Connecticut western news., 1920-10-21
SENATOR HARDING PROPOSES WELFARE .
 POST IN CABINET
Tells 12,000 Women He Favors' Department in Defense of Mothers, Childhood and
 Public Health.
TO ADVANCE SOCIAL JUSTICE.
Emphasizes Need of Safeguard ing Women on American Farms.
 Stands for Enforcement of Law

Marion, O.-The creation of a Fed eral Department of Public Welfare to oll function in defense of maternity, child hood and public health was proposedl lI by Senator Harding In a speech on se., cial justice to 5000 women who camsl to his front porch from all points ef the compass. W
 Such a department, said Senatos,l Harding, must "avoid the fearful re- sults of bureaucracy. Fhere can bsl no more efficient way of advancing a humanitarian program" he said, than by adapting she machinery of our Fed eral Government to the purposes we desire to attain While others may have their eyes fixed upon some par tcular piece of legislation or more par ticular policy of social justice which calls for the sympathetic interest of us all, I say. without hesitation, that ' our primary consideration must be tho, machinery of administration, and that when the time comes for us to re- organize our administrative govern ment in Washington we must all stand together for the creation of Depart ment of Public Welfare. 'h
 T pledge myself today" he said. ''to support with an that Is in me whateverX practical policy of social welfare snda social justice can be brought forwurdV by the combined wisdom of all Ameri- cans Nothing can concern America. and nothing can concern me as anH American, moro deeply than the health, the happiness and the enlight- enment of every fellow American. ,r Must Avoid PstsrnaIisrl
 Tho social justice that conceive is not paternalism. It would be easy to make it SO. and dangerous indeed ts the best spirit that Americans csnT have-the spirit of expressing by the individual free will one's own inertia capacity and worth We do not want goyernment to suppress that expres- sion sf free will, even by benevolence, bat we dc mean to preserve fin Am4rfl ca an equal opportunity and a pre- paredness for self-expresgion therein, even though ws use the government to do 1t
 T believe that there is 10 step norss practical, no step which will mean more te the growth of Ansrica's se- cial welfare; no step whieh will guar~ antee bettsr America's social justice than enc which I propose to you.
 nrr Danasns te Be Avoided. s.
 T have no doubt that there win ke some who will find in this proposal cause for calling me an extremist, bat when wa havo task te do. which has l-A L A approved by our wisdom, let usv straixhtwsy find the way te do 1t Il do not say this without a word of caution. recognize certain dangersSH which are always presented when gov-l ernment undertakes large and detailedA taskA"
 Tasks of Social Justice.
 Senator Harding pointed cut the necessity of going forward upon a sure footing and declared:
 When making the proposal for Q department of public welfare teI2 America. am aware that have made a step in advance of any platform.
 "we all know that we face tasks ofl social justice, which we must under take with dispatch and efficiency. whe can suggest one of these tasks which can superseds in our heapts, or in the rank which foresight and wisdom will give that of the protection of our ma ternityf
 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"
 Senator Harding discussed the need of adequate protection for women in industry and expressed his belief In the wisdom of an eight-hour day for women workers. He emphasized the need of safeguarding the women on American farms. He proposed putting the Childrens Bureau under the sug- gested Department of Public Welfare, and urged prevention of abuses of child labor.
 q must not fsii," Senator Harding went on, ito speak 10 you today of one of the measures of soolal justice and social welfare not often catalogued In this manner, but perhaps more impor- tant than any we have considered. | refer to the enforcement of law. 1t will not be my business when elected to decide what laws shall be. It will be legitimate for me to invoke public opinion for their enactment, but such a call to public opinion must be based more upon the duty of the Executive of the nation to give facts 10 the peo- pie than upon his desire to give oprn- ion, theory and propaganda, The en+ forcement of the law Is an Executive responsibility and must be under taken by the Executive without regard for his personal approval or disar proval of the law, which 1t has bef