Evening star., 1933-01-05
Calvin Coolidge Rose to Highest Post
I'm Land From Start as Humble LAWYER

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scandal, and although eventually he
sent Attorney General Daugherty into
involuntary retirement, he passed no
Judgment on the Senate disclosures re-
garding the Department of Justice, re-
questing Mr.. Daugherty's resignation on
the ground that he was not competent
to pass upon what documents in his de-
partment should be submitted to the
Senate investigators.
Strengthened by Inquiry.
The Presidents enemies insisted his
hand was forced in every action he took
IN connection with the Senate revela-
tionS and that thought of his own po-
litical future dominated. On the other
hand. his friends were equally as posi-
tive in their declarations that he had
met these situations with the same
courage that he had the police strike
IN Boston, which first brought him into
national prominence.
Whatever the merits Of this contro-
versy, he emerged from the welter of
Investigations strongly entrenched in
the regard Of the people. The convic-
tion became general that Mr.. Coolidge
was man of high integrity, insisting
steadfastly on honesty In government,
and that what had transpired could
reflect no discredit upon his admins
tration since all these events had oc-
Cured before his elevation to the preSi-
dency.
Facing as he did from the outset
Congress plainly hostile, Mr.. Coolidge
encountered the most serious difficulties
in putting through any Of the major
proposals on his legislative program.
Republican insurgents, under the di-
rection of the late Senator Robert M.
La Toilette, welded their balance of
power by repeatedly lining UP their
strength with the Democrats in direct
opposition to the President.
Lacked Leaders Support.
The Chief Executive. moreover, found
little material support forthcoming from
the constituted leaders of his party in
the two Houses prior to his nomination
at Cleveland In June, 1924. This alb
sence of outspoken aid was particularly
noticeable in the Senate during all the
long days Of attacks on the administra-
ton in connection with the Senate in
vestigations. Therefore, he was obliged
to look elsewhere than to the halls OF
Congress for champions of his cause.
The immediate result was seen at The
Cleveland convention, where congress
sional leaders who had dominated party
affairs for so many years became mere
cogS in the party machinery. The
President placed his political fortunes
in the hands of his personal friends,
among them William M. Butler of Mas
sachusetts and Charles Beecher Warren
of Michigan.
without any organized opposition
having developed, Mr.. Coolidge was
nominated on the first ballot. Although
the Presidents nomination was accom-
plished in short order, a hitch developed
over the selection of his running mate,
and it was there that Mr.. Coolidge suf-
fered his only reverse Of the convention.
After former Gov. Frank o. Lowden of
Illinois had refused to accept the nom
ination as the vice presidential candi-
date, some Of the old-line leaders Of the
party blocked plan to put Herbert
Hoover on the ticket with Mr.. Coolidge,
and forced the. nomination of Charles
C. Dawes.
While Mr.. Coolidge, prior to his cleo
ton in his own right, undertook to
carry forward the policies of the
Harding administration. he centered a
great part of his own effort on the
question of economy in government. and
it was on that record that he went to
the country.
Veto of Bonus Bill.
Besides approving a measure ma
terially easing the tax burden from
which the country was suffering, Mr..
Coolidge, in carrying out his economy
program, vetoed the soldiers bonus bill
and the measure to increase the pay
of postal employees. The bonus was
passed over his veto and subsequently
the postal pay measure went through
with his approval after means of pro-
viding the revenue had been incor-
porated
Opposed in the campaign by John
w. Davis, as the Democratic nominee,
and Senator La Toilette, running as an
independent, the President remained in
Washington, making but few speeches
and left active campaigning to his
running mate. The November cleo
ton swept Mr. Coolidge back into Office,
the popular vote for the Coolidge
Dawes ticket exceeding 15,000,000-
nearly twice that given the Democratic
nominee and more than three times
as great as Senator La Follette's total.
In his inaugural address, delivered
from the east portico of the Capitol on
March 4. 1925, the President pledged
himself to continuance of his effort
to bring about greater economy in gov
ernment with view to lessening the
tax burden and to the promotion of
peace through mutual understanding
with the nations Of the world.
Helped Europe in Crisis.
AS to his foreign policies, he had
already helped Europe extricate itself
from the postwar muddle by designat-
ing Mr.. Dawes, then a private citizen,
as the American to work out a settle
ment of the vexing reparations problem
an achievement which won the ac-
claim of the world. Like his prede-
cessor, he advocated adherence to the
World Court protocol with reservations
designed to prevent American involve
ment in the League of Nations Re-
peatedly he urged Senate action to this
end.
Mr.. Coolidge had long felt that ad-
ministration should be given a chance
to catch up with legislation, in view of
the great mass of State and Federal
statutes that had been placed on the
books annually for many years. and
the program he announced after an in
tensive survey of conditions upon en-
teflng tne Wnlte House was not as
extensive as some laid down by other
Presidents. Yet he regarded it as COW
ering all essential points, and as a re-
suit of his management or the sound
ness of the policies enunciated. he could
say by the Summer of 1926 that his
program had been in a large part
achieved.
Under his leadership Congress had
set up intermediate banks for extend
ing credits to farmers and had en-
couraged the cooperative marketing
movement, but this was held entirely
inadequate by many in States of the
Middle and Northwest.
Insisted on Enforcement.
Another issue which arose in intensive
form during the 1926 session was that
of prohibition. 1t was almost continu-
ally under discussion in committees and