The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-01-05

Thought perhaps was farthest from
hts mind. Less than four years after
he left college he took his seat az a
member Of the common council Of
Northampton and later served two
Years as city solicitor. Next he was
appointed city clerk, but declined a
nomination to succeed himself.
Was State Legislator
A year after his marriage he was
elected to the Massachusetts House of
Representatives and near the end of
his second term was elected mayor Of
his home town. Another two years
and he was back on Beacon Hill" as
q senator, to which office he was re-
elected. It often has been said tina.
Mr.. Coolidge's public career was
shaped by q series of political acci-
dents." and because Of them he fire.
quently was referred to as Lucky
CAL"
One Of these so-called accidents &C.
Cured near the end Of his second
term as senator. Levi H. Greenwood,
who had been president of the senate.
was defeated for reelection because
Of campaign against him by the
suffragists, whom he had antagon-
lied. Hearing of Greenwood's defeat
on election night, Mr.. Coolidge took
the earliest train for Boston and by
noon Of the next day had lined up
enough party leaders to insure him
the presidency of the senate without
opposition.
It having become habit with Mr..
Coolidge to be reelected, he was chos-
en- for q second term as president OF
the senate and his 42-word speech Of
acceptance became classic in Massa-
chusetts statecraft. In that. as in his
speech Of acceptance the preceding
year, he used two phrases which came
to be regarded by his friends as his
creed: do the days work" and BE
brief"
Another step forward In the career
Of the future president that was term
ed political accident was his elec-
ton as lieutenant governor in 1915.
For more than so years no president
Of the senate had been able to ascend
higher on the political ladder, but
that did not daunt Coolidge. He was
reelected twice and during his third
term, in 1918, he was chosen governor
Of the state by plurality Of 100. It
was in that year that the late John
w. Weeks, afterwards secretary Of war
in the Harding and Coolidge cabinets,
yielded his seat in the United States
Senate to David I. Walsh. Democrat,
by about the same plurality.
Yv~ - 1an
ernor, Mr.. Coolidge was scarcely
known beyond the borders Of his state
and not very widely within except in
the eastern section. Then came the
Boston police strike. Whatever the
merits Of the controversy as to wheth-
er the governor received much Of the
credit due to Edwin u. Curtis, the
Boston police commissioner. there Is
no questioning that the abrupt ending
Of the strike through the use of the
State Guard turned the eyes of the
country to the Governor Of Massa-
chusetts.
The next year Coolidge was re-
elected governor on the slogan Law
and Order" His plurality was 125,OOO
and his vote the largest ever given a
candidate for governor up to that
time.
During his first term as lieutenant
governor, Mr.. Coolidge formed the
friendship Of Frank w. Stearns, Bos-
ton merchant. The latter immediate
~ became Coolidge enthusiast. de-
|clared the. lieutenant governor to be
one Of the great men Of Massachu-
sets and predicted that he would be-
come president of the United States.
Mr.. Stearns continued to champion
the Coolidge cause until his prediction
was fulfilled. He became the closest
personal friend and unofficial adviser
of the president and, with Mrs.
Stearns, the most frequent White
House guest.
Urged Coclidge's Name
In 1916, Mr.. Stearns in order to
learn more about politics attended the
Republican convention at Chicago.
Throughout his trip he kept urging
the name of Coolidge and insisted
that he was the best dark horse" he
had ever seen.
With the prestige that accrued to
Mr.. Coolidge because Of the Boston
police strike, some leaders turned to
him in 1920 as possible candidate
for the Republican nomination for
president The late Winthrop Muir
ray Crane put his influence behind
the governor and Mr.. Stearns in
duced James B. Reynolds to resign
as secretary of the National Republi-
can Committee to take charge of the
Coolidge campaign for the presiden-
tial nomination.
The plans then were Unexpectedly
upset when Mr.. Coolidge In a state
ment announced that he was not
a candidate. In the convention. how
ever, he received the votes of Massa-
chusetts and Vermont and few scat
tering from other states. While he
never was serious contender for
the head of the ticket. he swept the
convention for the place as the run
ming mate OF Warren G. Harding.
As vice-president, Mr.. Coolidge's
principal duty was presiding over the
senate. This he delegated to others
on Tuesdays and Fridays to permit
him to attend the cabinet meetings
at the invitation of President Hard
ing. In 1922 he made long speak
ing tour in the west to place before
the people the accomplishments Of
the Harding administration up to that
time.
After congress adjourned in March,
1923, and before President Harding
started on his long projected trip to
Alaska, Mr.. Coolidge returned to his
native Vermont to visit his father
It was there he received the word
that death had cut short the career
LOT President Harding and thus had
placed him In the presidency.
Il MIR. Coolidge probably was better
! equipped by experience and knowl.
|. edge to take up his duties as CHIEF
executive than any Of his predeces.
sors who had been called to that Of.
!. flee by the death Of president. HI
!. alone Of all the yice.preSidentS haf