Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-01-22
Vermonter Is Being President
on 'Own Hook " Says
Daniels SIemp Called
Past Master at Political
Management
Ry JOsEPHUs DANIELS
Copyright, 1924

RALEIGH, N. c.. Jan. 19.-W hen
he succeeded to the presidency. Mr..
Ca,yin Coolidge in the dark hours
of the night in the little Vernon
village declared it would be his hlgh.
est aim ito carry out the pollcles "
President Harding" That IS the
way he felt about it that nlght' anu
the country applauded.
No man is so happy as when he
can truly say II told you So. Ihat
NV position today. When most
writer's were approving the declara,
ton Of the new president, l Ventureu
TO saw that if anybody expected MI
Coolidge to carry out MIR. HARDING
nolicies. they were destined to rude
awakening. I based my preolctlon
upon the belief that no man can walk
in the shoes of another, think ms
thoughts, speak his language, OF
carry out his policies. L SAID that IL
Coolidge carried out aardlngs pom
cies he would be the firstNyice presl'
dent who had ever done so. NO
doubt all of them who made that
promise were sincere in their decla-
ration, but those who sought re-elec-
ton saw pretty soon they could not
succeed by trying to wear the CLOAK
of the predecessor. The pupnc
wants no me too or no mere echo
of the dead voice. With the best
intentions, Mr.. Coolidge has failed to
be another Harding. 1t was an I'M
possible job he set for himself ana
now that he has thrown off the CLOAK
and acts on his own initiative, the
public may approve or disapprove OF
this or that policy, butsthAE will like
him all the better for being himself
and following his own gait.
Agree on Fundamentals
The message to congress was a
Coolidge sage-not a Harding
one. They both agreed on the tariff,
and so he recommended to continue
the five billion tariff tax and to re-
duce the income tax. In international
matters, Coolidge favored the world
court with such emasculation that
it's author would not recognize it.
Where Harding favored delay on the
soldiers compensation, never oppos-
ing it, Coolidge declared against it.
and emphasized his opposition by
as he could by not deigning to give
a reason why he thought this recog-
milton should not be given the brave
youths who, with a pittance OF
thirty-odd dollars a month, saved the
world in 1918.
But since that message, so far as
carrying out Harding's policies"
there is no more Harding or Harding
policies at the White House than if
the Ohio president had never lived
there. I am not saying that Cool,
idge is not right. 1t was simply i'm
possible for the Vermonter to be a
Buckeye.
The genial Christian, who didn't
seem to be concerned about getting
delegates and arranging primaries,
has given place to Slemp, who looks
and eats and thinks politics and po-
litical machinery "a hours in every
day of the 365 in the calendar. There
may have been no need for a con-
summate political manager ~as pri-
vate secretary under Harding, but
certainly Coolidge picked one who
is a past master. Any Republican
who could get himself elected and
reelected to congress Indefinitely
from Virginia is no SLOUGH at the
political game. He Is working it for
Coolidge in larger territory than he
worked it for Slenp in the Old Do
minion. And Hitchcock will have
to rise early In the morning if he
gets any delegates from the south.
Slemp knows the game in that Demo
cratic part of the world as to string
ing negro and white delegates to a
Republican convention. He also
knows how to cater to the colored
voter who has migrated to the doubt
full northern states.
Mexican Policy Junlled
The first big overturnng OF a
Harding policy was in connection
with delegates from the south. From
! the day that Russell A. Alger bought
! John Sherman's negro delegates at
| the same price that prevailed for
slaves in 1860, the southern delegate
situation has been a stencil in the
nostrils OF decent Republicans and
| has been a national scandal. Roose-
| welt and others tried to get rid of
| this sore spot. Finally the conven-
| ton that nominated Harding ar
ranged to lessen the number of Re
| publican delegates in the 1924 con.
vention. That wasn't pleasing TO
/ the would-be delegates from the
/ south. 1t was making them like
4 OtbelIO their 0pcupa*i0p copa