The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-12-26

tige. The voters OF Massachusetts, turned down his friend
W. NJ. Butler. II they stil arc in the frame OF mind which
led them to give the states electoral vote to Smith. II
certainly viii not be easy shedding for the Republican,
senatorial nominee when the voters again 50 TO the
polls to make their selection.
AS the situation nov stands. Nj. Coolidge has a prestige
that might make him available again for the presidency
though 1t Is doubtful whether he ever would consent to
make that race again. The presidency is hard work. !!
showed is aging process on the Northampton man In
the seven years he occupied the chair.
Arthur Brisbane thinks, however that he might be vii
ling to try for the White house again. He says:
III MI. Coolidge runs for office again-and probably
he will. will be for an office bigger than . senatorship
Happy MI. Coolidge; he got on. in time to dodge the
Wall Street crash. He left the people rolling over and
over In money. prosperity. higher wages and lower cost
Of living.
III times get worse and 1t looks like a Democrat
there will come a few brief words from New England
and in will go Mr.. Coolidge again. elected BY tho people
for the second time"
There Is nothing a. this time to indicate anything like
the prospect Mr.. Brisbane creates. In 1892 Mr.. Coolidge
will be 60. Moreover. 1t Is probable that Herbert Hoover
will be the nominee in that year, Then, in 1896. Mr..
Coolidge would be Ga. These factors put 1t rather beyond
possibility that Calvin Coolidge ever viii seek the prcsi
dency again.
And anything short OF the presidency would not add
to his public stature. That also is one reason why he
may not want to run for the senate. Andrew Johnson
was ono president who took that course, but death cut
his career short, so that his case docs not make an illum-
mating example to be guided by.
As a mere citizen, Calvin Coolidge will get a big re-
action out Of hts remaining years. His fellow citizens
have not lost interest in him by his retirement TO private
life. Magazine articles arc demanded from him. direc-
call, the papers find him q source Of frequent news and
pictures. His fame Is waning slowly.
This leads to the thought OF what an interesting book
could be written about the lives Of our cx-presidcnts.
Our scheme Of government puts the man who leaves
the White house In a peculiar position. Usually he Is
just At the height Of his powers. and often he is like
wise at the height Of his popularity: yet his course Of
action when he returns to private life Is definitely
limited.
litically. It Is not held quite ethical for him to plunge
actively into business or professional life. About all he
can do Is write-and muse, perhaps, on the way in which
he has helped to shape history.
Through all of this. however. no matter how valiantly
he strives to gain obscurity, he is still . public charac
ter. People want to know what he is doing, and how
and why. Reporters and camerauen cannot leave him
alone. His retirement Is a public affair.
Thus there must come into tho life Of such a man 2
sense Of anti-climax. It can hardly be pleasant for q
man who still sees many active years stretching ahead OF
him to feel that he Is definitely ION the shelf'-that hi:
active days arc over. whether he likes 1t or not.
1t is queer. when you stop to think about 1t. For
after all. the lot Of the ex-president Is precisely the 10.
which most Of US, In our ambitious youth. would pick
for our own goals. To have = full. busy life. crammcd
with achievement, fame, honor and power; to reach the
highest place that America can give any man, to TASTE
the fruits Of success and accomplishment to the full, anc
then to retire to private life, unburdcned by cares
conscious that fame is secure and that one has given
ones best-that. surely. sounds like the best a mar
could wish.
But ex-presidents don't ordinarily seem to feel tina
way. Wilson did not. and Roosevelt did not. and 1t Is
a fair guess that Coolidge likewise will find his retire
mcnt irkSomc after q while.
The truth of tho matter seems to be that there IS Q
pcrvcrsc twist In the human heart that makes men for
ever dissatisfied unless they are constantly being calico
upon to spend themselves to tho very limit. Much n
VIC like leisure We like ceasclcss activity far better. TIL,
happ.st men usually are the busiest.
The more capable q man Is the more this is true Of
him. So our ex-prcsidents arc not particularly to b
retirement he may begin to hold that viewpoint.
Since the first four years Is supposed to form a child
character We can report there will be no wild man
shortage.
The highest adventure the average man ever knows i
risking . ~last-ycar license plate to sec him through unit
spring.
Physical culture in this country has progressed to thu
point where very few people say "athacte.'