Transcripts For CSPAN3 The 20240703

Good afternoon. Im Matthew Denhart president of the Calvin Coolidge president ial foundation. And on behalf of the College Foundation board of trustees, the state of vermont, the coolidge historic site, the coolidge family. It is my honor to welcome you here to Plymouth Notch for the centennial celebration, the inauguration of president coolidge. It was 100 years ago in this small village that president coolidge was sworn into office by the light of a kerosene lamp at 247 in the morning, by own father, colonel John Coolidge, many gathered last night. Well, earlier morning, as we recreated the scene, more than 100, perhaps 200 gathered to see this transfer of power recreated. We have a brief program planned today with remarks from coolidge biographer Coolidge Foundation chairman amity shlaes from vermonts 80th governor jim douglas and from members of the coolidge family, Christopher Coolidge jeter and Jennifer Coolidge harville. Then well reenact the scene at this more humane. Our hopefully will hit around 2 47 p. M. Youll have to forgive us if were a minute or two off, but first please rise and join bill wiles of castleton who will lead us in the National Anthem and in another fun, patriotic song, mr. Wales. I expect the coolidge senatorial tabernacle choir to sing with lustful voices voices. Oh, say, can you see . I saw john. He lives once proudly. We have. And thats why he lies as we rise and rise all us through a parallel spy on around us. We was was have at least three eyes are good inscribed love on spurs in k through truth on eye on our fire still and on say thomas stars. I know, yeah. And when and a lie and know that pretty lady. Oh oh oh heart ray ray. Because you all sang so well you can be seated. When the storm clouds gather our across the sea that has flood song legions to hold its free let us all be faithful to land so rare as we raise our. And our solemn cry i heard god as our oh, my, im and i of last stand beside and guide through a night with a line from afar from a mountain to a proud the is to the ocean. Why its with all oh oh on one song matter oh my, oh, sweetie. Oh, now when i think finish oh, i was married oh, my oh, sweet oh. Nicely done. Thank you, mr. Bill. Right now, the inspiration for much of our work is coolidges biographer and our foundation chairman, amity shlaes is the author of coolidge biography that appeared. It was a New York Times best seller in 2013. Please amity shlaes. Good afternoon, june. A reminder on the chronology in the 1920 president ial election, when we were still in the of world war one, senator warren of ohio and governor Calvin Coolidge of nasa josephs were elected president and Vice President , respectively. This centennial week is also a sad week because its the week when we the passing of president harding august two, Vice President coolidge was right here in plymouth on vacation. His home and birthplace, when he acceded to the presidency in the night of august three, coolidge served hardings term. He won election on his own and handily. In 24, and he left office in 29 after his one elected term. So i like to welcome cspan viewers, this audience and go over some more details of coolidges arrival and departure, the office of the presidency, these. Two stories, the beginning and the end, are kind of like bookends to the book that was coolidges bookshelf. That was coolidge swing going in and deciding to run again in 27. Thats when he made the decision. The book ends. Tell us something about the nature of the coolidge presidency. Its utility for us and why he won so handily in 1924, when coolidge run. So you commence with the homestead inauguration we are honoring in Plymouth Notch which and you know Plymouth Notch then was even more isolated than it is now. Oh, no train came here. The town not really wired. The coolidges did everything here. The town was called plymouth Plymouth Notch, but it also could have been called tocqueville and it was a very tradition, American Family of the kind captured by tocqueville very american town in the same way. So the president passed away. Telegrams went to nearby bridgewater, and a man in bridgewater came running over to knock on the coolidge door. And father coolidge, also known as colonel coolidge, got the news called up the stairs, as youll see in the re enactment. There was no Important Supreme Court justice here to swear in a new president. So coolidge and his father consulted, the constitution. And they decided his father was a notary, could swear him in the son to the presidency by the authority of a no, no, no. He and father john. Colonel john did swear in his son after a prayer, they brought a bible for the swearing in by coolidge. I am told, did not put his hand on the bible that was not the family or the vermont way at that time. People apparently asked father john, who told you you could do this, that just a notary could do this . And well, father replied, nobody told me i couldnt. Oh, well, that line is very american. And i, under the 10th amendment, all power is not delegated to the federal government. I reserve to the states or to the people. So the people swore in calvin it. This is important not just because it was it was unusual because reflected. What we discovered was that quality of the presidency of coolidge. And he rode down the train to rutland. He became president and he served as a consort to two generally rigorous president. That is, he led with restraint and respect for the other two branches, he believed framers did not seek an ever larger government. So as president coolidge held the line on spending, you know that when he left office the government was smaller than when he came in. Coolidge believed the framers didnt want the federal government to be burdened by debt. Hed seen what our study of what Alexander Hamilton had done with president s in particular president washington. And so coolidge brought the debt down by one third. He the framers didnt want heavy taxation after our revolution was partially over over taxation. And so coolidge cut taxes as president he who holds american citizenship is the peer of kings. Coolidge and he actually believed that. And practiced that the people liked it when coolidge did run for election in 1924 it was a three way race usually at three way race means somebody wins by applause. First past the post right. This was a strong three way race. The third party, the party, the progressive, took more than 16 of the popular vote. Coolidge nonetheless won by an absolute majority very rare. He beat the other two parties combined. Thats how much americans trusted him. Now im going to come to the second bookend, the closing of the presidency, summer of 1927, the parallel to this event, coolidge established a summer white house in south dakota in the black nurse black hills, very near where the sculptor godson borglum was getting ready to cut into the granite and sculpt the busts of president s washington, jefferson, lincoln and theodore. Presidency was. Therefore, on everybodys mind, including for that was the summer he had to decide whether he run for a second elected term. Everyone thought he were would coolidge was coolidge was so popular if you can imagine this dr. Borglum even suggested in print that somehow coolidge go up on rushmore. Well, this is a fact we find astounding. Coolidge ranks 24 in the cspan poll and lower in some other polls, but it gives you a sense for how loved coolidge and his policies were. And of course, his party was aching for him to run. They imagine coolidge will have long coattails. Well, coolidge did ride up to rushmore on. A horse named mistletoe. And he did bless the rushmore parade jack probably ambivalently because it involved spending federal money but around that time he also did something else. One day in early august, and he was marking this anniversary he handed out to reporter reporters a piece paper that said, i do not choose to run for president in 1928. Well the reporters could not believe it. They fastened on the ambiguity. I do not choose to run well. Maybe if someone picked coolidge, he would run. No, no. He meant what he said. And it is out of biography. He tells us why he did not run when he could. He said. It wouldnt honor america if he stayed in office. The chances of why is in baseball Public Service increased by a change in the president ial office after a moderate length of time. Its good to have a president who doesnt think of himself as a king, who serves rather than rules, coolidge said. Its a great advantage to a president and a great saved to the country for a president to know he is not a great then through these events, the opening book in which we mark today, the closing bookend coolidge was sending america message even a modern president in the era of cars and telephones can act like the framers and the framers style of operation can work in the modern world. After all, voters liked his traditional. They saw how he applied them and they elected him on his own in that dramatic. 1924 fashion. I think coolidge is demonstration of the validity of old constitutional principle in the modern world is his greatest gift to us. At the Coolidge Foundation weve sought to. Share this with younger people so they can make up their own mind and study whether. We should bring these principles to life again. There are 100 Young Americans here watching coolidge senators. Theyll make up their minds. Meantime, many of us here, many of the welcome guests, hope that the coolidge style of governing will be marked just today in a ceremony for 100 years to come. Thank you. Thank you, amity. Our next speaker is vermonts former governor, the idiot of vermont, jim douglas, who will share with us thoughts on the inspiration that coolidge provides leaders. Governor douglas. May i thank you so much. I want to thank you. And amity our ceo, for your leadership of the Calvin Coolidge president ial foundation. I also wanted to thank rejoice sherry, the site director here for the vermont for historic preservation. Colonel, not colonel, but Calvin Coolidge, your son, john donated most of this property, the state, many decades ago. You also founded a private foundation in memory of his dad, and that Public Private Partnership Continues to work day in and day out to preserve the legacy of our 30th president. You know, the more i learned about Calvin Coolidge, the more impressed i become. I guess thats because i think hes relevant to our political discourse today. I think back to what was going on in the 1920s and how coolidge responded to the challenges of that time during the eight years of the harding and coolidge administrations, the federal debt declined every year. There was a restraint in spending. As he oversaw the federal budget with a fine tooth comb, he lowered the taxes, the top marginal rate of the personal income tax declined during those years. He valued entrepreneurship. Remember, he talked about the fact that the chief business of america is business. He was an egalitarian. He spoke eloquent eloquently about the tremendous contributions that blacks soldiers made during the recent world war, evaluating causality. Earlier this morning welcomed the dozen new americans at a naturalization ceremony just a few steps from here and coolidge said on numerous occasions that the strength of our country is its and we welcome from different lands, different cultures, different races, different creeds all to become part of the family. But perhaps most of what i admire about coolidge is his civility. I think about what we hear today in our political world and i remember coolidge speaking once about why he abhorred negative campaigning. He said, i always thought it more useful to explain why i could be hired than by the other candidates not to be. I havent heard that come the world of american politics. He reached across the aisle. He was someone who wanted to engage members of the u. S. House and senate regardless of their political persuasion. He had them on often over to the white house and plied them with griddle cakes and vermont maple sirup. Earlier today, we heard about about coolidges to the American Legion in omaha, his presidency, and explain how having different ideas is. Okay. Its natural that not american holds the same view on every issue of public policy. Just because we have different of view doesnt mean that anyone is wrong. But he explained that the strength of our american political system is the fermentation of ideas when different thoughts are put forward, debated, discussed, he said. If we all agreed on everything all the time, or if we only listen to those with whom we agree, that would lead to paralysis. So when i hear the course and in civil discourse that we have and politics today, i think back a hundred years to a different a simpler time. A place like Plymouth Notch. And although Calvin Coolidge may have been inaugurated, 100 years ago today, he is unquestionably a man for our time. So on the centennial of his inauguration, i hope well remember his humility i hope well remember the modest man from this hamlet who became the leader, the free world. America could certainly use Calvin Coolidge today. Thank you very much. Thank you, governor douglas, for those thoughts. And for your own example, in the coolidge tradition. Weve been blessed to work with the coolidge family here Plymouth Notch to preserve this site, to make it available to guests. Share the coolidge legacy, whether that means artifacts on display, help with research, or showing up at 247 in the morning to reenact something that happened 100 years ago. We thank the coolidge family for their partnership and their of the president s legacy. Were privileged today to hear from first, Christopher Coolidge, jeter, president and great school jazz, great grandson who will share of president. Chris. Well, here we are at the Centennial Anniversary of Calvin Coolidge becoming president. In some ways, it feels like the celebration for the 75th anniversary was just ten years ago. I dont know how many of you maybe its not a few of you that were around. And here 25 years ago. But yeah, it doesnt feel like it was 25 years ago. But one of the special things you time has does have a way of passing by. But however, one of the special things about this historic is that time seems stand still with things pretty much like the way they were 100 years ago. I think back to the numerous times coming up to plymouth to visit with my grandparents. In the summer, i would sometimes assist liza huskisson, who here at the homestead, greeting visitors at the entrance and punching their tickets as they entered. My grandfather John Coolidge, the surviving son of the president had a great command of the english language. He always seemed to have the right words at the right moments. I imagine that trait was due in part to his father, who was also skilled in communication despite reputation for brevity. Another trait that these two men had in common was keeping a low profile. Neither one sought the spotlight or desired any special attention. I recall a time when i was assisting my grandfather, tidying up around the family gravesite. Just down the road from here a visitor stopped by and assuming we were cemetery curator, akers commented that it must be quite honor for us to care for a president ial gravesite. We agreed it was and just kept on working. And in my opinion, Calvin Coolidge his character was, one of his strongest qualities. Some of his character and values were shaped by his parents and grandparents and his childhood. Some formed later in life during his years of Public Service. He left us with many notable quotes. Here are a few them that can be present. Coolidges character. His memories as a young boy of his own father. The lines he laid out were true and st the curves regular. The work he did endured, if there was any physical required hints of country life which he could not perform. I do not know what it was from watching him and assisting him. I gained an intimate of all this kind of work. His reflections on the presidency. It is a great advantage. A president and a major source of safety to the country. For him to know that he is a great man. When a man begins to feel that is the only one who can lead in this republic. He is guilty of treason to the spirit of our institutions. And. Lastly, regarding his decision not to run again for president 1928. Re commented we draw president s from the people. It is a wholesome thing for them to return to the people. I came from them. I wish to be one of them again. This is governor douglas. Just pointed out characters still much needed. These days. Although Calvin Coolidge in his final years commented that he no longer fit with the times. It would be good to have a few calvins around today. Thank you. Of course, many point out that calvin may well never have become president were it not for a wonderful decision he made as a young man to marry grace and a goodhew born of burlington, vermont, who became the first lady and certainly was that that special magic behind Calvin Coolidge for reflections on grace coolidge, please welcome her great granddaughter Jennifer Coolidge harville. Thank you. Good afternoon. For almost a quarter of a century, she borne with my infirmities and i have rejoiced in her graces. Thats a quote from Calvin Coolidge. It was in this product poetic fashion that president Calvin Coolidge described his wife first lady grace coolidge. My great grandmother indeed was a clever and extraordinary woman. Great graces service, her family and country earned esteem of her contemporaries and contributed in an important way, important ways to the many achievements president coolidge secured for the American People. Grace anna goodhue was born on january the third, 1879, in burlington vermont. A graduate of the university of vermont. Grace was the first lady to complete college. After college, grace to northampton, massachusetts to train as the teacher the deaf at the clarke school. It was in no northampton that grace met my great grandfather, calvin. After a brief courtship, the two married on october the fourth 1905 at the home. Graces parents in burlington. My great grandparents had a strong and loving bond about their marriage. Calvin wrote the plain facts and quote were that he and grace thought were made for each other. Calvin and grace welcomed their first son, john, my grandfather, in september 1906. Their second son, calvin jr, arrived in april 1908. Grace took primary responsibility for raising the two boys. Her devotion allowed calvin to pursue his career in law and politics, which eventually led to the white house. Grace lived the american suffrage movement. She voted in the First National election even when where women the franchise. It must have been a special thrill to see her husbands name on 1920 ballot as candidate, Vice President and at this point i want to forward to what were about to do today. Were going to do the 100th reunion document of the swearing in of our 30th president after the death of president harding. So i wanted to just say a word about president. When i have played the part of grace in past years, ive worn my present day clothing because i didnt really know you were so. So i would just wear, you know, skirt, a blouse. And then i decided to vote for the second for this 100th anniversary. How can we bring her essence and her clothing back to the actual swearing in . So i had to a little bit of research. I had read droid story, the site administrator helped me and we sat and we found some descriptions and prints and she sent me a sewing pattern for some of the dresses back in the 1930s and forties. And then i had a good who sews and i had her make this dress for me and the resemblance was. Anyhow, she had to put something aunt really quickly because. She was called out of the call about very quickly the parlor to for the in so she couldnt get too dressed up when the coolidges arrived. The white house. Grace expected the furnishings to reflect its previous residence, and it saddened her to find so little original furniture at graces request. Congress passed a joint resolution to authorize people to historical gifts to recognize the president s house as a functioning museum. The white house green room was refurbished under this plan. Primary graces duties were serving hostess in chief. She expressed pleasure at serving in this role. No in no sense does it overwhelm me, she wrote to her. Pi Theta Phi Sorority sisters. Rather, does it inspire to increase my energy . And i am so filled with a desire to measure up to this god given task that i can almost feel strength poured into me. As first lady. Grace was always accessible. She enjoyed brisk, brisk morning walks around washington. She was an icon of fashion, but also very down to earth. She had a passion for americas favorite pastime, earning the nickname the first lady of baseball. And that would be the red sox, of course. Grace also love keeping many pets, including dogs, cats and birds. A raccoon, rebecca said one year to be part of the coolidges thanksgiving meal, but was in a stuffed instead adopted as a family pet in grace. The American People saw a first lady and indeed a first family to whom they could relate. The first lady outlived the president nearly a quarter of a century. Grace spent her golden years in northampton, dedicating herself to her community and family. She served as president of the board of the clark school for nearly 20 years. She especially spending time with her son, john and his wife florence and her granddaughters, cynthia and lydia. My mother, whom she lovingly referred to as her precious four, following her death in 1957, the New York Times described grace as, warm, outgoing, understanding, and wrote that calvin not have picked a brave bride who would more successfully fill that role of first lady . Calvin, indeed, was blessed to have grace as we celebrate the son tennille of the coolidge presidency. Maybe you remember grace recalled the service and contribution sense of this remarkable first lady. Calvin. Moment is approaching when we will recreate the scene . Of course, it happened again at 2 47 a. M. On the morning of august 3rd, 1923, 100 years ago. Well have a very brief change of set, but please, where you are. Very brief. And then we will begin a reenactment. I now invite those on the podium to emma. You can have a seat down here and three actors. The governor will be playing colonel john, the father. Jennifer will be playing grayskull legend. Chris will be playing calvin. You can go ahead and wait here. Okay. Now well change the. Drapes. And i. Think. Thats. All right. This is my retirement. Oh, yeah. Just fine. Is next. First. Line near. This one. Yeah. The. Music. Yeah. Yes. Okay. I now like, invite the cast up onto the porch of the home set. To sing this way. Now, id like to introduce our. A relation of grace coolidge, syndicated columnist and good friend cal thomas. Thank you, matthew. Please hold your applause. Thank you very much. All right. So you didnt take much encouragement. All right, so just inside the homestead, the quiet transition in our countrys leadership took place on the night of august 2nd. The third, 1923. What happened . And who was there . Lets meet the cast of characters. Vice president calvin and his wife, grace goodhue, coolidge and the visiting coolidge is father John Coolidge. Since eight and were planning to leave next day to visit friends in New Hampshire and massachusetts. Those also present the evening of second into the early hours of august. Third included u. S. Porter dale erwin geiser coolidges stenographer joseph fountain, 22 year old editor of the springfield reporter, also a representative of the associated press, joseph mcinerney, coolidges chauffeur and Winfred Perkins, who we will meet in a moment. Heres the story. President Warren Harding had been traveling took sick and died about 7 30 p. M. Pacific time on august 2nd at the palace hotel in, san francisco. President secretary George Christian sent a telegram with a news to the White River Western Union office in woodstock, vermont vermont. At 11 30 p. M. Nellie perkins, who was operating the telephone switchboard at her home in bridgewater, received a phone call with the news that president harding had died. Mrs. Perkins or mr. Burton . Sorry, wrote down the telegram message and immediately her husband Winfred Perkins dressed immediately and drove with the message to Plymouth Notch, about nine miles away. Around midnight, mr. Perkins arrived at the coolidge. Urging president to call the. Mr. Perkins not loudly on the door. Woke up John Coolidge and. But whats all this commotion . A nation going on at the tower. But harding resigned. So her husband sneaked back. Thank you, mr. Perkins. Think calvin. Over 11. I was awakened by my coming up the stairs, calling my name. I noticed that his voice trembled as the only times id ever observed that before were when death had visited our family. I it was something of the greatest nature had just occurred. He must have also been moved by the thought, the many sacrifices he had made to place me where i was in the hope that i might sometime rise to a position of importance, which he now saw realized he placed on my hands an official report that president harding had just passed away. My wife and i at once dressed before leaving the room, i knelt down and asked to bless the American People and give me power to serve them. Irwin geiser, the coolidges stenographer, and joseph mcinerney, coolidges chauffeur, were staying in bridgewater at freemans boardinghouse. They heard the news and drove to plymouth. The Vice President s pierce, sarah arriving just after winfield perkins. Coolidge prepared the text of a telegram to be sent to mrs. Harding. The telegram said, we offer you our deepest sympathy. May god bless and keep. Reports reporters arrived in Plymouth Notch. Coolidge dictated a statement to American People typed by geiser geiser. Reports have reached me, which i fear are correct. The president harding is gone. The world has lost a great and man. I mourn his loss. He was my chief and friend. It be my purpose to carry out the policies which he has begun for the service of the American People and for meeting their response abilities wherever they may arise. For this purpose, i shall seek the cooperation of all those who have been associated with the president during his term of office. Those who have given their efforts to assist. I wish to remain in office that. They may assist me. I have faith that god direct the destinies of our nation. It is my intention to remain here until i can obtain the correct form for the oath of office which will be administrated to me by my father, who is a notary public. If that will meet the necessary requirement, i expect to leave for washington during the day. The president s statement was handed out to reporters on the scene. The reporters rushed away to ludlow and other neighboring towns to file stories. But young joe thornton, representing the springfield reporter and associated press, arrived a bit later and decided would remain in plymouth to see what might happen next. Thornton was joined by u. S. Congressman porter dale. Mr. Coolidge. The country is without a president. You should take the oath this evening. Congressman dale is campaigning for the u. S. Senate at the time. Upon arriving, he urged coolidge to take the oath of office away. Calvin coolidge walked over to the general store and placed call on the store phone to consult attorney general Harry Dougherty on proceeding for taking the oath of office. Meanwhile, colonel John Coolidge had located the words of the oath of office of the United States constitution, a copy of which was kept in the family home. Mr. Geiser typed out the oath on three strips of paper that were later signed by present. Well, calvin. Just raise your right hand and repeat after me. I calvin. I calvin. Coolidge. Do solemnly swear. Do solemnly swear. That i will faithfully execute that. I will faithfully execute the office of president of. The United States. The office of president of the United States. And will to the best of my. And will to the best of my ability. Preserve, protect and, defend, preserve, protect and defend. The constitution of the United States. The constitution of the United States. So help me god to. Colonel affixed his notary seal on each copy. At 2 47 a. M. Calvin coolidge became the 30th president of the United States, the only president to be sworn in by his father. After taking the oath, the president and first lady went back to bed. The next morning. Calvin and grace arose at 6 45 a. M. Calvin visited his mothers grave, and the last