Non-fiction: Acceptance Address at the Republican National Convention

Context and purpose
Calvin Coolidge's 1924 Acceptance Address at the Republican National Convention presented the incumbent president's rationale for seeking a renewed mandate and articulated the party's direction during a period of postwar adjustment and economic growth. Delivered as Republicans gathered to formally nominate him, the speech situates the campaign within the administration's recent stewardship of the national economy, the desire for continued stability, and the need to heal divisions left by preceding scandals and turbulence.
Coolidge framed his candidacy not as a reliance on rhetoric but as an appeal to steady governance and practical results. The address sought to reassure voters that the Republican approach, emphasizing thrift, law, and orderly progress, had delivered tangible benefits and remained the best path forward for national prosperity and civic harmony.

Policy priorities and principles
The address highlights a conservative policy outlook grounded in limited government, fiscal restraint, and respect for individual enterprise. Coolidge emphasized economy in administration, arguing that careful management of public finances and reduced expenditures were central to preserving liberty and promoting broad-based prosperity. He endorsed sound money and measures to encourage industrial growth, suggesting that a stable financial foundation and restrained taxation would sustain business confidence and job creation.
On trade and national commerce, he pointed to policies designed to protect American industry while fostering fair competition. The speech also signaled attention to agricultural distress and the special needs of rural constituencies, acknowledging that national prosperity must reach farmers as well as urban centers. Overall, the program presented was pragmatic rather than doctrinaire, stressing incremental reforms and adherence to constitutional limits on federal power.

Defense of the administration's record
A substantial portion of the address defended the Coolidge administration's record, asserting that their stewardship had restored order and advanced economic recovery after the disruptions of the previous decade. He contrasted the present stability with earlier uncertainty, crediting conservative fiscal policy, enforcement of law, and administrative efficiency for a return of confidence in American institutions. The speech sought to distinguish successful governance from partisan attacks and to portray Republican leadership as competent and morally upright.
Coolidge carefully addressed the lingering public concerns about corruption and scandal by emphasizing reforms, better oversight, and a commitment to public virtue. Rather than dwelling on past faults, he used the record as evidence that restraint and probity in public life yielded practical benefits, measured in balanced budgets, lower interest rates, and increased employment opportunities.

Appeal to unity, tone, and legacy
Throughout the address, Coolidge cultivated a tone of calm authority and conciliatory patriotism, asking Republicans and the wider electorate to rally around common aims rather than factional disputes. He appealed for unity within the party by stressing shared commitments to constitutional government, respect for law, and the quiet virtues of frugality and industry. The rhetoric shunned bombast in favor of plainspoken assertions about governance and civic duty, reflecting Coolidge's well-known laconic style.
The speech concluded by casting the forthcoming election as a choice between continuity of effective administration and the risks of radical change. Coolidge positioned his presidency as a guarantor of steady progress and institutional integrity, seeking to secure a legacy of stability and conservative stewardship. Its immediate effect was to crystallize Republican priorities for the 1924 campaign and to offer voters a vision of orderly prosperity rooted in modest government and personal responsibility.