The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1955-07-23

firmation became reality
when a Massachusetts, Demo-
cratic Senator, David I. Walsh,
cast the deciding vote. William
Monroe Trotter along with
many of his Equal Rights pro-
tagonists signed a telegram
exhorting Walsh to vote for
Cohen, which he did and turn
ed the tide.
: COOLIDGE ELEVATED
TO PRESIDENT
The rank and file of people
in Massachusetts, including
those of color were not aware
of this outstanding political
incident. Harding died in Of
flee and was succeeded by the
then Vice President, Calvin
Coolidge. This succession to
the Office of President of the
United States was a unique
coincidence, whereby Massa-
chusettS became overnight a
greater Commonwealth than
at any time since the days
of John Quincy Adams, DAN
iel Webster, Benjamin Butler
and Wendell Phillips. We came
into the picture as a Coolidge
booster for a full term as
President.
William M. Butler and Frank
Stearns, a Boston dry-goods
merchant were appointed his
campaign managers. The
former became Chairman of
the Republican National Com
mittee, When this selection
took place, Henry Cabot Lodge |
was dethroned from Massa- I
chusetts G. o. P. leadership.
A significant event took .
place just before the Coolidge
campaign opened its full swing I
for four more years in Office
as President. Ex- Assistant At +
torney General william H. Lee
wis, a prominent Colored law
yer from Boston wrote Cool
ide letter importuning him
that he would be available to
accept an assignment on the
Coolidge bandwagon.
The President wrote back
that he would ring the bell'
If he needed him. Frank
Stearns frowned on the Lee
wis approach, which we on the
inside knew before hand he
was not in good grace with
his two fellow Alumni of Am
herst At the dictation of
Stearns. the President wrote
this unfortunate letter to Lee
wis, which opened the eyes
of the Colored electorate when
it became known. Lewis with
indignation released a state
ment that he had been touted
by the President as a bell
boy, awaiting call from
the bench. A few days later,
Lewis announced his support
of the Democratic candidate
for President, John w. Davis. /
He followed the G. o. P.
spellbinders during that cam
paign in behalf of Davis, end
ing all of his speeches, reiter-
ating that Coolidge wrote him
to await the ring of a bell". |
William Monroe Trotter, who |
had been unfriendly with Le-
wis since the days of Booker |
T. Washington, when the pail |
of water" slogan reached it's
1 climax, sympathized with Lee
wis, upbraided President Cool
idge from the standpoint that |
he had grossly insulted an
outstanding alumnus from
Harvard.
The Lewis bolt did not make
any inroads in the Coolidge
campaign to prevent his cleo
ton to full term as Presi-
dent.
Colored G. o. P. leaders
from all parts of the nation
did yeoman service to assure
certain victory. Massachusetts,
gave Coolidge a crushing plur-
ality. Boston, democratic
stronghold surprised the Bay
State electorate by looming its
popular vote for President for
Coolidge overwhelmingly. This
was a significant event that
dazzled leaders of both par
ties. The late William c. Mat
ty' Matthews acted as Colored
campaign director Hon. Os-
car DePriest, the first Con-
gresham elected from the LIST
Illinais district and the ma
ton, since the retirement of
George White; Perry Howard,
Miss, Henry Lincoln Line"
Johnson, Georgia, respectively
G. o. P. National Committee
men from those states. Robert
l.. Vann, publisher OF the
Pittsburg Courier; Halle O
Brown, Ohio; Charles Pickett.
Chicago, ILL.,, Lethia Fleming.
Ohio; Fred Moore, publisher
OF the N. Y Age, NY. Daisy
Lamkin, Pr. John Carney,
Washington, d. G., Edna Coo
dell, Massachusetts,. John w.
Schenck, Boston, Mass, we're
the Colored wheel horses who
assisted Director Matthews in
that memorable campaign