Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-08-06
SEE PRESIDENT COOLIDGE
AS THE G. 0. P. CANDIDATE
tcontlaued from Page ~


A progressive administration by
Calvin S.eolidge, in place of the con-
servativs program OF the Harding
administration, will bring back to
the party the support of those who
deserted and have been calling for
progressive Democratic nominee or
selection of a radical candidate by
the Johnson Brookhart-Ladd-Bo
Franzier crowd.
If President Coolidge serves salts
factorily he will retain the support
of the old reactionary crowd in his
party, get the backing of the large
group of Republicans who do not
personally like him, and probably
secure the backing of the Republican
progressives who would likely con-
slider it better to win with Coolidge
than meet defeat with a third party
candidate of their own.
Calvin Coolidge will probably rise
high in public favor in the next
twelve months in spite of his personal
unpopularity among those closely
associated with him who greatly dis
like his chilly manner.
Coolidge has undoubtedly grown a
great deal since he was elected vice
president in 1920. He has shown
sufficient good taste to stay in the
background and say little in defer
ence to the President; but the few
things he has said nave smacked OF
solid Americanism and have been
well taken by the people. Coolidge
says little but is generally credited
with being a shrewd politician and
possessed of an uncanny way of
reading the public mind and then
steering a course which appeals to
public desire.
Coolidge will have twelve months
to build up an organization within
the party and lay his plans to cap
ture the nomination between now
and the holding of the Republican
national convention next June. Just
now he is as strong as any candidate
the Republicans cauld put forward;
with twelve months in office, virtual
ly at the head of the Republican
party, he should be head and shoul-
ders above any other aspirant
If he delivers one or two address
ses to congress which strike the
popular chord and secures the pas
sage by congress of some legisla-
tion that appeals directly to the
people, such measures to prevent
scarcity of coal, high price of sugar,
high freight rates, or brings about
better prices for wheat and other
farm products, his nomination and
election as president in 1924 seems
practically assured.
Coolidges accession to the Presi-
dency does not itself give him
claim to the nomination like that
credited to Mr.. Harding. On the
contrary the unfortunate death of
Mr.. Harding leaves the way open
for the entrance of a number of
candidates who might have been de-
TERED by the belief that Mr.. Harding
US entitled to the denomination.
but is must be conceded that at
Zhis time President Coolidge is in
very advantageous position to grasp
the nomination for president in his
own right in 1924.
Colonel Theodore Roosevelt sue
ceeded President Mckinley in Sep
temb4r 1901, and in three and a
half/ years of popular administra-
: s-sfTsssf .sasade himself such a favorite
sith the people that the politicians
Mere glad to accept him as their
candidate for denomination in 1904.
Calvin Coolidge will have only about
one year to serve before the time
for naming his successor rolls
around, but that is sufficient to give
him ample opportunity to favorabiy
impress the public, and may be
brief enough in duration to pre-
vent the public from discovering his
weaknesses.
That one years incumbency for
Mr.. Coolidge may be preferable to
a longer period would appear to be
borne out by the experience OF John
Tyler who. on April g. 1S41, sue
ceeded william Henry Harrison af-
ter the latter had served as presi-
dent only one month, and after four
years service failed of reelection as
president