Milford chronicle., 1925-02-06
Coolidge The Man,
Coolidge The Republican

The people look to us, and expect
us at all times to make certain, as to
the economic soundness of such pro-
jects as we propose, such move
ments as we endorse, but for our
part we must remember there are
certain moral issues which can nev-
er be determined through a cash
register.
The demand for the outlawry of
war is not only countrywide, but
worldwide 1t is just, and to the ac-
complishment of that ideal we
should bring all our ability and res
olutiOn.
The cry of the wOmanhood of Am
erica for the Inauguration of a pol
icy which while not affecting our in
tegrity as a sovereign state or in
vOlving us in foreign alliances, or
affecting our purpose at all times to
be first of all of our own national
strength and independence, will yet
make for harmony among the ma
tiOns of the earth-is not only i'm
pressive, but right and should have
our sympathetic consideration and
support.
The time is ripe for a great con-
solidation within one party, prOVid-
ed we are able to build a framework
national in it's scope, economically
sound and also humanitarian, of the
men and women who think in reas-
enable harmony with one another.
The people want it. After years of
political experimentation with blOcs
and factions, which for all of the
good intentions of the promoters or
participants, have only worked to
increase the general confusion, and
delay the application of real reme-
dies, the people are inclined to So
ber and saner line of thinking. l
know from interviews and confer
ences with men of all parts of the
country there is a general dispOsi-
tion to support a unified Republican
organization. They appreciate that
the house divided against itself must
fall and this applies to political or
ganizations.
All our efforts, and l am speaking
plainly, will come to naught unless
we succeed in developing, not only
among the rank and file, but among
the leaders and our duly elected Off
cials an appreciation of the neces-
sity of party loyalty. No progress
can be made without a program and
no progress can be made effective
without loyalty.
In Washington a man is either
with a party or against it. There is
no middle course. There is an alb
solute necessity for loyalty; for the
control of Congress is regulated by
party lines and conditions. 1t was in
recognition of this situation, and not
because of any feeling of personal
bias that certain gentlemen were
lately stricken from the Republican
rolls.
I have no thought of a system Of
discipline which seeks to encroach
on the rights of any man or woman
to aspire or stand for Office or to
limit their rights to propose or ad-
vance legislative or party pro-
grams.
But a man who is elected to Office
on a Republican platform must
stand on that platform. If he does
not like the platform, he is justified
and entitled to seek to make any
correction or amendments which he
desires, but once the majority of the
party formally rejects his sugges-
ton, his obligation is to accept that
decision.
There is no service more impor-
tant and essential to our well be-
ing in government than sane,
wholesome understanding participa-
ton in politics.
We have in recent years changed
the form of our party machinery for
the selection of candidates for pub
lie office. We have very generally
substituted the primary for the rep
resentative convention. We have
subs+.. ..uted the primary for the leg
islative election of United States
Senators. This change has brought
about its problems. The old conven-
tiOn system of nominations fixed the
responsibility upon the party and
exerted a definite party influence up
on the candidate. He realized his ac-
countability to his party, and he
knew definitely where his loyalty
and allegiance belonged.
The primary system has given an
for cunning men to use
the party label in the primary, and
thereby attract to their support the
loyal members of the party. And it
has enabled such men to gain par
ty nomination, and with the support
of the party, an election to impor-
tant Office, and in some instances,
only to repudiate the platform of the
party and the nominees of the ma
1t is obtaining Office
by false pretense. And such prac-
tices should be condemned not only
by the party organization, but by the !
people whose confidence has been !
betrayed.
But whatever the machinery-in |
order to preserve party government |
which is so indispensable to eff |
cient administration, men and wo-
men in their party affiliations, must |
be honest to the party and must be |
loyal.
+ = 4
The campaign of 1924 worked a
revolution in the political |
thinking processes of the people. 1t |
was the greatest thinking election"
which we have had since the Civil |
War, the campaign of '96 alone |
comparison.
+
The issues were so great, that they |
purified even the methods of cam
paigning. They banished the petit
ness. the selfishness. the intrigue |