New-York tribune., 1920-06-20
William Howard Taft
discusses
Harding's Nomination

i
Senatorial combination had selected
Senator Lenroot as Vice Presidential /
candidate and met just as signal a de-
ieat by the spontaneous nomination of
Governor Coolidge.
Was Content as Senator.
Senator Harding is a modest man.
He did not seek the Presidential MT i.
nomnation. He was content to be
just Senator. He indicated a desire
not to enter the raca, but his Ohio
trends and others who deprecated
General Woods securing the prize BIZ
default urged him to enter the lists.
Most hcsitatingly he dl so. and what
he wrote in his letter announcing his
candidacy and his reluctance in doing
$" was only tho literal truth When.
however, 1t was sought to have him
consent to mere faVor.te-son support
from Ohio, with Wood as It's second
choice, he resented the proposal aud
bid his opponents do their worst in
opposition.
Senator Harding has lovable dis
position, but it is wholly unjust to
him to say that this indicates weak.
ness or lack of Will power to stand
by principle. He is regular Republi
can. believing in the necessity and
efficacy OF solid party action as the
only effective means Of interpreting
the will of the people into constructive
progress. Therefore he cooperates
with his party colleagues when he can.
instead Of seeking to establish nui-
soncc value as a Kicker and Thus Sc.
cure cheap popularity and personal
endS rather than real progress through
consistent and efficient partv action.
Ihere need be no concern on the
part OF any one lest Senator Harding
lack courage. He has it and he has it
10 spare, but he ls not constantly
underng in the index to have people
ways to be consulted He is not one
whose only use for a party is to ac-
compllsh his own purpose and who
recognizes no obliga ton of allegiance
to it the minute the majority over
rules him.
Antithesis Of Wilson
Mr. Wilson, his methods and his 70
suits are "ln the last analysis" a s Mr..
Cannon would say, responsible for Mr..
Hardlng's nomination. Mr.. Wilson'S
artocratic rule Of his party and the
country, his eXclusiveness. his refusal
to consult or to be informed his in
t. n6e personal and party partisanship
IN the presence of a national evicencv
that should have compelled him TO
open ms arms aud to take to his aid
Republlcans, his ungratcfu and un-
Just depreciation of the patriotism Of
Republicans, who, forgetting party.
held up his hands in every way pos
slble during the war all these things
turned the Republican delegates BY
contrast toward a Republican who
knows enough to know that he doe 8
not know everything. who respects the
opinions of others and does not make
up his mind IN absence Of needed con
sultatlon, who is so constituted that
arbitrary methods are impossible with
HIM. and who believes that the ma
chlnery Of government cannot fulfill
its purpose unless the various CO.
operating agencies properly defer to
one another by reasonable consid dera-
ton of differences and by concession
Senator Harding is a man of much
experience in public affairs AS jour
nalist he had the responsibility Of
forming and expressing opinion on all
current issues lie is clear thinker.
an able writer and speaker and a care
tul student Of public questions. He
has made himself. No fortuitous cir
cumstances have aided him in his prog,
ress. The writer can testify to the
tenaclty of his loyalty when it costs.
tie does not seek controversy. He be.
ileves in the softer method Of accom-
plishnent, IS Mckinley did, but one of
the common error is TO suppose that
man who is genial and anxious to ac-