The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-09-07
WHAT COX THINKS or HARDING
GOVERNOR COX ON SENATOR HARDING :,
BY GOVERNOR JAMES MIDDLETC %

Senator Harding, personally. ia a man
oI appealing individuality who makes
friends readily and whose character
and record entitle him to the high re-
spect in which he is held. AS a speaker
and as writer he has charming way
OF putting what he has to say. More
over, believe that he is conscientious
ana that he arrives NJ his conclusions
honestly. He is standing for principles
IN which he believes and is using all
ms Iorce to make them effective AS
| to the meaning of those principles and
wherein they differ from mine / will
write later
AS feliow Ohio editor have. natur
any, known Senator Harding for n sood
many years, though not intimately. His
paper the Marion Star belongs to A
sroup OF Ohio dailies Of which mine, the
layton News and the Springfield News
are not a part. Thus our professional
problems have not been the same and
1 nave not mad the opportunity of know
ing much about his newspaper career.
except that have been told he has
sp sPeGiaiized largely in the editorial end
Vi II; he writes very good editorial
Which is easy to read and which has
charming style and the conduct of his
eultorlai page shows expert Judgment
"a ~ selection and balancing. The Marion
Star Is an admirable newspaper and,
1t is published. has achieved very
substantial prosperity. This prosperity
is due, / am told. to Senator Harding's
character and to the esteem In which he
is held among his fellow townsmen,
as well as to his selection of subordi-
mates who have largely relieved him
OF the business cares incidental to pub-
fishing. W pu'-
While in the fraternity of the news
paper business Senator Harding and
myself have much in common. and
while | hold for him a personal high
esteem, when 1t comes to political
thoughts We are as far apart as the
poles. Nor is this merely a matter of
partisanship. Perhaps through natural
temperament and certainly through
htelong training we travel very differ
ent mental paths. His beliefs and mine
are SO fundamentally opposite that no
one can mistake wherein we differ.
he is generous man, generous of his
time and Of his money! but when il
comes to the exercise Of his influence
and authority in affairs of government
he Is as cold to the claims Of the indi-
Vidual or of the mass of individuals
as II tney were only so many pawns in
some great game.
This little imaginative description,
given to me by man who had been to
washington watching Harding at work
In the senate, will elucidate what l
mean. THE senator" said my inform
ahIt CdHHot TeSlSI any appeal Tor CFar-
ity. II approached on his way to his
office by beggar he would cheer
fully empty his purse, and, perhaps,
obligate himself for more. Then, just
as cheerfuliy, he would take his place
in the senate and vote for some meas
ure which would not tend to. help. the
Masses"
As study the record and utterances
of Harding this seems to be a fair pic
ture Of his mental processes. He is
warm hearted, kindly, generous and low
able to his friends and to those who
come in personal contact with him, but
he seems dominated by the idea that
the. few and, not the many were born
to rule. He has no personal antipa-.
thy for the masses, and even enjoys
mingling with the people on occasion,
but hefavors all those measures which
tend to centralize power into the hands
OF a selected few.
For instance, he is against direct
primaries, of which as is well known
/ am in favor. OF the great measures
of progressive legislation which are now
the, accepted standards of our last de-
cade of political life in this country
and especially In Ohio, he has favored
practically none Sometimes his oppo-
sition has been lukewarm, sometimes it
has been open, but always it been con-
sistent.
For instance, there are the two great
measures for which l have persistently
and. | am glad to say. successfully
fought. These are the workmen's COM
pensation law and the rural school law
| want no monument better than the
fact that these two laws are now on the