New-York tribune., 1920-06-13
Harding, Editor, Long Political Power

Toned, it may be reactionary, it NAV
be shocking to pacifsts and dreamers
alike, but l choose for our own people
hundred million or more, the right
to search the American conscience and
prescribe our own obligations to our
selves and the worlds civilization.
only the other day the President
called upon the opponents of this
league to put up or shut up Nobody
not demand such a surrender. Men in
this body have a sworn duty to per
form, no less important in ratification
than Presidential authority is to ne
gotlatlon. A Senator may be as jeal-
Gus of his constitutional duty as the
President is jealous of an international
concoctlon. Suppose there is delay ?
Civilized people are not supposed to
move unthinkingly in creating the sur
passing covenant of all the ages. l
40 not believe that it is going to break
the heart OF the world to make this
covenant right, or at least free from
Ferlls which would endanger our own
independence. But it were better to
witness this rhetorical tragedy than
destroy the soul of this great Repub-
lic."
Neighbors Believe in Him
The people of Marion believe in
Harding with a faith that has re-
mained mistaken during the years he
has been in public life. In their eyes
ne personifies all the virtues of man
Kind. They believe he is destined to
be president, and have believed so for
more than a decade.
he would make honesty the first re-
quisite attribute of every man enter
ing the public service. That, he be-
lieves, would cure half the public ills.
"And we don't need honesty in poll
tics any more than we need it in bust
ness, in social life or in religion" he
says. Honesty, like crime, is indi-
vidual. We can never hope properly
to raise the public standard until we
elevate the individual standard. The
main thing is to get honest men. If
we can have honest men dominating g
business, business will be honest. A
man genuinely honest is fair to his
fellows. The thing is very far-reach-
ing.
Honesty requires conscience and
consideration. Honesty will still a
slanderous tongue as it stays a robhing
hand. Honesty will impel an employer,
corporation or individual to pay an
honest wage, and in turn will inspire
an honest days work for that wage.
I1OucSC men Will make HOneSL corpora
tions, public or private, and honesty
will accord them fair treatment Hon
esty will stop the blackmailer and
silence the demagogue. Honesty will
bar adulteration and plundering. 1t
will drive out cheats and /swindlers
high and low. There is no end to the
reformation it will work 1t eXalts
men and commands confidence. Col
onel Roosevelt is himself a fine ex-
ample. The American worship of Col
onel Roosevelt is founded on the pop
ular belief in his absolute honesty.
Thinks 1t Will Cure Ills
II have the conviction that honesty
will cure most of the ills that are
nowadays complained of. If all legs-
lative elections were honest there
would be little clamor for popular
elections of United States Senators.
And unless popular elections are hon
est there will be no reform accom-
plished. We shout our heads off about
our faulty municipal systems. If
abidingly honest men were everywhere
in charge there would be no cause for
complaint. We growl unendingly about
the tax burdens and inequalities If
there were honest returns and honest
assessments and everlastingly honest
appropriations and expenditures there
would be little or no complaint.
"But we are not seriously less honest