classmates or teachers of the teachers at the hillsdale college but i wish i had known of this college. calvin coolidge was our last classically educated president and he would have found comfortable here...

>> the new deal historians have their work cut out for them. coolidge proceeded over there one of the largest expansions of economic growth in american history. and he had a lot to say. he gave over 500 press conferences during his presidency and ran for office 19 times and won 18 working his way of a city councilman to president and the of his state's. truly a republican statesman. the last president to write his own speeches and penn three collections and published a thoughtful autobiography after his presidency, and rhoda of successful syndicated presidential column for a my book "why coolidge matters"

is to report what coolidge had to say and what he did say in the hope we might restore his view about limited government, american independence and constitutionalism. his thinking of immigration, a civil-rights, for policy policy, government unions and liberal education warrant considerable education -- attention by people today. this is because he was a deeply religious man and did not think a republic was possible without moral and religious education. and he believed the holy writ command you shall know the truth and it shall set you free ought to be the guiding principle in all educational system as well as our republic. america he argued was founded by religion the finest schools were succeeded because it would shape souls as well as opinions. and as we know great presidents are products of their education, coolidge knew the value of education because his political fallout was shipped at am

cursed under the tutelage of the famous professor charles garmin, coolidge learned everything he needed to know about politics. he was called the greatest teacher in the united states and coolidge love jimmy he dedicated six pages of this autobiography and after he died he said garmin works out on his table to drop the presidency along with paradise lost in the bible. he remarked one of the most remarkable men he had ever come in contact and garmin students saw in him qualities they wish to develop and themselves as intellectual curiosity and tolerance and idealism and some students did develop those in abundance into which drew upon these men to draw upon the government the ambassador to mexico

mexico, morrow, secretary of commerce whiting and attorney-general and later supreme court justice. never philosophically and perhaps physically far from the professor lecture coolidge never forgot them were opposed their political teachings ian believe that choosing the right things would refresh the soul and sharpen the mind and bring just reward from providence in the here and now. we looked upon an garmin as a man who walked with god his course was a demonstration of the existence of a personal god in the power to know him and the differing eminence and complete dependence of of the universe on him as the creator and father of whom we live in move and have his being. every reaction is a manifestation of his presence. man was revealed as is said and nature the head of his. >> host: team.

we're all embraced in the common brotherhood the conclusions that have fallen were logical and inescapable and it sets man often a separate kingdom from all other creatures in the universe to make them a true son of god and protector of the divine nature. this is a demonstration of the quality and it does not assume all equal in degree but in kind. on that precept arrest a foundation for democracy that cannot be shaken. this is a theme coolidge would return to over and over again from his political career in presidency. most important garmin top the religious basis for republican government. reasoning as we have a common fatherhood, a father in god the father ritter brothers only republican government is possibly lough and men should live together in community as servants and not masters in politics does

not mean survival of the fittest the sacrifice and then giving up their seats on the titanic so women and children might live. and essential teachings of the declaration of independence that all men are created equal me to be applied to the issues of his day as well as to our own. coolidge applied garmin ids time and again to issues of civil rights for black, native american, women coming immigration to make them american and the impossibility of public-sector unions where all are created equal. even to foreign policy were he rejected the pretension to roll the men and women of europe and his first fight with the bolshevist who he refused to recognize as the rightful rulers of russia and even if his were controversial acts. the immigration act of 1924, is really progressivism have his

thinking on the declaration. to defend it coolidge new he would have too politically defeat those of his day, the klan, eugenicists, communist and the anarchist whose campaign is similar to that what took place earlier this week. coolidge did this by understanding that man has a spiritual nature and those who in here to it will also be tried don't fit in moments of despair. "texas spiritual nature it will respond as a response to the poll. the most spiritual document was a declaration. calling to his belief of divine intervention use highly religious language when discussing it and it was a miracle inspiring a reverence to help bring programs of every nation to america's shores and people at home and abroad who was it considered independence hall a hallowed ground as a

sacred relic the symbols represent a spiritual event and america had become a holy land. a understand that hillsdale students read his speech the anniversary of the declaration signing but might favor a speech is the one that you read at the home of daniel webster july 4, 1960 -- 1916 although some of his language may sound neocon he would have agreed with john quincy adams well americans are friends of liberty but they are custodians of their own but he thought our principles could have the expression of the other regime and with that i will read a short selection from that speech. >> the events of history may have added to the declaration but they have subtracted nothing. wisdom and experience have strengthened the admiration

and time and chris is a have negative shaken but however worthy of our reverence and admiration it was only one incident of a great forward movement of the human race of which the american revolution was only a larger incident. not so much a struggle of the colonies against bad government as wrong principles of government and it was me and realizing himself. coolidge would go one, the realization persisted through time to touch all men souls as a moose on to paris, london, of moscow and men of every mark the entry of new forces into human affairs and it represented the realization of the true glory and worth of man and encouraged by that man would bring press changes that would bar call history of the day.

man's triumph it progress has consideration of natural right but as he reminds us it is not sufficient to live by. as coolidge reminded the audience the preservation of natural rights is an understanding of duty in politics and the signers knew that well but more important still then he represented so he did dustoff there after surging man was to stand in the universe with a new and supreme importance they tried to ensure like the liberty the pursuit of happiness did not shrink from the logical conclusion of this doctrine and true republican men see it as a sacrifice not survival of the fittest. this runs deep in his writings the first ever speech they all mention it and he continued to return to the declaration because

it was a product of religion and education the twin support of civilization for a zero to the episcopalian sunday school teacher in 1927, the foundations of our society and government rest on the teachings of the bible it would be difficult to support them if they would cease to be universal in our country and coolidge called for a religious revival in his day and even in our own. and as concerned as they are tom and should've they need to be universal for america's republic to injure. he was nonsectarian so some of the finest speeches were given to group -- jewish and catholic groups that would not agree with his orientation but he did think religion was important to be a full and equal citizen and we can deduce man's natural quality for reason and

revelation to go about instituting said government were men served one another. on this point* to which quoted the theologians of the founding am particularly john white who wrote democracy is the government of church and state and according to coolidge had been declared nothing less than a textbook of liberty for a revolutionary father's they believe the ultimate sanction of law rest on the righteous authority of the almighty. i argue the religious faith in his education is what prevented his mind from succumbing to progressivism successes. have the national education association of 1924 the cornerstone of self-government and while they keep them inoculated from dictatorship because

price spent note time in the chamber of caesar but if god that which is his would keep america, american after all religion has strong ties to life and history and it needed to be cultivated "or government less upon religion he to the boy scouts of america. it is a source from which we derived reverence for truth and justice equality and liberty in the rights of mankind. the one group said coolidge to doubt believe could seriously the you republic didn't -- republican citizens were atheists because they did not recognize something higher than themselves. even those who were with savages the religion's influence was in force for the elimination and advancements. he gives a thoughtful speech at howard university where he notes the progress of

blacks effectively from slavery and to be full and equal citizens of the united states. is a possible to have this as hall as africa and elsewhere throughout the world? and in his view it breaks down all barriers of race or culture and replaces it was concern for the universal. new arrivals can be americanized if they keep up their devotion to religion and immigration only becomes dangerous when people lose faith. he appeared as the country grew less religious our civilization might be lost with dependence on government cannot depend on government to do the work of religion because there is no way by which we can substitute the authority of law to the virtue of man. trying to get a government to save souls rather than

protect rights trusted them to save themselves for churches would ultimately of lead to tyranny this is why coolidge broke with the progressives who held that progress of modern science meant political science and the overall quality of life. this argument but under turgid the belief that he was at the catholic'' college holy cross and we have no right to experience something different than the past and the constitution does not change and the human nature is constant. but the study of the classics which speak to me and it's human nature have existed throughout the ages to teach important lessons to mankind and he comes to the study of the classics because they realize the

only road to freedom lies to the knowledge of truth. but his love of knowledge is something especially conservative ought to consider taking on for themselves and to which is right that every political party needs to be progressive rather than reactive but how do we define progress? reading coolidge may give people a good place to start. his confidence in progress according to the declaration of independence paid political dividends from blacks and jews and many others in went anywhere to evangelize and give this a message and politicians should avoid the politics of expediency but stick to principles. perhaps contemporary politicians should do to read his speech on the declaration of independence. it is often asserted that

the world has made it great to the progress since 1776 new thoughts and experiences which have given us a great it and therefore we've made discard for the hideous something greater pressure if all men are created equal that is fine -- but not if they are endowed with inalienable rights but if they bring their just powers from the consent of the government that despite all those fans are progress can be made beyond these. if anyone wishes to deny the truth or the sound of the sea on the direction in which he can proceed is directly is backward to the time when there was no ecology no rule of the people with those of us cannot claim to congress but they're not more modern.

>> with that i will take questions. [applause] i and stand there is a lot of questions about coolidge and what people think may be wrong but you can ask anything you want on coolidge and i will try my best to answer it. >> how well supported was he by his own political party? he came in as a vice president under assassination conditions conditions, did he have full support? >> warren it g. harding was not assassinated but he died. of but to give you a sense coolidge was very popular in

massachusetts and not necessarily popular among the big waves of the party convention. in 1920 when though harding kulich ticket formed, he was seen as a dark horse and he was not popular by the people in the smoke-filled room. but but it was similar to the police strike it he rejected the idea that police officers could have a loyalty to union as public servants and that the response of calling in the national guard, restoring order was very popular in the country as a whole and that is what catapulted him. he was very popular among different groups and tear word for those who uncrossed

lyons is a yes to guess what they're rich telling them what to do but coolidge spoke to the irish as though but that those that did that do appear job so coolidge of us his success is due not to being on the doors but to answer more generally used very popular among the party faithful, from those leaders of the republican party by it is interesting when i go into some length of this on the boat. i ayrshire what blame who

legend ash for the free-market grounds and said for six years that man has given me unsolicited advice as the commerce secretary and all of it has been bad and we constantly referred to him as a wonderful play and as he rides the post he criticizes the note -- notion of government during the hoover administration he doesn't have to wait until the id ministration of fdr. so it is interesting to note that coolidge period much understood republican politics and he had to he started as a city councilman and worked his way up and not one taint of corruption or is this thing you would expect from those mayors -- marine politicians of our day.

>> i don't know if that helps. >> he was known to get rid of the beefy toe to get rid of the pork barrel spending in the public to him as an example where politicians should go to day but many have the ickes circumstances different from the 1920's so would it be possible to get a president a ruthless budget cutters like coolidge was? >> this is where i part company with my friend emily chalets and i believe coolidge budget cutting policies were the fruits of more serious thinking about government. for instance i believe he

was in favor of limited government rather than more libertarian small government and it helps to imagine in 1920 when the harding coolidge ticket gets then, like defense spending and by using the veto pen to have no responsibility to make sure it doesn't grow too much because if it goes outside its bounds it obviously does cory and coolidge social security, medicare the programs that make but they opposed in the same way.

but he was a chance to put that as the politicians should consider during his time i knew the local government very, very well and we had to consider whether the policies or principles that would be effective at the local government level? but i think it is larger than the bounds of what is permissible at the federal level and we should be mindful and consider it. >> could you clear up the point* that it is not clear to me in your presentation

about the connection between religion, religious freedom come on the one hand and a declaration of independence on the other. i thought what you were saying was that natural rights which are in the declaration don't seem to be sufficient for coolidge so he also appeals to religion so is that appeal oxide of for external to the declaration so that it is sufficient? >> i don't think he would go that far. said edges as a document with the great awakening thinking that it is working in tandem and not quite, the declaration of independence is a spiritual document is it sectarian?

that is a larger question and does it to natural rights, can a non judeo-christian actually be a loyal and faithful service and? pooley did not take up that issue. can we be republican citizens? he did not quite address that overnight and he does not see a division that we think of today with religion or the teaching of revelation and the declaration and sees them as being joined at the head. >> you spoke earlier about

his views on education in terms of citizenship and sydney to teach to emigrate to the u.s. but in light of bill that is in congress can you touch on his philosophy what type of immigration the u.s. should pursue? >> one of the more controversial lacks is the immigration act of 1924 that set quotas on the number of immigrants that come to the united states. i defend to this very unpopular bill in the book on the grounds what coolidge understood is there are certain types of people who can come to america to assimilate and some cannot. he believed perhaps some of the more bolshevist inspired from eastern europe could not become full citizens. that question is something

we as conservatives need to think about. there are certain things, when he was talking about your region americans to become full and equal citizens that is a different sort of immigrant then someone from chechnya. that is something we as conservatives need to redress and think seriously about reform policy were linked but did not think of it in racial terms particularly with the secretary of labor he rejected that eugenics' thinking and he had positive things about japanese-americans which i go into detail in the book so he thought sir nation's could be made and some could not and a lot of the policies around immigration

that some groups while sen knock -- some could assimilate others could not and at the same time he pushes that bill he also makes an act of native american citizens to join their tribes to fuse the populations into the american whole while they are restricting immigration he also calls for federal a bill that outlaws lynching because he argues states' rights don't give you the right to do wrong. it is a more complicated picture but i dunno what he would have thought of the current immigration debate today i can tell you i think we need to have more of this this had to remake people americans rather than test workers or voters and the

language we had in the 1986 amnesty bill i don't think is currently talk about we don't talk about how to assimilate and make them part of america. i think college, from the record he would have agreed with that. >> was the constitution a living document? >> no. [laughter] it is important to the people from the claremont institute do a good job to explain it is the form that gives lies to the declaration coolidge did not think the declaration was the only document of the importance he would have listed the bible or a number of things we think of as being classically educated

he would have listed a number of documents from our political fog but absolutely not. there is no way one can concede but he says that is the greatest privilege ever for the human race. i don't think that means you should tinker with it. >> could you comment about the coolidge view of how politicians could -- should conduct themselves with the character to conduct themselves with the preamble that some'' said i have pulled together for a book of his writings and one was

politics in the end is not about drama but principled not about charisma or character and richard norton smith said to most americans you was more than the character he was character to most voters he was leader of rare integrity could you make some comments? >> it is important to stress coolidge traffic -- tragic view of human nature he comes through plymouth even today is a remote part of vermont not for but not wealthy with citizens stock and he did not think of himself as a great man and said after his presidency he wanted to return to life in north hampton right after his presidency and also he

understood that the words of the president have tremendous weight and should not be squandered if you run your mouth all the time that will cause problems for you. he had a sense of his own limitations and part of this is he understood that life is not always what we wanted to be when he was growing up his mother and sister died when he was president his boy died while in the oval office he got the blood blister and died and there was no notion of right to health care is what we expect of government today was not possible so it is important to consider when we think of coolidge as a man with a sense of his own limitations that it needs people who understand they put their pants on one leg at a time like the rest of

us and to contrast with president obama the contrast is night and day but obamacare does think of themselves as a great man and to which rarely took vacations and when he did he was working that is something we need to go back to but if you don't teach people the virtues of tolerance or frugality you will produce people who are narcissistic politicians to get everything they can add of the system and contemporary politics bears that out. >> as a understand it he is the first president after lincoln, first republican president of either party to emphasize the declaration of independence and all manner created equal. we have not had many

republican nor democratic presidents since his term who really had the emphasis so what happened? we had seven or eight republican presidents between lincoln and who base policy on the proposition on the inner created equal so what happened and continues to have happened? >> part of this is an education problem as i argued he was the last classically educated president and it is important to understand coolidge would spend all of his time they've mention him at sandhurst reading the federalist papers about hamilton and lincoln and coolidge was abraham lincoln

was a college degree and it is important to understand as coolidge saw it and as i see it politics runs from the declaration the american founding to abraham lincoln then of course, he was reagan's favorite president i am about to publish an essay sent with his involvement of his understanding of coolidge and so to go back to conservatives always wondering how do we go back to reagan during that glorious time, we can actually look at coolidge because we know influenced reagan's thinking as he grippy listen to to live on the radio, coolidge was a shy man who relied on radio to get his message out to and that is something we need to consider as conservatives i know what

happened between abraham lincoln and coolidge he very much made a big deal politically so in the campaign of 1924 the people who are running a campaign were encouraged to go to every small town to get a list of all civil war veterans as an endorsement of the coolidge campaign so he thought of himself parted it is a desire by a number of people not to go back to fight the old fight some of it was for education between lincoln and coolidge. many were not as classically educated.

>> george bush mentioned the declaration of independence many times but i think the problem is it was a living declaration of independence so it was used in ways that did not relate to the limited government notion to the notion of government of consent and i relate that to a defense of the phrase living constitution because i think where it comes from is the ever living document this secularization so that is the constancy with the ever living god but the people who use the term living constitution means is you can simply make things

up as you go along. so what we need to do in our reverence it applies to all americans at all times we need to be careful the way we use it as well as it has eternal meaning. >> i would agree but what is important with colleges as a young man he is progressive devotes four things that would perhaps put him closer to teddy roosevelt man taft or others leave those four things like the direct election of senators, in favor of women's suffrage

and what is interesting is he oas explains it in the declaration terms if you partake to fight a war as the indians did in a row before one therefore if you partaken of the duties you have the rights and conservatives think of the declaration were the neocon variety they understand the form of government matters tremendously of the principals are each turn of how one structures government is the devil in the details and i don't think president bush understood the american experiment in self-government was extremely complicated.

he took too low of of you how easy the principals could be transplanted and that is something to which would have understood with his understanding of greek and latin education but you raise an important point* of a living constitution. one thing we can do as conservatives is to try to understand progress and the amendments to think in those terms of the declaration in mind. >> dazzles borough student i have been able to read those speeches that i did not know growing up and we have high school students here but can you explain the tax cuts but

also policy initiatives that most people don't understand or don't know about that might be relevant today. >> is important as you cut taxes to cut the size and scope of government and conservatives by and large have tried to pull a fast one to thank you can just cut taxes may be short term but not you can cut taxes on the one hand and keep promising prescription drug benefits. it may be politically effective than the short-term but long term it is foolish jiang gets you into trouble but to get at the larger question of the tax cuts they were part of

the overall tool kit with his treasury secretary to stimulate the economy but not for the more libertarian grounds but because the detriment did not need the money. on the one hand kulich cuts defense during the 1920's and coolidge tries to negotiate with the japanese with the british to reduce naval arms but to the tail and of the presidency recognizes we need to do something about what is going on in the world so he signs the bill to create the first aircraft carrier so you need to understand a certain periods of time certain decisions make sense but other times they don't

so we try to take the policies i don't think that works you have to look at the principles how to think about the problem seriously before you execute them if that helps. >> asking the link between the fiscal policy can you comment on the major criticisms? >> it is fair to say, i would recommend other books on this more than my own mind standing is it effectively as milton friedman said we have the federal reserve that effectively created the inflationary economy and many of the problems that we associate with the 1920's were caused by that.

my view is while is true there was the inflationary economy there were a number of goods and services produced that we still use all the time today cars cars, radio colleges the first president to be on film so not quite like the inflationary period of the 1990's when people bought homes they could not afford that real things were produced and it is important to understand henry ford, thomas edison harvey firestone all indoors and like to which to meet with him so if i were to think what caused this roosevelt prolonged it that if you would get the recession through 1920 that was a more severe recession than the

harding's alleged ticket dealt with by doing nothing. people assume.was the same sort of situation the government policy of herbert hoover and fdr put the great in the great depression so even in 1932 there is a draft coolidge campaign people thought he still had things to say and teach but he died in 1933 it is important to understand dealing with herbert hoover he owes his success to being a good republican party said he would not go out publicly to cause problems but nevertheless he does criticize the of problems of the hoover administration and a number of big

government republican policies of the day and that part of this story has not been told satisfactorily. >> [inaudible] >> 2016? [laughter] i was going to say i met the gentleman two weeks ago who turned 101 and he remembers calvin coolidge so that was something to talk with him but through 2016 senator ted cruz did endorse my book so i would be remiss. [laughter] if i didn't mention him but i do think there was the reason i asked him harvard-educated, credential but seriously educated adults think harvard is a place that it was the key is

one as a serious thinker and i would even say if rand paul would get over his libertarian inclinations that he does not do a good job explaining why there is limited government over a libertarian i think that would be better but maybe not my first pick but to a certain extent we have a serious problem because we don't take seriously higher education or to shake people's souls and mines and i think we are in for some serious trouble that is borne out now and will get worse before it gets better in many reason i like hillsdale is that to a large extent it teaches these things seriously the principles of been classically educated if we produce people who think

only in terms of policy and politics of the moment of the twitter culture then we will not be successful sweeney people who think strategically with the country is natural and where it needs to be rather than day-by-day politics and a year by year elections. i think those will follow if we have policy. >> did coolidge ever criticized later the progressive them at movement like direct election of senators or income tax? >> it is important to understand the income tax in terms of scope it was much lower than it was today very few people paid it to those who you did during the coup which presidency this is

something i'm lock my left-wing friends but the tax rate drop more progressive even though he kept them. the rich paid more partly because of a booming economy but to raise an interesting point* he started his career as a city councilman but then a legislator and becomes president of the massachusetts state senate and realizes reproducing too many bills we have to give administration a chance to catch up and later when he becomes governor and president he has the same inclination that that shrink of his view of what government can possibly do and as conservatives we should think about that character of the office shapes the policy in many

issues we deal with today are a consequence of the progressive amendments were not fully understood at the time but i do talk about this in the book of foreign policy and to i do think those considerations with foreign policy a lot less sober and people were campaigning in their own district or there on stage with him again groups to create policies to favor them they and the state's so reticent point* you have people who are directly elected so it creates the interesting dynamic that i think coolidge appreciated but never to my knowledge did he speak out against the income tax amendment but

that was to have limited cover rent. >> i regret i did not go into pre--- prohibition because coup which believed although lower states like in massachusetts that wanted to ignore prohibition or create local laws he sat there were doing a disservice so while we know many members of his administration and drink many people think he died because he liked to drink3 many people think he died because he liked to drink but the way he deals with the problem is in overreach but his job was to enforce

the law. he was campaigning in irish-american areas and people knew him in his early political career as more wet and dry but i think he would have agreed with the speech from lincoln and more inclined with that issue of prohibition. >> two years after coup which died there was a huge revival on the 100th anniversary of his book and i wonder if coolidge ever mentions tocqueville given the interest?

>> we know from amherst college she doesn't mention it in his autobiography even as he mentions all the others but we do know that he read tocqueville but i could not find any mention when i looked for it myself because i wanted to compare his up bringing with a smaller american life but it took them in but actually he was period mired by french thinkers who did'' in in context which is interesting. end he considered himself running said the transix and

it compares coolidge was washington and other figures and you can get it for like $0.10 on amazon it is worth checking out even for just the afternoon. thank you for having me. [applause] >> i don't mean to put you on the spot but representative what is on your summer reading list? >>. [laughter] i am reading the wonderful book the hopkins touch about halfway through that now through the legendary aid

for fdr and a graduate we probably don't have the same politics but i like the style with a compelling life. up next i have not had a chance to read the kaiser book but the reviews have been compelling and that will be an interesting case study when you read a book and you know, the characters senator dodd, barney franken is interesting to get the perspective with the staffers. and there is a book i just ordered legendary in south carolina in the city will love this book and it is a guy who very nearly vice president instead of chairman and continue to play an extraordinary role in politics and became one of the architects of nixon's success and interestingly

enough just popped up working with hawkins and in the 1940 nomination with his third term which was a need to political work for barnlike to reroute the process and steady history. i should read more policy but they seem to learn better with history. >> and the party is over. how the republicans went crazy and democrats became useless and the middle-class got shafted. how did they go crazy? >> they got crazy when they became the apocalyptic cult that live in its own mobile and we have seen that with the last election and they simply could not believe the public polls and what they were saying that obama was probably going to win and most of aquatic senate candidates we're going to

win. there were shellshocked. if they cannot accept empirical reality there will be in big trouble in the succeeding elections. >> democrats became useless? >> than that they are the party of me also blasts -- but less after losses in the '80s they retool dan became more corporate friendly. many people think for all that obamacare has excoriated this muslim socialist coming he has fulfilled george bush's third term in national security matters. >> and how does the of

middle-class figure into your thesis? >> they are the ones that got shafted because there was the bipartisan move when clinton was president, the republicans mainly were running congress with things like nafta and, china, and the most favored nation status, the wto, all these trade deals that people claim war going to bring jobs to the united states but in every case the jobs left. of

>> and i.m. president of the newark preservation and the landmark committee and mary sue, please stand up and will much, where are you? director of the newark museum and the newark library, we welcome you to philip roth home town newark new jersey. [applause] . .