Evening star., 1933-01-05

plurality of 1,7O0. 1t was in that year
that the late John w. Weeks, afterWard
Secre Gary of War in the Harding and
Coolidge cabinets, yielded his seat in
the United States Senate to David 1.
Walsh, Democrat, by about the same
plurality.
Up to the time he was elected Gov
ernor, Mr.. Coolidge was scarcely known
beyond the borders of his State and not
very widely within except In the east
ern section. Then came the Boston
police strike. Whatever the merits of
the controversy as to whether the Gov
ernor received much of the credit due
to Edwin U. Curtis, the Boston police
commissioner, there is no question that
the abrupt ending of the strike through
the use of the State Guard turned the
eyes OF the country to the Governor of
Massachusetts,.
Largest GubernatoriaI Vote.
The next year Coolidge was reelected
Governor on the slogan Law and Or
der" His plurality was 125,000 and his
vote he-largest ever given a candidate
for Governor up to that time.
During his first term as lieutenant
Governor. Mr.. Coolidge formed the
friendship CT Frank w. Stearns, Boston
merchant. The latter Immediately be-
came Coolidge enthusiast, declared
the lieutenant Governor to be one of
the great men of Massachusetts, and
predicted that he would become Presi-
dent Of the United States. Mr.. Stearns
continued to champion the Coolidge
cause until his prediction was fulfilled.
He hQCanR the closest ri
and unofficial adviser of the President
and, with Mrs. Stearns, the most fire.
quent White House guest.
In 1916. Mr.. Stearns, in order to learn
more about politics. attended the Re-
publican convention at Chicago
Throughout his trip he kept urging the
name Of Mr.. 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 a possible candidate for the
Republican nomination for President.
The late Winthrop Murray Crane put
his influence behind the Governor and
Mr.. StearnS induced James B. Rey-
noldS to resign as secretary Of the Ma
tional Republican Committee to take
charge of the Coolidge campaign for
the presidential nomination.
Received Scattered Votes
The plans then were Unexpectedly
upset when Mr.. Coolidge in a statement
announced that he was not a candi-
date. In the convention, however, he
received the votes of Massachusetts, and
Vermont and a few scattering from
other States. While he never was a
serious contender for the head of the
ticket, he swept the convention for the
place as the running mate of Warren
G. Harding
As Vice President, Mr.. Coolidges
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 Harding. In
1922 he made long speaking 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. 1t
was there he received the word that
death had cut short the career of Presi-
dent Harding and thus had placed him
in the presidency.
Mr.. Coolidge probably was better
equipped by experience and knowledge
to take up his duties as Chief Executive
than any of his predecessors who had
been called to that Office by the death
Of President. He alone of all the Vice
Presidents had sat in the cabinet meet
ings, where he obtained f1rst-hand in
formation as to the varied affairs OF
the Government and the reasons which
had prompted President Harding in his
decisions on major problems, domestic
and foreign
Goodness Impressive.
1t was not surprising, therefore, that
he put his hand to the helm OF the
Ship of State with a sureneSs and cool
ness that impressed those with whom
he came in contact. His first an
nounced determination was to carry out
the policies inaugurated by Mr.. Hard
ing and, in the accomplishment OF that
task, to retain about him the advisors
who had assisted Mr.. Harding in shap-
ing those policies.
While this pronouncement was reas-
suring to the leaders Of his party, to
most of them he still was an unknown
equation. Silent Cal' he was called
So the leaders came to see him in a
steady stream, ostensibly to pay their
respects but in reality with the hope
OF learning what manner of man 1t was
VINO had sprung overnight to the
tltular leadership of their party.
What the President said to them re-
manned closed book, but signs were
not lacking that he could shed his cloak
OF reticence and talk, briefly perhaps,
put to the end Of making known his
views, definitely and conclusively. The
reaction was favorable and it was not
long before some party leaders were
mailing him as the logical Republican
candidate in 1924.
The tranquil qualities of his mind
stood Mr.. Coolidge in good stead in many
a dithcult moment during his presi-
cency. Within a few months after he
was flrst inducted into office he found
himself facing a situation in Govern
ment which might have tried the soul
OF man lacking his fundamental calm
sno belief in the unerring judgment of
the American people.
Revelations of Scandal
| Under a drive by the Senate that
| perhaps was without precedent, revela-
tions of scandal in high places rocked
the Nation. There first were disclosures
as to the conduct of the Veterans Bu-
reau under the administration OF
Charles r. Forbes, followed quickly by
a series of sensations In the investiga-
tlonS Of the naval oil leases and the
administration of the Department of
Justice under Harry NJ Daugherty.
Refusing to be stampeded even by his
own political advisers, Mr.. Coolidge met
each situation with a cool deliberation,
taking such action as In his mind would
best conserve the r,lihifr interest He