The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1920-10-28
SENATOR HARDING
PROPOSES Welfare
POST IN CABINET
Tells 1900 Women He Fayo7S
Department in Defense OF
Mothers, Childhood and
Public Health.
TO ADVANCE SOCIAL JUSTICE.
Emphasizes Need OF Safeguard
inq Women on American Farms.
Stands for Enforcement Of law

Stands for Enforcement Of Law
Marion, O.-The creation Of a Fed
erol Department Of Public Welfare 20
function hu defense Of maternity, child
hood and puhlic health was proposed
by Scra or Harding in speech on so
ciaI lu. ;ice to 5000 women who came
so his front porch from all points of
tie compass.
Such a department, said Senator
Harding, must avoid the fearful re-
suits of bureaucracy. There can he
no mere efficient way Of advancing Il
humanitarian program" he said, than
by adapting the machinery of our Fed
eral Government TO the purposes we
desire 10 attain. While others may
lave their eyes fixed upon some par
ticular piece of legislation or more par
ticular policy of social justice which
calls for the sympathetic interest OF rs
all, ! say, without hesitation, that
our primary consideration must he The
machinery Of administration, and that
when the time comes for Us TO re-
organize our administrative govern
m,nt in Washington we must all sand
together for Tie creation Of Depart
mcnt OF Public Welfare.
Il pledge myself today" re said, "to
support with all that is in me whatever
practical policy of social welfare and
social justice can be brought forward
by the combined wisdom of all Amcri-
cans Nothing can concern America.
and nothing can concern me rs an
American, more deeply than The
Ecairh, the happiness and the cuIilhi-
Cnment of every fellow American.
Must Avoid Paternaliam.
"TAc social Justice that conceive is
not rdtcralism. 1t would be easy to
make /, 50, and dangerous indeed TO
Il" best spirit that Americans can
have--tho spirit Of expressing by the
Individual free will ones own merits,
capacity and worth. We do not want
government To suppress that express
,:uu Of free will, even by bpnevolence,
hul we DO sean to preserve i'm Ameri-
ca an cqual opportunity and pre-
Il"cducsS for self-eXpreSsiOn therein,
even though We use the government
to do it,
Il believe that there is no step more
practiCal no step which will mean
more 10 the growth of Americas 50
c!al welfare; no step which will guar
antee better Americas social justice,
than one which | propose to you.
Dangers to Be Avoided.
81 have no doubt that there will be
some who will find in this proposal
cause for calling me an extremist, but
when we have q task TO do, which has
been dictated by our conscience and
approved by our wisdom, let us
straightway nnd the way to do it. |
do not say this without a word OF
caution. recognize certain dangers
which are always presented when gov
ernment undertakes large and detailed
tasks
Tasks Of Social Justice.
Senator Harding pointed out the
necessity of going forward upon a
sure footing and declared:
"When making the proposal for
department Of public welfare TO
America, am aware that have made
step i'm advance of any platform.
I'VE all know that we face tasks Of
social justice, which we must under
take with dispatch and efficiency. Who
can suggest one Of these tasks which
can supersede in our hearts, or in the
rank which foresight and wisdom will
give that of the protection of our ma
ternity?
"rhe protection of the motherhood
of America can not be accomplished
until the state and the nation have en-
acted and, by their example, have en-
forced customs, which protect wom-
anhood itself l know full well that
there are women who insist that wOm-
en- shall be treated upon the same
basis that men are treated"