Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-06
HARDING PUTS FOOT
DOWN UPON PLAN
FOR SPEECH TOUR
Issue Still Front Porch at
MariOn-Murmurs Heard
Among Leaders.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

MARION, Ohio, August 6.-The issue
here is still front porch or back plat
form. The party politicians and man.
ayers want Senator Harding to tour the
country from coast to coast. Senator
Harding wants to stay here. And he
has said mo- very emphatically with
respect to the period between now and
October 1, anyway. After that, there
may be visits to various cities
But the usual early campaign dissen-
contest would be complete without them.
Parties change their national managers
so often that with each new chairman
comes new perspective. Murmurs are
heard here about the apathy of the
republican national committee on the
subject of pilgrimagesto to Marion. 1t is
represented by some, for instance, that
the national committee hasn't arranged
Tor enough delegations or handled prop
erly some of those already scheduled.
One delegation cancelled it's arrange
ments the Other day because it couldn't
get excursion rates.
Customary to Be Criticised.
1t is quite customary for the ma
tional committee, be it republican or
democratic, to be raked over the
Goals for sins of omission as well as
commission, but this time the criti-
cismf seems to he accompanied by the
notion that the national managers
aren't as enthusiastic about front
porch campaigning as the candidate
is himself.
Senator Harding has been impor-
tuned from every side to go out on
the stump. First, Will Hays is <re-
ported to have urged change and
then Harry NJ. Daugherty. sHarding'S
personal manager, is represented as
heair IN ha "a nd n q
take an active part in the campaign
outside of Marion.
Entirely apart from the merits of
the controversy, the thing that i'm
presses the average observer1s that
Senator Harding isn't allowing the
campaign committee to run rough
shod over him as is often the case if
a candidate let's the said committee
do it. 1t is this decisiveness on his
part and his determination to follow
the course that seems best to him as
,a.veteran campaigner which is real
ly important. In many a post-mortem
after the Hughes fiasco in 1915 the
statement was made again and again
by persons who knew Hughes init
mately. that he would have Jared far
better if he had managed his own
campaign.
Front Perch Idea Conviction.
Senator Harding takes advice liber-
ally and abSorbS many a suggestion,
but the front porch idea is con-
viction with him. He saw it work in
1895 with Mckinley. and he may re-
member that President Wilson worked
it fairly. well from Shadow Lawn,
Long Branch. in 1916.
But it will take considerable courage.
to Withstand the tactics of the Political,
managers who will soon be coming to
Marion with pessimistic stories. about
tIn fixyifx ,f he v~iNr 90 p1i
ticians are really simid people and pos
sessed of a good deal of an initiative
impulse. Because Cox announces a. big
speaking tour, many republicans want
Harding to do likewise. - -~i
The viewpoint here, however, is that
Senator Harding can conserve his energy
and give the issues of the campaign
more thoughtful consideration i'm this
haven of peace and quiet than he could
on a moving train with crowds at every
crossing and cheers at all hours OF, the,
night, with hand shaking and baby kiss
ing and all the other obligations of cam
paigning which a candidate fu,fills lest
he offend his prospective supporters.
No Tour Until After October L.
Senator Harding has put his foot
down hard onr< the whole business
But the campaign managers in con-
ference in New York and Chicago are
talking of speaking trips. The Hard
ing headeuaTters ae ter .answsred az good
list, of engagements for front porch
addresses for .sthes remainder of Au-
gust and'.a part OF September. Ger
tainly there.will be.no extensive tour,
until after October,,1. Definite plans
Tor the period thereafter will mot be
made until. early in September. when
a survey of the effect of the first Cox
trip will have been made. -, - >
Copyright, 195h.)