Evening star., 1921-05-22

character. II appears as II the Divine
Providence that watches over all has,
whenever a crisis threatened. pointed a
way for the people to select man
whose career has enabled him to gain
the viewpoint of the American people
not the viewpoint OF this or that class,
not the thought of small coterie in
any given section. but a man whose life
from early childhood until just before
the zenith Of his career has kept him in
touch with the American mode of liv-
ing.
The Presidents early childhood was
spent in small town in Ohio and there
the boy who was destined to be the chief
executive of over 100, 1000, 900 citizens
rubbed elbows with the boys who fol-
lowed the plow, the youths who clerk
ed in stores and the older men who had
studied life's problem for many angles.
His father was typical country doc
tor, learned and conscientious-one who
knew no night too stormy for his old
horse and shay to carry him to aid the
stricken fellow being
There is no doubt that from his
father. as well as from his mother
the President inherited much of the
kindly sympathy which is one of his
cha racte cteristics. AS time passed the
Harding family moved to a larger
town. There TIE youngster. now
grown to the awkward age between
boyhood and manhood, gained new
and larger circle of companions. Again
the years passed and we find the
HardinGs in Marion, the city destined
to be famed for it's front-porch cam
paign and it's hospitality.
hoY n
the Ohio Legislature did not stamp
him as an outstanding figure in the
outside world: he was rather what
might be termed a good legislator;
one content to see that proper care
was taken to safeguard the interests
of the people rather than to make a
name for himself as bright and
shining political light. He was cour-
teous and considerate. always willing
the Presidents love for his fellow
members In fact. the impressions
gathered from United States Senator
Frank B. Willis. who succeeded Pres
ident Harding 8 senator from ONO;
w. r. Guerin, from Cleveland. Ohio
and Elmer Dover. formerly Of Ohio,
the Presidents love for his fellow
men is the same today as when they
served together in the Ohio legisla-
ture.
Turing the time that Harding was
- United States senator he did not
change. The fact that he had been hon
ored by the people of the Buckeye state
and that he occupied an inevitable posi-
ton in the councils of the republican
party did not in any way tend to an en-
largement of the ego. Upon his election
to the United States Senate Harding ex-
pressed the desire that he might, during
the time he was serving as member of
that body, be of some assistance not
only to the citizens Of his state. but to
tn" people at large. and during the
period Of almost six years that ne ga I
in the upper chamber of our highest
legislative body he was looked upon by
his colleagues as one of the solid men
of that body. Not at any time OF MS
career did he evince a desire to win
oratorical honors.
While Senator Harding did not rush
into the limelight. there was that some
thing about him that. for want OF bet
ter word. we call personality. that caused
other sena tors to consult him from time
to time. The writer recalls sitting IN
the Senate gallery one afternoon and
noting one Of the guides pointing out the
prominent men on the hoor OF the senate, .
After the leaders on both sides had been
pointed out the guide paused for an IN
stant and then. pointing to the senator
from Ohio. said:
THAT man sitting in the third row is
Senator Harding Of Ohio. He doesn't
tors are his friends. Those OF us who
have been around the Capitol for
number of years look upon him as one
of the substantial men of the Senate
the kind Of a fellow you feel like tying
up with in crisis. Some day ne may
be President"
titude toward chances for the noml-
nation it might be just to state that
never in his political career has he
pushed himself to the fore as a can
didate. His friends have always
sought him out and insisted that ne
be the standard bearer of his party.
His personal desire has been to liVe
the life of an average American citi-
zen. to be successful in business, to
n accumulate enough so that he could
live comfortably and take. part in the
everyday pleasures of life. to be able
to visit friends, to find relaxation in
golf, fishing or other amusements. but
destiny has willed otherwise. WhlIe
friends for number of years had
been awaiting an opportunity to Sc
cure for him the nomination to the
highest Office in the gift of the Amer
lean people, at no time did he actively
work to the end that he might be
chosen as the nominee of his party,
and it was only in response to the in
sistent urging Of his friends in the
Senate and that astute politician, At
torney General Harry Daugherty, as
well as d. r. Crissinger. now con-
troller Of the currency; James Prem
dergast Of Marion, George B. Chris
tian. jr., and many other friends from
different sections of the country that
he permitted his name to be put for-
ward as a candidate for the nomina-
tion. This attitude was not a desire
on his part to evade any RESPONSE
bilities that might rest on his shoul-
ders. nor was it a lack Of faith in
self, but rather a weighing in the
balance as to whether he would be
best fitted to serve the people OF the
country as a member of the United
States Senate or in a higher capacity.
While the nominee. after the con-
vention. was cordial to all visitors.
one could note an additional degree
of warmth in the salutation he gave
to old friends. Friendship counts
much with President Harding: When
the day on which was to be held the
formal notification exercises arrived
tional and state leaders arrived to be
present at the imposing event. In
company with the members of the
committee. he journeyed to the
grounds and entered the edlnce In
quiet, dignified manner, and as he ap-
peared on the rostrum the assembled
thousands arose en- masse, hailing him
as the next President Of the United
States His smile and his salute to
the assembled throng was no different
from that he had used when first
elected to the Senate. In reading
his speech of acceptance there was
noted. by the close observer. more
forceful emphasis than he had en-
ployed on former occasions. 1t was
as If he had realized that in accept