The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-12-19
FOLLOWING HoNoRED FOOTSTEPS.

FOLLOWING HONORED FOOTSTEPS.
The action of Mr.. Harding, president
elect of the United States, in calling Will
liam Jennings Bryan, member of the Ma
tional Democratic party, to meet and confer
with him, is long step taken in the right
direction--an action which proves him to
be big Drained, broad-minded, liberal man,
man big enough and broad enough and
liberal enough to follow the lead of his DEM
ocratc predecessor, President Woodrow Will
son, and take counsel with men of intelli-
gence and experience whose political al
legiance is other than his own.
While the reputation of Mr.. Bryan, as
man who failed his party at the crucial
moment may be an undesirable one, from
a partisanly Democratic point Of view at
the same time he is man who is familiar
with every detail Of statecraft, who has an
experience which is rich in things Of value
to the people of this country, not as Demo-
Gratis, not as Republicans, but as Americans.
The first six years of Mr.. Wilson'S
double stewardship of the United States
marked him as one of the biggest men Of
modern times, a man who was so big that
he recognized sterling worth and merit in
men whose political training had been in
schools of endeavor, the teachings of which
were diametric and controversial to the school
in which he had, himself, been trained, the
school of politics from which he, himself,
had graduated. Elected the first time by an
overwhelming majority and under circum-
stances over which the leaders of the Re-
publican party had no control, Mr.. Wilson,
in four years time, convinced the voters of
America of his greatness and ability, so in
controvertibly, that he was reelected over
the strongest man in the national Republican
party, winning his victory over the concen-
trated efforts of reunited and thoroughly
organized opposition.
Many things conspired to make this un-
precedented victory possible, but chief of all
was the fact that he had, during the four
years tenure of his first term, advised with
men of his party who were broad enough
to forget partisanship and work for the
public veal, and with men of the Republi-
can party who were big enough to remember
that the welfare of the people of the United
States was of greater import than could be
anything else.
During the first half of his second term,
as chief executive of this nation, Mr.. Will
sons hand guided the efforts put forth by
the United States in bringing the greatest
war known in the annals Of history, to a
termination, and in doing this, from the day
upon which he took the initial step until the
day upon which the armistice was signed,
he followed his same line, the line of taking
advice and counsel from men of sterling
worth and integrity, no matter with which
political party their beliefs might find them.
The people of the United States selected
big man when they elected Woodrow Will
son-a man big enough to recognize worth
and merit in Republican statesmen as well
as in the statesmen of his own party. The
people of the United States have again
chosen big man, by the election of War
rem Harding-a man big enough and un-
biased enough to recognize the worth of the
example set him by his Democratic prede-
cessor, and to profit by that example and
follow its lead.
And as Wilson, the Democrat, took coun'
sci with and advice from Taft, twice Re-
publican leader, so is Harding taking advice
from and counsel with Bryan, thrice leader
Of the national Democracy.
And we ask it of all Democrats to forge,
the fact that Harding is Republican, ever
as we ask all Wilson men to forget the fric'
ton which caused Bryan's detection and re-
moval from the cabinet, long enough to ad
nit that while Harding is a Republican man
he is soon to become an American executive
and that Bryan, while a possible poitica
visionary, is nevertheless man possessed
of brilliant mind mind well stored and
teeming with useful political knowledge and