Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-01
COOLIDGE To DRAFT
HIS PLATFORM AND
NAME OWN MATE
Party Leaders Urging PreSi-
dent to Cut Loose From
Congressional Influences
During Campaign
BY ROBERT T. SMALL
Copyright, 1924, by the Consolidated Press
Assocaticn-Special Leased Wire
to The Atlanta JOMrnal.l


Associaticn-Special Leased Wire
to The Atlanta Journal.)
WASHINGTON, March 29.-Pres-
ident Coolidge has such complete
control of the regular Republican
party that leaders who recently
have been in Washington are urg-
ing him to write his own platform
and name his own running mate.
They say that Mr.. Coolidge is
the one great outstanding asset of
the grand old party and that he
should have absolutely his own way
in shaping the issues of the com
ing campaign from the Republican
point of view.
There is growing evidence in the
moves being made around the presi-
dent of what may amount to an
entirely new deal in the Republican
party Mr.. Coolidge, after his NOM
ination n Cleveland next June,
will name his own chairman of the
national committee to conduct the
campaign. This is always the Gus
tom in the old parties-the candi-
date having the right to select his
own manager.
1t is safe to say that Mr.. Cool
idge's manager will not be picked
from among the 'old guard" either
in the house or senate. The presi-
dent is not unmindful of the fact
that there is, throughout the coun-
try, a disposition to criticize con
gress in very harsh manner for
the way it has been conducting its
business during the present session.
Cong1 ess was none too popular
with the people when the session
began, and it has been steadily 60
ing down hill ever since. Failure to
pass the emergency tax relief reso-
luton was a great blow to all in.
come tax payers and has not left
the country in any too amlable
frame of mind toward the leaders
on capitol hill
May ignore Congress
President Coolidge is being urged
to cut loose from any congressional
ties in the conduct of his coming
campaign. There is also every rea-
son to believe that the so-calleG
"old guard" will cut rather sorry
figure at the Cleveland convention.
They were in the saddle four years
ago. they dictated what the conven-
ton should do and what it should
not do. 1t was a senatorial conVen'
ton from first to last. Senators
wrote the platform, senators made
the nomination, choosing one OF
their own colleagues; senators dc
tated all the committee appoint
ments The famous back room con-
~ fnrOEsQ sf
Harry Daugherty long before the
largely of senators. One senator,
from his sick bed a thousand miles
away, was in constant touch with
the affairs of the convention and
his word largely was law.
This year all is changed. Three
outstanding figures of the old
guard" Senators Penrose, Knox and
Murray Crane-a president
-trio-all are dead. No one has
arisen to take their place.
There will be but one outstanding
figure at Cleveland-Calvin Coolidge
himself. The convention will pay
Difference and devotion to him and
to him alone. His will be the law
under the new order.
President Coolidge already has let
it be known that he faVors new
type of party platform-one devoid
of the usual flowery language, bust
ness like pledge. The leaders of the
party are saying there is no one
quite so fitted to write a terse. sharp,
machine-2un platform as Mr.. Cool
idge himself.
The holding of the platform to the
briefest possible point, the feWest
number of words badly that any
one of the major parties has put
out in half a century, will rather
happily obviate the necessit~ of treat
ing in detail any of the events OF the
past.
The aim and objective Of the new
platform will be a forward look.
There may be some viewing with
alarm" but there will be little, If
any, time wasted on the usual point
ing with pride" The platform. if
the leaders have their way, will be
in the form of a personal pledge from
Mr.. Coolidge himself. Members OF
the national committee, like the new
ly chosen one from Colorado, Clar-
ence G. Hamlin, who have talked and
lunched with Mr.. Coolidge lately, are
firm in their conviction that he has
not been scathed by ny of the Wash
ineton Investigations and that the
president would pursue a steady,
level course il reelected. These
committeeman know that the Demo
Gratis are going to attack the party
as it never has been attacked before,
and they ar thanking the lucky
stars for sending them in the emer-
gency a man who less than a year
ago was not being considered even
for the second place on the ticket.
So great is the party confidence n
Mr.. Coolidge that ne will be asked
to name the vice presidential candi-
date as we'll as write the platform.
There probably never has been a
time in political history when so
much care has surrounded the Sc
lection of a second place man. The
nomination will &c no haphaZard af
fair this time. Records WI be
searched and loyalty will be tested.
Inasmuch as all this ill be taken
care Of probably 'efore convention
time. it is difficult to see how the
proceedings at Cleveland can be
strung out over more than two or
three days. except by a lot of SPELL
binding and arbitrary adjournment
of the sessions. or actual conven.