The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-11-05
ington are by motor and all trips In
OhirX 70 hu that M oAhnA

ington are by motor and all trips In
Ohio are by that method.
Harding played tennis years ago,
+, but relies on golf for recreation now.
Neither reads great deal but they
are fond of the theater and espec.
tally the more serious plays.
Harding has been primarily news.
paper publisher during his entire
manhood, although he has carried
on politics as sidedine most OF the
time. Identified with the Ohio rep.
voter. Harding, however, has held
ublican machinery since he became
time. He was in the state senate
from 1899 to 1903, was lieutenant
governor the next two years, ran for
governor but was defeated, and went
to the senate in 1914. He rounds out
his first term as United States SEN
ator March next, just as he steps
into the White House.
VIII Seek Advice.
Harding was apolitical protege Of
was allied with his faction for many
years. But by strange twist of fate,
Harding ran against Forake for the
senatorial nomination in 1914 and
won. ending the public career OF the
famous Ohio boss who had brought
him up in the political world.
Harding has q reputation through
out the country as being a second
Mckinley. He himself has often
said he saw little resemblance. yet
close friends of both see parallel
In their tariff views and in their will.
ingness to be guided by advice, and
IF vi poyt
have grave countenances and prob
ably no one ever slapped either on
the back
Under the Harding administration,
! it Is likely that the great man
| theory Of the president which has
ing personality. reigned at the White
House. will disappear at least for
the time.
Those closest to Harding say he
does not consider himself a powerful
dominating figure in the sense that
President Wilson or Theodore Roose-
veat felt themselves. His big task In
the next four years, as he is said to
see 1t. is that Of harmonizing the best
brains Of the country and focusing
| them on national problems. He feels
deeply, his friends say, that there Is
great crisis in world affairs which
will continue until the league of ma
tions question is settled. In that
crisis. Harding expects to use the
best minds Of the country, as he puts
1t, in an effort to work out a solution
which the entire nation will approve.
He does not step into the presidency
with the intention Of making his will
prevail in the nations affairs beyond
certain point. His, conception Of
the presidency is the reverse of
President Wilson's, according to
those who know him best Harding
believes that the office Is largely an
| executive one and that congress, not
the president, is the channe! through
which public opinion should express
itself. If this analysis made by his
close friends is correct. Harding, as
president, will be included to lay back
and permit congress to shape the
nations policies, using his own powers
of congress into effect. This is his
theory, but whether the difficulties of
practical politics will permit him
to carry it out, only time can show.
Fight Is Predicated.
Close observers predict rather
stormy four years for Harding. AL
though he held his party together
through the campaign, there is the
possibility Of a rift within the organ
ization over the league issue. II the
tariff issue Is raised, there will be an
opportunity for more treble. Senator
HSrding, more than anyone else. pos
sibly, recognizes this situation and
is determined that his big contribution
to the present situation shall be an
effort to harmonic divergent views
ara bring them together on COM
promise course which will not lean
to the extreme either way.
Harding has an ability, which he
often reveals to those close to him,
Of standing back and taking stock Of
himself. On these occasions the ex-
treme simplicity of the man stands
out. It is attributed in part to his
simple early life.
His earliest sport was diving into
the swimming pool at Caledonia
where IL moved rs small boy.
] About the time he got into long trou-
sers he learned TO play the cornet
and joined the village band. Harding
turned his horn playing to account In
another way too. Mrs. Harding, be-
fore she was married, gave piano les
sons to boys and girls in Marion.
During their courtship Harding often
brought his cornet over and played
at the piano.
Appearance Is Common.
They have no children and there
are no pets around the Harding house
at present. Both are fond of dogs
and kept a big collie for years, but
one day it mysteriously took Ill and
died. Since then they have had no
dog. Mrs. Harding tells several stories
of her husbands love OF animals
When Warren was a small boy
he had little pug nosed pup that
one day got in the way of street
car and lost hind leg. Harding
would not permit the animal to be
killed and carried him over to his
fathers office. Doctor Harding A.
)nally yielded to te pleas Of his boy
and sewed UP the stump of the dogs
leg. After 1t had healed, young Har-
ding whitfield ont wooden leg for
the pup and 1t hobbled around Mar
ion for several years on the peg leg
that Warren Harding had made.
Senator Harding is a. Baptist and
Mrs. Harding is Methodist. Hard
ing is an Elk and member OF the
Masonic order. He smokes cigars,
and cigarettes, but prefers to dry
smoke a long black stogy.
Harding is simple in his dress,
wearing the conventional frock coat
only when formal occasions demand
1t. At other times he wears an easy fit
ting two button sack coat Harding