The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-24
PRESS ON COOLIDGE SPEECH


 Republican nomination for the presidency was of the nature of a Sunday after noon,s stroll through pleasant fields. He daintily picked his way, avoiding the wet .4 grass and the muddy places. They were : there, but it is a part of New England breeding not to notice such things. To $, ignore them is the same as for them to be non-existent. Let well enough alone often really means to let bad enough alone. And nobody will dispute that the Republican situation is bad enough. It is true that MT. Coolidge suavely con-
 cedes that there might be dishonesty in high political station, but he is extremely 2 vague as to what party is involved. As a purely theoretical proposition, it is be- lieved that MT. Coolidge is for honesty .s in government. If there is dishonesty, it is too bad, and somebody ought to clean it up. But if it is too noisome to clean up, the next best thing is to pretend that it isn't there.
 to5 According to the Louisville Courier .a Journal: "A good deal of the address is - taken up with threshing over old straw regarding conditions existing, or alleged to exist, when the Republicans succeeded . Wilson in 1921. But the fact is ignored that the Republicans were more respon- :, sible for those conditions than the Dem- ocrats, having had complete control of .. congress two years and having flouted - all of President Wilson's urgings for leg .islation to adjust the after-the-war sit- uation." And the Atlanta Constitution: : seThe views of President Coolidge are ja sound, insofar as they touch the great of Americas social, eco- homie and moral life, concerning which there are no party differences, but the president can speak only for himself, for his party since March, 1921, has
 made a record that runs either in an opposite direction or at a right angle to the presidents views. The president says ; he stands for honesty in government, but not in the history of this nation has an e administration stood so universally con- svyicted of dishonesty as the party of which ;,ishe is the head. Of course Calvin Cool idge, the man, stands for honesty, and no one questions it; but the record of the Republican administration is too vulner- able for argument"
 1 Comparatively, in the view of the New , Orleans Times-Picayune, the speech does not show up well: President Coolidge's : speech of acceptance, as it turns out, is ill-timed. It follows MT. Davis similar address so closely as to force compari- son of the two men even by the casual
 
 ; Mir. Coolidge's disadvantage. The Dem v ocratic nominees message is by far the .abler, the broader, the more persuasive and accordingly the more effective of q these two keynote pronouncements." !" Likewise unenthusiastic is the Savannah -J News: "The address will not stir up any '' body. It is calm, yes, but to the point of coldness, as if a looker-on were ob- serving the bad things about him and ap- 2 yparently not caring very much whether or not they are remedied." A note of 2: anti-climax is found by the Atlanta Jour z 4Snal: Before an audience of federal off, . ., fice-holders at Washington MT. Coolidge, < with scarce a note of rebuke to gross be- trayals of public trust and never a flush of zeal for the high tasks of the time, ss plodded his way through six thousand s-words to this spiritless conclusion, The -- people want a government of common 2 sense. Truly enough, Americans want @' common sense in government, but first of all they want common honesty and common justice"
 Although the Republican press tries to
 be enthusiastic, it finds the task diff cult one, like trying to become exhil- irated by a bottle of champagne that has been open for several days. One such ed- itor declares that Coolidge Plays His q Critics" but the Memphis Commercial :, Appeal dryly and somewhat disappoint- <, edly remarks: "He does not even do that" A sample of Republican endorse
 ment is taken from the Kansas City Star, nominally independent, but with an often ;; ll-concealed Republican leaning: "His ,. deeds back up his words. The country @ has seen the courage with which he ve-
 toed expenditures in order to reduce the | burden on the people in the face of warn
 ings that the vetoes might cost him his
 political life. It will take his speech as a real confession of faith, chart of future -, action" If the Republicans really desire ,a the people to take it that way, they are certainly pinning their hopes to most ordinary document.
 '5. Comparing Coolidge and Davis, the -a Independent Springfield Republican, from MT. Coolidge's own state of Massa- i. chusetts, remarks: "Mr. Coolidge will not g5 satisfy his Democratic opponent by his
 discussion of honesty in government. But d., this is difference in indignation. The ,- Republican prefers Mir. Daviss ampler to indignation because it is wholesome" <" r'a Taking judicial view of the address, the
 New York Times thus advises it's read I, CTS: Everybody ought to read the presi-
 dents speech of acceptance. It is long; .o 1t Is rather dry; but 1t IS no doubt en- stirely sincere, and it is frank and full revelation of the essential character and o purpose of Mir. Coolidge. It is now possi-
 ble calmly to judge whether he is the
 sort of leader, and whether his party has .s. the sort of principles which the country
 needs at this juncture in it's domestic
 politics and in it's relations to the rest 2 of the world"
 .'; An ironical tinge pervades the opinion
 of the New York World, which concludes: ,. "The speech will add nothing to his fame. s@' It is, however, triumphant vindication '4 of Chairman Buffers campaign strategy. That is to keep MT. Coolidge in Washing "a ton, have him say as little as possible, Zs