The Ordway new era., 1920-10-29
SENATOR HARDING
PROPOSES WELFARE
POST IN CABINET
Tells $1,000 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
function in defense Of maternity. child
hood and public health was proposed
by Senator Harding in a spesch on So
cial justice TO 5000 women who came
to his front porch from ali points of
the compass.
Such a department. said Senator
Harding, must avoid the fearful re-
suits of bureaucracy. There can be
NO more efficient way Of advancing
Humanitarian program" he said, than
by adapting the machinery of cur Fed
eral Government TO the purposes We
desire to attain. While others may
have their eyes nIed upon some par
ticular piece of legislation or more par
ticular policy of social justice which
calls for the sympathetic interest of us
all, / say. without hesitation, that
our primary consideration must be the
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
II pledge myself today" he said. ito
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 Ameri-
cans. Nothing can concern America,
and nothing can concern me as an
American, more deeply than the
health, the. happiness and the enlight-
eminent of every fellow American.
Must Avoid Paternalism.
"The social justice that l conceive is
not paternalism. 1t would be easy to
make 1t so, and dangerous indeed TO
the best spirit that Americans can
have-the spirit of expressing by the
Individual free will ones own merits,
capacity and worth. We do not want
government to suppress that express
sion of free will, even by benevolence,
but we do mean to preserve In Amerl-
ca an equal opportunity and pre-
paredness for self-expression therein
even though we use the government
to do 1t.
81 believe that there is no step more
NO step WHICH VIII thtdH
more to the growth of Americas SO
cial welfare; no step which will guar
antee better Americas social justice
than one which l 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 a task to do, which ha,
been dictated by our conscience ant
approved By eur wisdom, let vi
straightway find the way to do it
do net say this without a word O
caution. recognize certain dangers
which are always presented when gov
ernment undertakes large and detailed
tasks"
Tasks Of Social Justice.
Senator Harding pointed out tn,
necessity OF going forward upon I
sure footing and declared:
when making the proposal for I
department of public welfare t.
America. am aware that have mad,
a step In advance of any platform.
1--WE all know that we face tasks o.
social justice. which we must under
take with dispatch and efficiency. Wht
can suggest one of these tasks which
can supersede in our hearts, or In thu
rank which foresight and wisdom will
give that Of the protection of our ma
ternity7
"The protection of the motherhood
of America can not be accomplished
until the state and the nation have en-
~, kafr ha- NJ,
forced customs, which protect won
anhood itself. l know full well tina
there are women who insist that won
en- shall be treated upon the sam,
basis that men are treated"
Senator Harding discussed the nee,
of adequate protection for women II
Industry and expressed his belief Ii
the wisdom of an eight-hour day 70
women workers. He emphasized tn,
need of safeguarding the women ol
American farms. He proposed puttinl
the Children's Bureau under the sug
gested Department of Public Welfare
and urged prevention of abuses Q
Id labor.
- must not fall" Senator Hardin
went on, ito speak to you today of on
of the measures OF social justice m,
social welfare not often catalogued Il
this manner, but perhaps more impor
tant than any we have considered.
refer to the enforcement of law. /
will not be my business when electe,
to decide what laws shall ne. 1t vii
be legitimate for me to in, Ike publ
opinion for their enactment, hut sue
call to public opinion must lIc base
more upon the duty OF the EArcutiv
Of the nation TO give facts TO tia pee
Pile than upon his desire to give min
Ion, theory and propaganda. The en
forcement of the law is an EIeculv
responsibility and must be undoi
tnken by the Executive without resur
for his personal approval or disn
proval of the law, which II has bee