San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-08
BY Nj. E. HENNESSY.
upright, by The San Antonio Light


Copyright. by The San Antonio Light.
Washington, ID. G., Aug. s.
When 1t was learned that Chief JUS
tiee Stafford OF the supreme court
Of the District of Columbia called
at President Coolidge's suite in the
Hotel Willard Sunday, somebody
raised the question about the legality
OF the Presidents oath. Did the
oath taken before his father when
news of President Harding's death
was announced, suffice, or would he
have to take it anew?
But IL people knew Calvin Coolidge
they would know that law and order
are cardinal principles of the new
Chief Executive. He is well ground
cd in the law and is firm be-
lever in the old adage that order
is Heavens first law.
In the years that he was prac-
ticing attorney in the western part
of Massachusetts. he built up an
enviable reputation for square deal
ing with his clients and in the courts
of the commonwealth. Few people
know how far the country came to
losing this virile, old fashioned citi-
zen. now occupying the highest office
in the land He had been practicins
his profession only short time when
the clerk of the Hampshire county
court died and the young attorney.
Calvin Coolidge was appointed to fill
the office until election time. He
might have had the nomination of
his party for clerk of courts of his
home county, but he decided that he
did not care to hide himself in a
little back office in the court house in
Northampton and retired 10 give his
entire time to his private practice.
Had Calvin Coolidge accepted the
clerkship nomination rendered him.
he probably still would be virtually
an unknown Official in a county
court.
Goes Into Politics.
With a natural aptitude for pub
lie affairs, what was TO be expected
but that this young lawyer should
drift into politics? A Republican by
birth and conviction, he lost no time
in allying himself with the Republi-
can city committee of Northampton.
Made a precinct captain, he tackled
that Job in the same thorough way
that he has shown since in handling
the many public matters that have
come before him. He was not salts
fled with checking up the voting list
in his locality. but he personally in
terviewed every man on the list. and
urged him to attend the caucuses and
be sure to vote election day.
The new committeeman's efforts
bore fruit and his precinct rolled up
a bigger Republican vote than ever
before. The political wall flowers
grinned and remarked that "Cal'
took his job too seriously. His as
sociates on the city committee were
only too glad TO turn over the affairs
of the party to- him and he put new
life into the local political organiza-
tion. He was nominated and elected
to the city council of Northampton,
but in this. his first political cam
paign for himself, he took nothing
for granted. He rang door bells and
spent his evenings calling on the
voters of the ward.
As a member of the city council of
his adopted city he gave evidence of
his interest in public affairs and al
ways lined up on the side of good
government and economy in city af-
fhirs. When the city solicitor of
Northampton resigned, Coolidge an
nounced his candidacy for the place.
Politically the city government was
close. Again he showed his ability
to run a campaign. He sought
Democratic support as well as that
of his own party. His opponent was
one Of the most popular members of
the bar in Northampton and the
leader of the Democratic party in
that section of the state. But he
could not hold all of his own party