Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-22
COOLIDGE DISTRICT
HOLLY CONTESTED
National Party Pride and
Prestige Real Issue in
Present Campaign.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

In this campaign the one most hard
AIS in the country is the one officially
known as the second Massachusetts, "
but more easily identified by the public
as the one in which a voter named
| Calvin Coolidge will cast his ballot Be-
cause ex-President Coolidge lives in the
| district is one of the reasons both par
ties are making q point Of pride to
| carry it.
Into this district both the Republican
| and the Democratic National Commit
tees will send larger number of ma
tlonally known speakers than into any
other. Probably the two parties will
spend more money to organize and get
the vote out in this district than in any
| other. The Republicans already tell fab
ulous stories about the sums alleged to
have been sent into the district by the
Democrats. AS to themselves, the Re-
publicans claim virtuously that they
are raising all their money within the
district and admit they are raising as
/ much as they can. AS to all these
stories about quantities and sources of
money the writer of this dispatch
knoweth naught. That both parties,
nationally and locally, have something
Ike an obsesSion about Carrying this one
district there is no doubt at all.
Prestige Is at Stake.
Whichever candidate is elected will
have only one vote in Congress. It is
the prestige CT the thing that is at
stake. Some of the reasons for the ar
dent desire of each party lies in the
history OF the district. Historically 1t is
Republican. 1t lies In the west central
part OF the State. 1t includes cities,
counties and towns with typical Mass
achuSetts names: Springfield, North
ampton, Hampden, Agawan, Amherst,
Aaoley, South Hadley. For years upon
district. From it one of Massachusetts,
most distinguished Republicans, Fred
erlck II. Gtllett, was elected to the
House In 1892. Sixteen times without
interruption he was reelected, becom-
Ing, toward the end of his long service
Speaker. When Mr.. GilIett was elevated
70 the Senate in 1924 the district con-
tinued to be Republican.
In the last regular congressional cleo
lon, Two years ago, in 1923, the Re-
pu0IcanS elected their candidate nv
8,787 votes out of a total of ss 0oo
Signs Of approaching change. however
were seen in the fact that in the same
election former Gov. Alfred Smith. as
the Democratic candidate for President
carried the district by 400 votes.
Wildly Acclaimed.
Some 10 months ago the Republican
incumbent in the House died, and last
February a special election was held to
choose his successor. In that special
election the Democrats, for the first
Time since almost the memory Of man
runneth not to the contrary. carried
the district, electing William J. Gran
held by about 1000 votes That outcome
made almost a Nationwide sensation.
Newspapers all over the country drew
lessons from it, most Of the lessons be-
ing ominous to the Republican party.
In Congress, the Democrats cheered it
as sign of what they claimed
would happen elsewhere and generally
throughout the country in the coming
| election November 4.
Under these conditions, in the present
campaign the Democrats renominated
their successful Granfield. The Repub-
leans put forward an especially strong
candidate, business man living in the
district. Joshua l.. Brooks, who has
never held office before, but has been
conspicuous and much esteemed for
services in wide variety of public ac-
| tivities. Between Democratic Granfield
ana Republican Brooks, between local
/ Democratic organization and local Re-
publican organization with help to both
sides from the respective State and ma
tional organizations Of both parties, the
| contest RACES.
Many matters are put forward as is
sues. Actually, the largest issue is ma
| tlonal party pride and prestige. The Re-
pupllcanS want to get back a district
which has been theirs for generations.
The Democrats want to carry once
more district which is historically Re-
publican, which contains the home of
the only living former President, Re-
publican Calvin Coolidge. and which
contains Amherst and Smith Colleges.
Republicans Handicapped.
The Republicans suffer in this dis
trict handicap which is common to
them throughout Massachusetts,. In
| Massachusetts this year many of the
richest and otherwise most elevated
Republicans are wet. Since the DEM
J ocratic party in the State is conspicu-
ously wet such Republicans rather
hope for Democratic victory. One re-
suit Is that what are ordinarily the
best sources of campaign funds for the
Republicans in Massachusetts are dried
up.
Republican asset is the character
and ability of their candidate, Joshua
L. Brook, and the esteem in which
he is held. He says the issues are two:
First the situation confronting BUSH
ness" and, second, prohibition" His
utterances on both issues are balanced,
restrained, and more of sort to ap-
peal to reason than to emotion As
to the business situation, he says II
cannot be cured by any simple po-
litical remedy" but. rather, by steadily
increasing the purchasing power Of the
great masses of the people" AS to
prohibition. he says: Neither the rad.
ical drys nor the extreme vets will
ever solve the problem. New formulas
and a new method of approach are
needed. The proposal made by Dwight