Arizona republican., 1920-09-13

has the young mans outlook on life;>
 10 which, however, he applies a keen
 logic and a really profound common
 sense
 Like all really great man, Harding
 is modest in demeanor. plain and un- affected; he is sincerely cordial, with quite natural dignity of manner. He
 is just plain folks" in meeting his fellowmen. He is Warren" to all the
 people of Marion. which is q town of about the size of Phoenix; and while his sympathetic handclasp is
 familiar 10 all of them, it's a safe guess that none of them ever undertook the familiarity of skipping him on the
 back. Indeed, talks with numerous residents of Marion-business men and men in nearly all the walks of life neigbors who have intimately known Senator Harding for a quarter cen tury or more. brought out graphical ly one fact-an of thsn recognize his greatness. For years they have taken it as a simple matter of fact that here
 was q man, one of them in their daily life, earning his living like the rest Of them. and building up his newspaper in an industrious. honest way, cordially cooperating With them in all moves for social and business betterment and vet man destined to great things Their only surprise, it appears, is that the country has been somewhat slow to recognize his greatness. In this re- spect Hardings standing at home re- flutes the saying that the prophet is always without honor among his neigh bors
 Not even Lincoln, if I remember his tory correctly. was deemed a great martaby many of his immediate neigh bors. It only dawned on thenls toward the last that rare soul had abided with them for years. But the people of Marion do not need to be informed that one of their citizens is one of the great men of the earth. They VIII tell you that they have known it for years and years. Speaking of Lincoln re minds me that more than one of the citizens of Marion laid emphasis on their notion that Harding is another Lincoln. They seem to resent in . way, the idea which they understand is broadcast, that Harding is in many ways a replica of Mckinley. They in sist that this comparison does their townsman a decided injustice. They concede that in suitability. in sympa- thy with the common man, and in the matter of being a sympathetic listener, and in modeSty in presenting his own opinions. he is much like Mckinley. But, they insist, he is a much stronger character than Mckinley They point out that in proceeding to his conclu- sions he is bold and original in thought, and tenacious in holding to his own convictions once they are formed; that he is always morally brave ad that he can say no to his best friends. II is the belief of these shrewd, thoughtful neighbors that in sturdiness and char acter and in self-reliance, in steadfast sympathy with the lowly, ready under standing of the difficulties which con- front the ordinary mortal. and in all- charity, in a lack of extreme partisanship. with a patient tolerance for the unfairness of opponents, and in an enlightenment of vision which marks him a statesman sf the first stature, in all these things, they say he is more like Lincoln than any man of our time. But after all, they will tell you. Hard ing has such an outstanding individ- Eality of his own; he has such per suasive way, and such an incompatible charm that it isn't fair to him to say only that he has many traits like those of Mckinley. of Roosevelt, or Lincoln common to all of the presidents who have won the affections of the American people-unless it is added that he has unique qualities of his own which endear him to the people who know him best, and which lead them to believe in him unqualifiedlt. The people of Marion confidently believe that Harding's administration will be one of the most notable and creditable in our history.
 | have dwelt on this resume of the opinion you find everywhere in Marion because it seemed to be exceptionally significant that in a town of nearly 30 900 people. a town whose citizens have lived there all their lives 75 per cent of them owning their homes, and all of them so well acquainted with Warren Harding that they know him familiarly in daily life. that these peo- pie should be so frankly unanimous in