Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-07-05
JUST PLAIN FOLK.

J.. e IS. ,1ft ~ q ~
Philadelphia. Public Ledger: Not at
all overlooking the comeliness and the
more than usual good looks of the we'll
groomed wives. Of the two candidates
for the presidency and the vice
presidency on the republican. ticket,
la study Of their lives and their
careers makes it clear that, these
men with. their wives represent down
right Americans; just plain neighbOr-
hood folks who represent the best ira
ditions of the country Of which they
are distinctly typical. 1t was Emer-
son who, in his sheer Americanism in
advocating reliance" set out ex-
|ultingly the way to success OF the type
|of man who had teamed it and farmed
lit" and taught It; men who, never
wearying under the harlships OF coun-
try life or small town or city life, made
something of themselves.
SO whether one turns to Governor
ICoolidge's early history in the noun
tains of Vermont or to Senator Hard
|ing's youthful efforts to. get ahead in
rural Ohio, ohe reads the same story
Of poor but ardent youths who were
not afraid Of Work. Ie9ve hnPfo 81 sdridgery
on the farm or III tie Y ow;nf,e aid never
|iet tits draidigeery AID hatfpd work lie any
(lhlhg but stimulus L 10 thesiir realizing
their ambitions. THE Tie man man Who stopped
School III order to make enough money
Ito continue his education, who cut
corn, plowed, drove the. team and paint
led The barn that lie might 50 to
|gsP hil' whaDs S tgsp d d pflnts5s devil
4nd all .rsFa ySq%Fke,r f 4, the chop in
|orher to become m! ian IS ed llttg ara pub
Usher and pan Of Affairs i Il Tbs KIND nd Of
man wheg usually gets; al, ahead, And
these incidents, which repeat them
selves with little variation in the, boy
hood of both Harding and Coolidge, are
In line with the average American ex-
perinece of the LincOlns, : Garfields.
Grants, Clevelands and Mckinleys, Of
which we can never be too proud.
1t is fortunate that such wholesome
|l,eOple-since their wives repeat In their
present home relationships much Of the
simplicity Of the early days Of the can
ldiates-come before their American fell
low-citizens at this juncture for that
close scrutiny that every campaign in
vites and which they must inevitably
be subjected to- 1t is to the credit OF
both tile candidates that they represent
that healthy average American middle.
class life, as some love to phrase 1t,
which is the backbone Of the country.
Men and women who belong to families
land strains of the type Of the Hardings
and the Coolfdges, who knew s'the day
Of small things" but are not without
the application and the sturdy intention
to realize the day Of finer things, are
the real salvation OF America.
1t is this type, numbering its mil
{. Z
Lions in all the country districts anc
small towns the country over and
which supplies the cities with the men
who make them the great centers OF
opportunity and productivity, which
gives this country Its SPECIAL national
character. No wonder that Mrs. Hard
Ing says that the candidate for the
presidency is "a good husband, a loyal
friend of true patriot" or that Mrs.
Coolidge and the Governor are willing
to live the simple life in small Massa-
chusetts town in q twO-family house
and not worry about 1t. All this ..is
sheer Americanism and that II is SO
signally exemplitied In this presidential
year of 1920 means much for the
country and its future. ,..