The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-09-24
a KEY TO HKRDlNc's MIND

Senator Harding has finally discov-
cred that "our relations with the
world at large are such that important
happenings in other countries have
a marked effect on conditions at
home" This shows the advantage OF
leaving the front porch now and then.
The instances are rare indeed in
which travel has had more immedi-
ate effect in broadening the intellect
than Senator Harding's journey from
Marion to Minnesota.
On the way to the Minnesota State
Fair somebody evidently told him that
there had been a war and that this
war, in addition to affecting the Unit
ed States, had produced certain con-
dition of affairs elsewhere. Having
heard about the war, the Senator un-
hesitatingly declares that order must
be restored, industries rebuilt, devas-
tated lands reclaimed, transportation
re-established, the vast armies reab-
sorbed in the occupations of normal
life" Some of us had had inklings
of this state of things before, and had
even ventured to believe, as the Sen
ator so sagely remarks, that "the near
future promises to be a period of un-
certainty for the farmer as we'll as
for men engaged in industrial enter
prises''
And what does the Republican can
didate think ought to be done about
it? Ratify the treaty? Put the poll
teal, economic and moral force of the
United States back of the League of
Nations? Join with the other civiliz-
ed countries in policy of disarma-
ment? Try to stabilize the peace that
has been won with such a colossal ex-
renditure of blood and treasure? Not
at all.
The main thing to do, of course, is
to revise the tariff upward, in order
that American industries shall not
have to compete with the labor of TO-
100000 dead men in Europe. But the
farmer must have more tariff too.
1.-THE farmers of the corn belt, for ex-
ample, are already threatened with
unfair competition from the Argen-
tine" The Argentine hogs are pre-
sumably pauper hogs and fatten much
quicker on the pauper corn of that
country than on the rich and indepen-
dent hogs that are on the free-born
American corn of Kansas and Nebras-
ka. This upsets the hog market and
compels the Chicago packers, who
skin the producer and consumer with
the strictest impartiality and who con-
tribute regularly to Republican cam
paign funds, to make frequent adjust
ments in prices in order to keep the
public in general from deriving any
advantage from Argentine competi-
tion.
In the mean time, however, we have
found key to the Harding mind. We
know why it works the way it works,
The explanation will be found in the
Republican Campaign Textbook just
issued, under the heading "Sugges-
lions for Speakers"
(a) Avoid Gov. iCox's fallacious
contention that the chief desideratum
is definiteness in the obligations to be
assumed by the United States. If the
obligations are in their nature unde-
stable the greater the definiteness
the greater the risk.
OBJ Avoid Mr.. Franklin Roosevelt's
superficial assumption that the
United States without the use of force
could have kept the peace of Europe
by merely joining a league founded
on force.
(c) Insist that no general commit
ment shall at any time be made which
deprives the United States of freedom
of decision and action whenever in.
ternational political questions present
themselves.
Senator Harding might have writ
ten those directions himself. Avoid
everything. Dodge every obligation
Sneak out of every responsibility.
Boost the tariff. Boys, Get the money,