The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-01-28
HARDING QUITS
HOME AT MARION
FRONT PORCH DESERTED By
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Leaving Ohio Home at Midnight He
Will Eeacn St. Augustine
Sunday

! fore entering The Whlts House, Pres
itent-elect Harding today vacated the
ilc5:dence on Moant Vernon avenue,
which was the mecca o. the front
porch campaign p:ig:i i.nages, ard
closed I'D the little Office next door,
where many of the nations notables
have given their aGvc:e Oh current
problems.
Leaving 'at mid@i <s!lt, the president
elects train will pass :hro.s;h Chat
ta.icoga la:> tomorrow afternoon AID
reach St. Augustine, Fla, Sunday
morning.
Mr.. Harding expec::s 20 make TO
rear platform speeches aloIg me wa;T,
having planned to begin d good rest
as soon as lie boarded hi; private
car.
= St. Augustine hotel would be his
Florida headquarters, but first Of all
he will get entirely away from his
cares in fishing trip down the east
ern Florida shore.
, The president-elect's departure
really meant severing most Of the
ties that have bound him to his home
community, and he put in the day
bidding farewell to his neighbors. lie
made several personal calls, received
many friends at his Office, made a
short farewell talk to. the pupils OF
the high school and was the honored
guest at meeting Of the Elks' fra
ternity, of which he is member. He
will return here before he goes to
Washington, but only for, stay Of
few hours.
Talks at School
Mr.. Harding's farewell talk was
delivered at the Harding high school,
recently renamed in his honor, and
he was introduced to the pupils by his
sister, Miss Abigail Harding, who is
teacher there. He expressed regret
that he could not stay among his old
friends to perform the duties Of his
office, and asked for the moral sup
port of his home community during
the next four years.
"In short time" hs said, Il am
going to assume great responsibility.
1t is not mine alone, however, be-
carse the president IS only the in
strument through which the popular
will is evoked
''For thirty years l have been lis
tening to public sentiment and every
public servant who listens to the call
on the soul of America is sure to get
along. / firmly believe the soul of
America is right. l firmly believe in
the destiny of America and / am 60
ing to my task with full confidence. }"
At the Elks tonight special group
of candidates to be known in fratern-
ity records as the Harding class,
was initiated with ceremony in
which the president-elect played a
leading hart.
Only Small Party
The party accompanying Mr.. Hard
ing to the south is the smallest with
which he has travelled since his NOM
nation for the presidency. 1t con-
sists only of the president-elect, his
secretary, George B. Christian, Jr.,
two stenographers and dozen secret
service men and newspaper CORES
pondents. His physician, Dir. c. T..
Sawyer, is not making the trip be-
cause of business interests and Mrs.
Harding is to go to Florida only after
shopping trip in the east. She eX-
poets to leave tomorrow or Sunday
for Washington.
A story of Alr. Harding's devotion
to one of his fellow townsmen came
to light by chance tonight after it
had been kept a secret for several
weeks from some o, those NOS. a.
rectly concerned. It involved fnan-
: cial guarantee by The p"es!deEt-e!ect
! t5~enable his chruch to continue the
salary of pastor who has been IN
; capacitated since last July.
The minister is DR.. Thomas H. Nc
.Afee OF the Trinity Baptist church
of which Mr.. Harding is q trustee.
Dr.. McAfee was stricken with para
lysis more than six months ago and
The strain of paying his salary in ad-
dit;on to that Of an acting pastor
weighed heavily on the church treas
ury. The question came to painful
issue at the meeting Of the trustees