The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-08-06
Dependence
Is sPlaced
in Coolidge
Record as Governor and Per.
sonality Show Him Solidly
on His Own Feet as
an Official.
Old Reliable From Hills
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

Washington, Aug. at the tine
President Coolidge came to Washing
Ton. the public impression Of him
rested chiefly on a single dramatic
act, the SUPPRESSION of the police strike
in Boston, in Nhlch the conspicuous
characteristics were firmness, cour-
age, and the quality popularity
called nerve" There were many
persons in Massachusetts, whose con-
fidence in him was based on the
broader foundation Of his steady.
slre-footed administration of the gov
ernorship as a whole, and OF all the
other offices he had held and his
discharge of all the ordinary duties
of his offices with such common
sense and judgment, that no one
could recall anything that could be
called a mistake. But, because Wash
ington and the country's impression
rested so largely on the one most
dramatic act of his career, there
arose, during his two and a half
Years in Washington, kind Of
curiosity that almost went to the ex-
tent Of reappraisal.
ne IdcL is, lidl DIS hlCo Pi NSioSii's
Coolidge has followed the law Of his
nature in living up TO the precise
measure of his responsibilities, and
being careful to go farther, that
always characterized him in his
previous office. In Washington, Cool
idge has had three functions: One
was to act as parliamentary presid-
ha SaceinnS Of the
senate. This he fulfilled serenely,
steadily. unostentatiously in his ordi-
nary manner, which is the opposite
of dramatic.
Puzzle to Society.
His second function has been to
fulfill certain social duties, which,
during several administrations. have
come to be the recognized business OF
the vice presidency. 1t is in living
up to this latter function that Cool
idge has made a rather puzzled i'm
preston on those Who came into con-
tact with MIN at dinners and similar
Social occasions. One of his most
characteristics personal traits Is
silence, and as silence is not the quail
ity generally expected in dinner
guest, the result is that some OF the
hostesses of these functions, because
they did not bring enough personality
to the tables themselves, have ended
the feast, feeling they have had to be
satisfied with merely the physical
presence Of the vice president Of the
United States.
Coolidges third function has been
one that was added TO the office or
vice president by President Harding s
initiative. Harding invented the
theory, now justified in its wisdom
that It would be well for the vice
president to sit at the meetings OF
the cabinet, so that in the event Of
lust such turn as has now come,
he should be familiar with the cur
rent of public business and the bet
ter equipped to carry on IL the presi-
dency should happen to devolve upon
him.
Avoided Dangerous Errors.
A man of different temperament or
less sure footed personal management
of himself, might have fallen into one
OF the two errors of becoming in the
senate a representative OF the wishes
of the White House, or of becoming
in the cabinet an ambassador from
the senate. But it has been precisely
this that Coolidge has avoided In the
cabinet, he did exactly what the defi-
milton of his anomalous position called
for. He sat as an observer wholly.
smoke only when called on TO speak,
stto q
particular question called for reply.
on the other hand, when he returned
to the senate, IL he carried cabinet
condolences with him, or the knowl-
edge OF wishes on the part of the ad-
ministration as to what the senate
should do. he kept such knowledge
wholly within the boundaries Of his
own exceptionally well-knit skull. All
the embarrassments. all the personal
antagonisms. which less canny man
or a man Of less exact mind might
completely. And as result he
stands today with the complete con-
fidence of both the senate and OF the
cabinet.
1t has followed from the innovation
into which Harding introduced this
vice president, that the latter has
two unprecedented equipments for
stepping into his new duties. One
is that he knows the history aud
present status of every piece OF execu-
tive business as well as Harding
and his cabinet knew 1t. The other is,
- that having sat as a silent and ex-
tremely alert observer at every cabi-
net meeting, he knows the qualities
Of every member OF the cabinet in
a way never approached by any other
president on his assumption OF Of
flee.
That part OF the public which only
remembers the Governor coolidge OF
tho Boston police strike. has been
prone To think OF him lately as n
=" man on horseback who for two
aud half years has been deprived
of horse. But those more familiar
with his whole record az governor
snd with his personality. think OF him
as a man solldly on his own feet, sure-
stepping, steady, dependable. kind
~ "old reliable from The Vermont
hills.
copyright. ls.sJ