Evening star., 1927-04-03
M'NARYS STATE
FIRM FOR COOLIDGE
Presidents Veto of Farm
Relief Bill Fails to
Sway Oregon.
BY ROBERT IT. SMALL.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
PORTLAND, Greg, April Amy
idea the East may have gained that
PRESIDENT Coolidge has weakened him.
self with the farmers of his own party
Ly his veto of the McNary-Haugen So
called farm relief bill, would seem to
lie all wrong, if the experience of an
observer in the home state Of Senator
.feNary may be given due weight and
.onsideration.
You are frankly told in oregon that
if President Coolidge's name is entered
in the presidential primaries next
Spring, his victory will be overWhelm'
ing You even hear the intimation
tnat Senator McNary himself will be
ranged alongside the President before
voting day arrives.
Wherever you go in the West, you
find it taken for granted among Re-
publicans that Mr.. Coolidge win run
again in 1928 and that he can have
the nomination of his party merely
for the asking. The Republicans of
The Far West tell you that his veto
Of the McNary-H -Haugen bill did not
create ripple on the political surface.
Coolidge Always First.
Everybody expected the President
TO veto the measure. If he had signed
it, there would have been a real sur
Lrise. But it is impossible anywhere
10 find a weakening in the Coolidge
lines, and even the agricultural advo-
Gates of former Gov. Lowden of Illi-
nois say that he has no chance for
the presidential nomina ton unless
and until Mr.. Coolidge declines TO run.
J his is not to deny the fact that Gov.
Lowden has much strength in his
party. But that strength always is
predicated on an tiff President
Coolidge does not desire another term
IT., is easy to find the Lowden senti.
inent permeating as far as Hawaii,
out in the mid-Pacific
OF course, Hawaii cannot vote for
President any more than can the Dis
tfict of Columbia or the Territory of
Alaska, but Hawaii talks and thinks
Jolitics in terms of the American
mainland, and 1t seems a shame that
such an intelligent section of Ameri.
can public opinion should be denied
the right Of self-expression
Oregon Republicans have not
wavered one instant in their support
of President Coolidge. They are loyal
enough to Senator McNary, but they
had no thought that his agricultural
ideas ever would be accepted by the
.hief Executive of the Nation. The
mere fact that the President vetoed
the bill bearing the name and spon-
sorship OF Oregon's senior Senator
has affected his popularity not one
whit.
True In Other Coast States.
Whether or not this same sentiment
holds good in the Midwestern country
the writer cannot say, but on the Pa
cinc Coast and in the mountain States
1t certainly is true. There was some
talk in the West that President Cool
idge must have made up his mind not
TO run again else he would have hest
tated to veto the modified farm bill,
but even this theory has fallen down
since the adjournment Of Congress.
The whole truth is that no one in
the Republican party dares to raise a
voice against President Coolidge.
Even Senator Borah of Idaho, who
does not approve Of many of the Cool
idge and Kellogg international policies.
can assert no great weight in his own
intermountain State against the Presi
dent.
Seldom, If ever, has one man had
such control over the grand old Re.
publican party as Mr.. Coolidge has to-
day. Not that he has the great per-
sonal favor Of the professional poll.
ticians. He hasn't. But these poll
ticians. sensing the satisfaction of
their party with conditions as they
are, can only talk of men and issues
If Mr.. Coolidge decides to step aside.
Perhaps President Roosevelt, in
1908. was more completely in control
of the G. o. p. than Mr.. Coolidge is
today. but Col. Roosevelt exercised his
control with the big stick" while
Mr.. Coolidge maintains his control
through more or less mysterious
silence which the politicians them
selves cannot fathon, and which they
do not attempt to explain.
Could Not Pick Successor.
1t is admitted everywhere, however,
that Mr.. Coolidge. II he desires to do
so, could not select a successor in
office. If he wants another term him.
self, no issue will be raised, no cues.
tions asked, but il he wanted to nomi.
nate another man, he could not do SO.
IN the nrst place. no one imagines the
president ever would want to name
his successor In Office. His immediate
interest in the chief magistracy is
supposed to concern only himself.
After all Is said and done, the most
important thing about the present
political situation in the United States
Is the fact that the people are taking
1t for granted that President Coolidge
VIII run again. They listen vainIy at
LhS lAkh Ul d In1Tu term, and the
further suggestion that IL Mr.. Coolidge
should run and win in 1928, there
would be nothing to prevent his run.
nlng again in 1882. and once more in
1885, TO say nothing of 1910.
They say the President is stiJl a
very young man. younger by more
tnan 10 years than some of those who
are mentioned for the presidency
against him.
His Main Asset.
There is undeniably a complacency
through the country which accepts
PRESIDENT Coolidge as a condition
rather than a theory
IL Is his main asset--the condition
or tne country and the condition of
thought of the country. And, In any
event, the important thing of the last
lew weeks is the fact that even In
the home State of the principal au
thor of the McNary- Haugen bin the
veto of that measure has not affected
the political fortunes of the vetoer-
not IN the slightest degree
fCopyright. 1927