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-09-05

the tate Of his predecessors In his Of
flee. Some of the stories about Mr..
Coolidge would make it appear that
he has been one that we would call
near or close in money matters. 1t
Is not at all true. President Coolidge
has that frugal mind which we are
told in the poem that Mrs. Gilpin pos
sessed, but frugality and nearness are
not by any ean the same thing.
The New England farmer must be
frugal just as the Scotch farmer must
be. A man who makes his living out
of a rocky farm in New England must
be saving If he is to lead a debtless
life. All New Englanders cannot be
manufacturers.
Learned Simple Life as a Boy.
When he was a boy Calvin Coolidge
did not have much spending money.
Later he found that he nus live upon
a small salary. Now generosity is, SO
to speak, a proportionate thing. The
man who has a dollar and gives ten
cents to a poverty-stricken neighbor is
more generous than the nan who has
fifty dollars and gives two of them to
the distressed. With the parable of
the widows mite in mind, it seems
stinginess on the part of a man who
gives all out of proportion to his in
come but who cannot give large sums
because he hasn't them.
AS the boy, SO the man. Mr.. Cool
idge as a boy learned to like and to
ply. He still eats simply and dresses
simply. AS far as the former is con-
cerned, 1t is probable that in part he
owes his rugged health to the fact
that he retained his farm-time habits.
In letters from Washington it has
been said that Calvin Coolidge knows
how to say no" and that he knows
how to stick to his negative when 1t
has been given. A New Englander
who was a law school mate of Mr..
Coolidge told the writer that in the
early days of 1920 some of Mr.. Cool
idge's friends thought he had more
than a possible chance 70 be nomi-
mated by the Republicans for the presi-
dency. His chief political adviser
wrote him a letter containing .ome
advice on a specific subject, telling
him, Here is the thing that you ought
to do to strengthen your cause"
This letter was sent to Mr.. Coolidge
at the statehouse in Boston. In an
hour the sender received the letter
back with these words written across
its face: 81 shall do nothing of the
kind"
The thing which Mr.. Coolidge had
been asked to do was in itself harm
less enough, but he had the thought
that an affirmative statement on it
might be regarded as lacking In sim
cerity. and so he sent the mo" which
q good many Washington politicians
today fear is going to be heard again
in the lea future.
Overwork Killed Mr.. Harding.
President Harding's body has been
given back to earth In the commu-
nifty where he lived, toiled and made
his way upward.
In less than three years from the day
On which the Americans, of which the
majority of the voters honored him
with support, chose him as President,
the end came. The country speaks of
three presidents as martyrs-Lincoln,
Garfield and MeKinley-and it well
might add the name of Harding to the
list. He died a martyr to work.
Prior to the mournful journey to
Marion, the Presidents body lay in
state in the capitol, the Front Porch
of the nation. 1t is probable that the
crowds ~thronging about the great build
ing realize what it was that killed
their President? Is it possible that the
masses of the people will echo Warren
G. Harding's words on the World war
for another purpose and say. 1T must
not be again?
From the date that this man re-
ceived notice of his nomination for the
presidency he had no rest until death
gave it to him. 1t will be said that he
had vacations on several occasions. He
went away seeking rest, but he never
found 1t. The nations business and
the troubling politicians always were
with him. In Washington, with the
burdens of office upon him doubled. tri-
pied and quadrupled by the grave COM
plications, domestic and foreign, that
followed the war. he was compelled to
take away from the hours of rest right
~ belonging to him to give them yer
T.. -f1op %faD Of thn nnttV on1 nor
sonal opportunities of his party men
and to those of his thoughtless fellow
citizens generally.
Coolidge May Have Courage to Resist.
Under the rule of a willing" presi-
dent there is no possible rest in the
White House. The people seemingly
, expect certain things, and they must
be given what they expect even If the
giving wears the giver to the breaking
point. Reforms in government con-
stantly are demanded. A chief reform
we'll might begin in a field which is not
strictly governmental in its activities.
Every day of the year the White House
is besieged by insistent seekers after
something or nothing. AS a rule, presi-
| dents yield to the personal clamOrings
| rather than to confront the charge of
coldness or of indifference to prece-
dents which others have set.
President Coolidge m into Office
confronted with the unfinished work
of President Harding. 1t makes a
mountain. 1t may be that the non.
t"emperaE1ental Coolidge NAV save him