The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-18
KEEPS
|. W[STERNERS
GUESSING
-
Hard Finds Them Warm and
Cold at Turns to puzzle"
Of White House.
BY WILLIAM HARD.

to explain this strength.
They do not really know why they
are for Coohd@e. Coolidge, at the
end Of many months Of being Presi-
dent, il still an enigma to- his
fellow-countrymen in these parts.
1t might almost be said that
some Of his strength 10 due pre-
cisely to this strange power of
fascinating people into trying vainly
to understand him. They are per-
picked by him. They are baffled by
him. They are taDtalized by him
In thinking about him they are like
boy who d dealing with a strange
beetle.
They never saw this sort Of beetle
before. They cannot bear to put
him down. He alIures them. They
sometimes think that he operates
only by instinct and does not really
know what he is doing. Again they
think that perhaps he Is the most
intelligent and crafty beetle that
ever lived.
They 'vibrate between thinking
that he has no brains ana thinking
that perhaps he is one Of the
geniuses and heroes Of all time.
Policy Puzzles Them.
One day he does a thing that
seems to them a perfect boob play.
The next day he does q thing that
seems to them solid and sublime
anchor to the ship of state.
Then he proceeds to lie perfectly
motionles while they bend over him
and strain their eyes to catch hts
next wiggle. This is his most en-.
trancing performance.
| Local political leaders In multi
tudes stand bTeathless day after day.
leaning over him, to see If his next
wiggle when 1t comes, will indicate
that he ought to be reelected or
ought to be asphyxiated.
| When it comes, they are no bet.
ter Off Some say that 1t was the
motion OF a moron and others say
that 1t was the maneuver Of a
political Napoleon. All agree that
the next motion OK Inaneuver must
be watched.
They proceed to watch It. That
is. they proceed to wait for il.
Meanwhile, If they are regular Re
publicans, they work for Coolidge
meanwhile also they seize the sleeve
Of any visitor from Washington and
gasp out:
| "See here! Sit down! Tell US what
kind Of man this Coolidge is!'
Visitor Cant Tell Them.
The visitor usually can tell then,
no more than they know already
He can only relate stories Of Cool
idge. These stories leave the local
political leaders only additionally
puzzled, they say.
We've got to watch this bird
some more"
They keep on watching hfrr
doubtfully and they keep on work
ing for him faithfully. Their idee
seems to be that IL they let hin
go they will never find out wha,
he is like.
Coolidge has vamped the Repub
lican party. He Is a mystery, anG
the Republican party seems deter
mined to chase Il until It solves 1t
Some sober answers. however, arr
sometimes given to the mystery. q
Calvin CooIidge's charms.
This writer today approached &
considerable local Ohio politica
leader, Mr.. Charles L. Knight, {
newspaper publisher in this city O
Akron.
All political leaders in Ohio ar,
local. Ohio has no State boss.
has no political king. What it haa
is dukes and barons-Brown ant
Nauts in Toledo, Maschke in Cleve
land, Hynicka in Cincinnati, Wolf,
in Columbus. Brewer in Dayton
knight and Sparks and Pardee u
: Akron.
, Mr.. knight came near to total,
! destroying and abolishing and elm
mating the whole Republican part.
In the Akron. congressional distric
when IN 1912 he supported and ad
: vanced the cause Of the Progressive
party of Theodore Roosevelt.
Running for Delegate.
Today he is running, and is sur
!, to be elected, as delegate-at-larg
: from Ohio to the Republican Ms
4 tional convention for Calvin Coo
: idge.
= To him this writer addressed TIL
) following simple and succinct Ques
!. ton:
"What?"
: Mr.. knight replied without hes
!, tattng. He replied comprehensively
He said:
Coolidge has captured the basi
convictions of the people by bein
for less taxes and less government
This Is the fundamental issue.
Soho, when first came here
I had perhaps half-dozen Stat
= commissions. Now It has seventy
a seven commissions, including
!, commission on jackasses.
This commission studies and prC
notes jackasses
3 I'm 1912 each Ohioan on the ave.
r age paid into the local and Stat
!. treasures in taxes the sum of 81
!: "In 1923 he paid $48.75, includin
t the cost Of the stimulating of tn
r. production Of jaclmsEes In Ohio.
4 Too Much Government.
"The idea has been that If any
body needed to have his nee
washed or nose blown there shoul
be State commission to do it. O
: at least "a municipal commission.
a Anybody who stood up and sal
more money for mothers ineetingI
was elected.
"Now, however, the tide ha
Q turned. / know 1t because 1 wer
all over the State last year OF
posing the Taft bill and the A
t baugh bill on referendum.
J. These bills would have given eac
county in Ohio the certainty Of
new tax commission and they woul
have given the whole State of OH
the possibility Of $4,000, 900 eac
II year Of new taxes.
atN1ao.n KILL $1,000 -