The daily morning oasis., 1920-07-03
HARDING

The nomination of Warren G. Harding as tie
Republican candidate for tie President the United
tates is under the circumstances not NJ. hOlt OF
calamity Every intelligent vet knows that the
government during the next four years will have to
deal with group Of political and economic problems
of altogether exceptional stbbonness and difficulty
Only before in the history Of the nation that is
Si,l the years Immediately proceeding the elections
Washington has the American people been confront
ed with the necessity for an equally grave and
plicated group of decisions. In reaching these de-
cisions the next President must for good for ill
play the leading part. The government and the
public opinion can obtain leadership from no other
source. Yet the Republican party has selected this
critical moment to nominate it's Presidential can
didate party hack, without independence of judy
nlent without strength of character without admin
istrative experience, without knowledge of interna
tional politics, without any of those moral and in
tellectua qualities which would qualify him even un
der ordinary conditions for statemanke leadership.
Senator Harding has lived for politics and moth
ing else. He is a pure product Of tire period when
machine at its height of power and when it was
able to give orders and to get them obeyed To un-
derstand what he is have to forget all that hap
pened since Theodore Roosevelt became President
and 90 back to the days of Mckinley and Hanna Not
that Mr. Harding was political associate and friend
of Mark Hanna. On the contrary, he was the bench
man of much less worthy and useful Republican
leader-the late Joseph B Foraker, who was obliged
to retire from politics because he accepted money
from the Standard Oil Company. BIT it is Of little
impo1soice now whether Harding took orders from
Hanna or from Foaker The point is that he is
whose political habit and business it is to take
orders. Like so many politicians he is person of
aniabe and attractive personal qualities. His chief
political pift consists in the ability to deliver
ventionally effective speech. He is more spell
binder than he is manipulation. But also like all
good machine politicians he is intellectually and NOR
ally rubber-stamp. He has never stood for any
idea principle in politics exceDt Of obedience to the
pay org"nizato md to add a touch ,ronv to the
calannitous result he is nominated at moment when
the party organization no longer knows its own mind
and cannot give anything but confused and contra
dictory orders.
The inference to be drawn from this amazing and
sinister action of the Republican party is plain 1t
has ceased to be an organ of government which the
American people have reason 20 donnnd for the en-
Goitened conduct of their political affairs Rv VII
turn of nominating Harding well as by virure of
its platform it hes confessed to utter lick of
'fions. enthusasims and ideas; to preference for
chem pxnendienoios and phrases rather than for
nrinclps and their coura ald realiSti" annc2
tion It can no lonce, claim to r. rational party
With rcr,rcsnnts binding nat nnal constructive
nol;ov II hos hocoroe huoe llnwiecv ard democrat
i7nd focnr whose or1v ehec IS to ot+ possession #
the government and which, when il succeeds will not