Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1920-01-08
HARDING CONSENTS TO BE CAN
DIDATE-STANDS ON SENATE
RECORD

WASHlNGTON, Dec. 27.-In re-
Spouse to the endorsement of large
majority of the Republican county
cimmittees of Ohio and many Repub-
lican Clubs and other organizations
Senator Harding has addressed to the
Chairman of the Republican Commit
tee of Miami County, the following
letter giving assent to the request
for use of his name in campaign for
the Republican Presidential nomin-
alton:
Please know of my gratitude for
the cordial endorsement of your COM
mittee, and a~eept assurance of my
assent to the requested use of my
name in choosing delegates to the Re-
publican National Convention.
"a previous communication to our
state organization and many letters
to political friends have expressed my
real reluctance to permit the use of
my name in this connection, and it
was genuinely sincere, and expressed
then my personal and political pref
.erence. do not forget, however, that
my first obligation politically is to the
Republicans of our state who have SO
generously honored me, and l cannot
ignore the natural and laudable wish
to maitain the large part Ohio has
taken in the national councils of the
party, and to invite the attention of
Republicans in the nation to the avail
ability Of candidate from our great
state. Had some other Ohio Repub-
lican among the many fitted for such
distinction been suggested l would
gladly have joined in supporting him.
But the fortunes of politics and the
activities incident to official position
have combined to suggest my name
and the primary election laws of Ohio
require my assent to any definite eff
forts to choose a delegation in a dec
laration favorable to me. This con
sent will be written at the proper
time in behalf of such candidates for
delegates in the several districts and
at large as becoming party councils
may suggest. | shall have no person
al preference in the matter but glad
ly will cooperate in making effective
the manifest wish of the Republicans
of the state.
Zone thing must be stated. We
are all agreed that thing worth do
ing at all is worth doing with all ones
might. | could not assent to an en-
terprise designed merely to control
Ohio's representation in the National
convention. This undertaking is not
without encouragement beyond the
borders of our state, and we must
play worthy part, assuring our fell
low Republicans ,of our utter good
faith, and that it is ever our belief
that party success is of first impor-
lance when Republican restoration is
so vital to the nation / canont agree
however, to. any personal activity in
promoting a pre-convention campaign
not alone because of my distaste for
unseemly seeking, but any neglect of
Importance official duties in the en-
suing five months in the Senate would
rightfully forfeit me the confidence
which Ohio Republicans have so cor
daily expressed.
II venture to announce now no
platform nor to emphasize any OBJ
vious policy. Men in Congress make
records which speak for them. More
over, / still believe in representative
popular government the rough polit
ical parties, believe in party sponsor
ship, believe conventions representing
all the Republicans of the Nation
should make platforms that nominees
ought to be chosen as opponents of
such platforms and hold such declar-
atoms sa inviolable covenants to the
people.
"Again uttering my grateful appre-
citation, yielding to the party wish in
Ohio without condition or reserva-
ton, SO far as one may with honor
and respect, and pledging you my
readiness to abide by the majority
conclusion and still serve with party
devotion, I am,
"Verys respectfully,
"W. G. HARDING"