The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-09-07
So IS Is
HIS POLICIES

dent to the entire community had no
effect on them. They saw nothing ex-
cept an added expense TO the employing
class and they opposed the innovation
on principle.
Fortunately we triumphed. and am
sure there would not be the slightest
chance Of repeating the workmen's COM
pensation law In Ohio today. In fact,
many employers who opposed us in 1919
and 1914 surnorteh me IN 1919 after they
had found. through experience, that the
law not only relieved them OF ali cost
OF litigation, but also materially reduced
accidents.
do not know what Senator Harding $
attitude would be on these questions to-
day. | only know that he opposed the
new way at the time, and that this op-
position was typical of him and affords
an excellent illumination of his type
of mind.
His influence then was OF the kind for
which he seems to be noted, that OF
deliberate counsel and OF long confer
ence behind closed doors on the part
of n few self constituted leaders. These
men caused the publication of a weekly
paper, known as the Ohio Star, which
was devoted to furthering the propa-
ganda against these progressive meas
ures.
The Ohio Star was printed and pub
lished in the office Of Senator Harding &
newspaper. the Marion Star just what
part he had in it's editing I do not know,
but | have always understood that his
was the guiding hand behind the edi-
torial policy OF the publication which
could only exist on subsidy and which,
| am glad TO say. proved to be inef-
feCtive.
In countless other ways, which might
be tedious to attempt TO rehearse in a
limited space, Senator Harding has al
ways stood for the forces of reaction.
He vcnerates the past, He now wants
us to turn the hands OF the clock back
to the time OF Hanna. In other words,
he wants us to forget that this IL 1920
and to go back to 1896. Do people in
their right sense think that this can
be done?
Would the doctors of today discard
all that has been learned in medicine
and surgery since 1896 and willingly re-
adapt their methods to those or twenty
five years ago? There has been little
enough progress In legal procedure, yet
would the lawyers of the country be
willing to throw away the lessons OF
the past quarter century in their call
ing? What would manufacturers say
II they were asked to carry on nous,
try as did their fathers in the time OF
Mckinley? Yet Senator Harding and
his friends want us to run the greatest
government on earth in the antiquated
method.
Senator Harding would like TO have
the country DelleNc lilul lic iSSuc va
the present campaign, or chief issue,
is the dislike that he shares with his
fellow Republican senators for Mr.. VIII
son and his destructive opposition TO
the policies Of Mr.. Wilson.
In this, as In other things, ne seems
capable OF dwelling only in the past. IL
seems strange that he does not realize
that Mr.. Wilson Is not candidate to
succeed himself Whatever happens on
Nov. the next president viii not pc
Mr.. Wilson, and II would seem 10 pc
more candid with the public to consider
what is to be done next year than 70
strive either to regain the remote past
or 10 bewaiI the immediate past.
NV idea OF the presidency is that II
Is job requiring ever constant ac-
tion by a busy executive whose acts
insult be guided by the light OF the i'm
mediate present The right man there
must be ready at all times to take any
situation by the nape of the neck and
shake result out Of it, If he stops
too long to inquire what the fathers
would have done In his place IL may
overwhelm and bury him.
The constitutional tri-partite division
of governmental authority seems TO me
exactly right. ] would not have IL
changed The executive and legisla-
tive and judicial functions should re-
main as they are. but the methods by
which the executive functions should
be performed seem to me to require a
man OF the 1920 model.
JAMES NJ. cox.
downright, 1920, by King Features Syn
dicate, lnc.)