Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-07-07

CASES where u mlnat has been
plainly indicated by events long before
a convention the selection Of a prcsi-
Dental candidate is necessarily, the
work of compromise, and it is silly
for which it exists.
A BUSINESS MAN FOR PRESIDENT
Warren G. Harding, next President
Of the United States, will be the first
business mai by occupation to become
President Of the United States.
There have been 81 Presidents,
holding the office of chief executive
throughout a period of 131 years; all
soldiers, lawyers, planters or publicists
by profession: not a business man by
occupation in the whole long line.
Warren G. Harding will be the first
business man and the first newspaper
man to succeed to the office.
Yet the office of President deals
with the biggest business concern on
earth-the United States of America.
The American government is a great
corporation in which a hundred and
ten million people are stock holders.
From that corporation the people
must draw dividends, or to it they
must pay assessments. 1t deals vitality
with the welfare of private trade and
industry, upon which depends the ma
tn~ioI n~0HAnNitxy 1T all 49, -lS1s---
Yet until now, in all our century and
a third history, not one business man
by occupation for the biggest bust
ness post on earth?
Under the present national admin
istration the government has broken
completely on the business side.
1t was a Democratic senator who de-
clared that under the present manage
ment every department had collapsed.
Through lack Of competent business
direction the machinery Of govern
ment has been so incompelently hand
led that the situation calls loudly for
the services of a salvage CORDS. Waste.
extravaganza, incompetsncy, ineffic-
iency, have cost the people billions.
They have heaped huge burdens of
taxation on the. backs of the people.
They have undermined the faith of tha
people in their government. They
nearly lost the war through the fail
ure to furnish our soldiers at the front
with proper equipment. and through
a debauch of waste at home that
brought initiation. profiteerins. demon
alization in public and private affairs,
in its wake. These abuses due ia
lack Of business sense on the part
primarily, Of the President of the Uni
ted States, still menace the very SOL
vency and safety Of the nation.
Along with the breakdown in the
management Of the nations own busi-
ness affairs, has been a totally WRONG
attitude on the part of government
toward legitimate business enterprise,
accompanied by an effort to make the
government itself the universal en-
ployer and provider. The machinery
OF government has been utilized. un-
der the camouflaSe of war necessity,
to politicalize industry. More inter
ested in politics than in business. for
which the head of the administration
confesses aristocratic scorn, the aim
has been to build up the public, pay
oils n destroy the private payrolls
OF the country. We have had. AZ
someone has well put it, too much of
politics in business and too little Of
business in politics.
Out OF this chaos comes loudly the
call for the reconstructing hand of a
real business man; one who has &C
tually wrought in the field Of practi-
cal business affairs. The answer to
that call is the Republican nominee
for President, Warren G. Harding,
who, in a typical American commun-
lty, built a large and thriving bust
ness, under adverse conditions, from
the ground up, and who, through
years of actual contact with men and
things in the business world, knows
what business means and how II
should properly be conducted.
There is a world Of theories and
words. and a world Of things and
deeds. Too many protesting to be
statesmen dwell in the former, and
too often, charged with great respon-
dbility, they make a of practical
affairA Warren G. Harding il a pro-
duct of the school of practical exper-
fence; q graduate Of 1.-THE university OF
hard knocks." The great business
problems of government, now fore
most because Of the oppressive bur-
dens Of taxation, the vital necessity
Of recognizing the government on a
business basis, and the immediate
need Of giving to American business
enterprise and American agriculture
and American labor the encourage
mente essential to ward off widespread
commercial calamity. ~ the Aftermath
Of war-these conditions call for a
man in the Presidency who ia the
world Of practical affairs has learned
20 deal with business problems in .
business way.
And, 70, In Response to this immedi.
Ate, pressing need. Warren a.. Harding
VIII be , nations flint business man
by occupation IN the Presidency Of the
United staees.-Gsorse b, Lockwood
II The national Republican.