The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-03

Harding made his first political deci-
sion. 1t was either discard the Blaine
hat or be fired. He was fired.
L have been a strong party man
ever SINCE" Harding adds.
Then you may hear Harding tell
how he and boy chum between them
borrowed $500 and bought the Marion
Star after the sheriff had taken charge
of the property. They printed it one
page at time on a small job press
and it was the first small town daily
in Ohio, Harding says. But the part
Inership broke up when the telephone
was introduced in Marion. Harding,
who had to get all the advertising and
collect news as well, wanted to put in
a telephone to save time. His partner
said it was a silly idea. Harding or
dereG It in anyway and the partner
coming back to the office was so
angry that he demanded dissolution
of the partnership and insisted on be-
ing put on salary.
It put him on the payroll at nine
dollars a week. Harding said And
he was better off than 1 was then"
Wife Worked on the Star.
But the young publisher struggled
along setting up his own type often.
| writing all the news and soliciting
Star grew to need circulation man
ager, Mrs. Harding dropped her
homework and took the job. She
went down to the Star office every
| day, kept the books of all subscribers,
collected for the paper, hired the car
riers and supervised the distribution
of the paper from the time it came out
| of the press.
In those days 1 knew every sub
scriber of the Star and I knew just
| how much he owed on his paper bill,
Mrs. Harding said one day. She also
had her troubles with the newsboys.
| One day a youngster ran a small cleo
| trio wire around the press to the rack
where Mrs. Harding pulled out the
papers.
| When she put her hand down to
take out bunch, she touched the live
wire and got shock.
She started on the trail of the Of
Tending youngster who had given her
| trouble before and, having obtained
| his mothers proxy after an alteration
some weeks before, promptly collared
the young man and turned him over
her knee and spanked him. A few
Sundays ago fifty former newsboys of
| the Star, all now prosperous young
men scattered in many cities. came to
] Marion. They were gathered on the
| front porch with Senator and Mrs
Harding.
spanked?" Senator Harding asked
Five hands went up in the crowd.
She Likes to Shake Hands.
| That is Mrs. Harding's way. She is
| frank, outspoken, and the most invet-
crate campaigner of the two. she aP-
pears to really enjoy shaking hands
during political affair and around
her home here she is out from early
morning until after dark greeting Wis
1 itors.
| Her good humored manner has
made a hit with political audiences
thruout the campaign.
| Ear ling senate,
Mrs. Harding set up home in WASH
iington, but to the CONSERVATION OF
many of the ladies of the senate, sne
continued to invite her old friends IN
REGARDLESS of their social standing In
the senatorial circle" If she runs
true to form, any one in Marion prob
ably will be able to wander into the
White House and get an invitation TO
stay to dinner. -,
| Mrs. Harding has what they call
| "e11mption" out here in Ohio. In her
youth she was a skilled horsewoma1,
her father, who was a wealthy busi-
ness man here, having owned flne
string of riding horses. Now she taxes
| most of her recreation IN the form Oh
automobile riding. That Is one rea-
son Hardings never travel on me tIa u
if good roads are available. Most OF
the trips to and from Washington are
nv motor and all trips in Ohio are by
that method.
| President Elect Is Golf Bug.
Harding played tennis years ago, but
relies on golf for recreation now.
| Neither reads q great deal, but tney
are fond of the theater and especially
1.-The more serious plays.
| Harding has been primarily news
naper publisher during his entire
nanhood. aItho he has carried on
politics as a sideline most of the time.
| identified with the Ohio Republican
| machinery since he became voter,
Harding, however, has held office only
a compa-atively short time. He was
| in the state senate from 1899 TO 19o5,
was lieutenant governor the next Two
Iyears, ran for governor but was de-
Heated, and went to the senate in 1914.
He rounds out his first term as United
States senator March 4 next, just as
he steps into the White House.
| Harding was a political protege or
the late Senator Foraker of Ohio, and
was allied with his faction for many
years. But by a strange twist OF rate,
Harding ran against Foraker 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 a reputation thruout
| the country as being second Nc
Kinley He himself has often said he
saw little resemblance, yet close
friends of both see a parallel in their
tariff views and in their willingness to
be guided by advice. and in some of
their mannerisms. Both have grave
countenances and probably 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 prevailed
since Roosevelt's dominating person
atty reigned at the White House, will
disappear at least for the time
----- $500