The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-01
ATTACK ON HARDING
SCORNED BY PRESS
New York sTimes' Denounces
Underground Propaganda
Against Harding.
ISLANDER A CUNNING ONE
Tribune Discounts Denial
Made by Democratic Cam
paion Managers.
ISLANDER A CUNNING ONE

The editorial comment OF the New
York morning newspapers on the scur-
rilous attack on United States Senator
Warren G. Harding. Republican nominee
for President. follows:
Under the heading IAN Odious At
tack" the New York Times says:
THE campaign methods resorted to by
certain opponents of Senator Harding
in Ohio who by inuendo and personal
defamation have sought to do him in
Jury call for universal denunciation
They are properly described by the
trustees of Wooster College as unworthy
of the country; and they acted with
sound Judgment in demanding the resig-
nation of a member of their faculty
who seems to be chiefly responsible for
the attack.
1.-THE Ohio Republican State Commit
tee fifty characterizes it as malicious
propaganda The issues of the cam
paign are important, they are lofty ana
vital to the welfare Of the people they
have deeply stirred the public interest
A resort to personal attacks of this
nature tends to make the strife of poll
tics ignoble. No denunciation of these
methods could be too severe nor can the
public Indignation be too heavily visited
upon originators OF the odious propa-
ganda."
The Tribune calls it "a copperhead
attack" and the dirtiest lie ever circu-
lated concerning n Presidential candi-
date" and continues:
THAT which was advertised as
great and solemn referendum has de-
generated into the slime of cowardly
md INSCRIPTIONS whispers. Mr. Wilson
from his pulpit preached sermons about
making the world safe for democracy
but in each pew were left copies of the
eaflet, The Harding Family Tree
Devotion to league Of peace and the
brotherhood of man was paraded, but to
carry the election reliance was placed
on a falsehood that grossly appealed to
prejudice.
1.-THE Democratic managers. now that
exposure has come, disclaim respon-
sibility. They denied they nutured the
crawling thing. Curious, isn't it, IL the
defamation was not authorized OF con-
certed that the circulars which distilled
the poison happened to appear not
| merely in Ohio and Indiana, but in far
| separated Connecticut and California
! and especially freightod the mails In the
\ border states.
| How did il come that the spontaDe-
| Gus generation was so diffused and
that the literature was identical in
verbiage? The denial will not be ac-
cep.ed the evidence is that the SANDER
| flowed from one source and what this
source is few have doubt
| The World says that even IL true"
there is nothing In the story Of Senator
| Hardings negro ancestry that Is new"
and nothing that reflects In the slight
est degree upon his character or ca
! pacity." The newspaper then adds:
! This charge, now made public by
! the Republicans themselves in the last
hours OF the campaign for the purpose
| OF denial is not Democratic SANDER.
as they falsely allege. 1t has been the
subject of gossip in Ohio for years 1t
was first made use of politically by n
! Republican faction in that State which
| Mr.. Harding was opposing. The family
| quarrels of the Republicans at their pri-
maries since then would have brought
| the matter to public notice long ago
! II those inclined to give 1t publicity had
| not feared that its effect upon the rap
| idly increasing colored vote, solidly Re
| publican, would turn II into boomerang
| against themselves.
| with such an origin as this, we must
say that the Republican affectation OF
horror and disgust at the depravlty OF
the Democrats in circulating the report
IL very thinly disguised. If Democrats
had been so inclined we should have
heard n good deal about the Senator S
| family tree when he was an unsuccess-
full candidate for Governor in 1910 and
| in 1915. when he was elected to the
| office that he now holds. There is nc
evidence that the currency recently given
| to the statement has been due to any
| responsible Democrat. Although Demo
cratic newspapers have been in posses
sion of the rumor all along. not one has
made a publication. Every Democratic
! committee and speaker has been silent "