Evening star., 1926-10-25
Politicians See Bad Effect on
1923 Race of President
if Senator Loses.
ACTED TO HELP FRIEND
IS GENERAL EXPLANATION
Appeal to Massachusetts to Elect
Gov. Fuller as Well Gets
Same Interpretation.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG.

BY publicly indorsing Senator Will
liam NJ. Butler of Massachusetts,
chairman of the Republican national
committee. who is candidate to
succeed himself in the Senate. and
Alvan T. Fuller. who is seeking an
other term as Governor of Massachu
setts. President Coolidge has made
himself the real issue in the cam
paign in that State. y,
This is virtually the unanimous
opinion here i'll political circles. Re
publicanS and Democrats are in ac-
cord on this one point. In political
quarters the general feeling Is that
President Coolidge has by this ap-
peal to the electorate of the Bay
State. deliberately thrown his po-
litical future in the balance; that
he has staked everything on the out
come of the election in his home
State.
incidentally while political circles
were buZzing today with this latest
campaign development, clear intima-
ton was given in White House circles
that the Presidents letter, made pub
lie yesterday. is not establishing
precedent. and that the Executive
does not intend To issue any further
election.
Effect of Buffers Defeat.
If Senator Butler and Gov. Fuller,
whom the President has indorsed iii
a letter made public in Boston yes
terday. go down to defeat November
=, this would he clean-cut and un'
mistakable reputation of calvin Cool
idge There would he no other way
10 1ci1 dow ltph
to the views of politicians here.
Furthermore. it is pointed out that
nothing worse could happen to the
Presidents political future than de-
feat and reputation in Massachusetts.
This is not only the opinion OF Demo
Gratis but of Republicans, some or
the latter being more on less close To
the President and known to be un-
questionably eager for a continuance
of his political power and leadership
Reputation coming from the voters
of his own State cannot fail To AFFECT
hopes and plans the President ana
his friends may have now for Il third
term, they conclude.
The Presidents friends contend that
the formers Endorsement OF Butter
and Fuller was not prompted from any
personal mOtiveS-that the President
and sincere manner and that his aC-
ton was void of any thought of HIM
self and was without any mental
reservations.
Move Called Natural.
One of the Presidents intimates at
the White House today said that It
would have been far more significant
and surprising had the President not
q..sA
a nd political associates. If the Presi
dent had remained silent throughout
the entire campaign and had let cleo
ton day arrive without doing some
thing to assist there would have been
room for far more comment and spec
ulation than is the case I'm connection
with the letter he has just written TO
Massachusetts. this friend insisted.
1t was hinted also by the latter that
this phase of the situation was very
recently brought to the Presidents
attention. He was told that in many
parts of the State word was being
spread that the President had aban-
doned his friends-that II was all
bunkum about the Presidents appre-
citation Of Senator Butler: that ne
cared little whether or not he was
elected.
Just what influence these false re
ports had upon the Presidents sub
sequent action in behalf of his two
friends is not known, but his indorse-
ment nevertheless very quickly fol-
lowed.
Many HOnOrs From State.
This intimate of the President In an
endeavor to interpret the Presidents
step called attention to the fact that
President Coolidge has been II voter
in Massachusetts these many years
and has at all times been interested
in politics and has frequently been
the recipient of political honors at the
hands of his party and friends, there
fore, it is not unnatural that he felt
1t his duty as a good citizen, II for no
other reason, to help, even though in
a small way. to elect men In whom he
had confidence and who, he felt sure.
would serve the State in an honorable
and able fashion.
Besides this realization OF his duty
as a citizen and Republican, the Presi-
dent, this friend continued, has ample
reason to feel that he should do some
thing to help Senator Butler. 1t was
pointed out that the President is not
unmindful of all that Senator Butler
has done for him: the laying aside Of
his DuSlItS6 anu DcTSO1d1 dHkessH u
conduct his preconvention campaign
in 1924 and later to direct his cam
paign as chairman of the Republican
national committee. Just what the
President thinks of this close friend
and chief political adviser is set forth
plainly in his letter of Endorsement.
Along with the discussion of the
Coolidge letter OF Endorsement is con
comment upon his decision
to go personally TO Massachusetts TO
cast his ballot. Why do he and Mrs.
Coolidge make this long journey mere
ly to vote, when it would be possible
for them to send their ballots by mail
just as they did two years ago?
Example to Voters.
As might be expected, the Presi.
dents decision to Journey to the
voting booth at Northampton to vote
on election day did cause considerable
surprise. One friend Of the President
endeavored to explain this decision
on the latter's part by saying that
the President has been appealing for
some time to the electorate through.
out the Nation to vote. and he no
doubt thought 1t was up to him and
his wife to set a good example. True.
they could have done their patriotic
duty in this respect by executing
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