The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-02-13
HARDING CABINET
AND old SOUTH
HOLDING BOARDS
President elect Says If South
erner Is Appointed 1t viii Be
Upon Merit and Not Sec
tion-Drives Continue
nv ROBERT II. SMALL

st. Augustine, Fla, February IL
Especial PRESIDENT elect Harding
has indicated very plainly that he will
decline to let himself be swayed by
aectionahsm in the appointment Of
cabinet. This means, probably that
there will be no representative of the
"old South" in the cabinet despite the
clamor now being made for such an
appointment.
The construction OF cabinet Mr..
Harding believes, is not matter of
sections, IL Is q matter of individuals.
Mr.. Harding does not feel that there
should be q member Of the cabinet for
the south any more than there should
be a member for New England or for
the southwest or for the Pacific coast.
Mr. Harding strongly is in favor Of
wiping out sectionalism in the United
States. 1t has been urged upon him
that the best way to do this is to APP
point a'nan to his cabinet from the
old south. MIR. Harding, it would seem,
takes the view that this woufo be a
recognition, rather than an oblitera-
ton of sectionalism.
MERIT, NOT SECTION
IL, in the last analysis, Mr.. Hard
ing had put a southern man in his
the selection was not based upon sec
tlonalism, but upon the merit of the
man. There is a further possibility
that Mr.. Harding, while emitting
nan from the south in his organising
cabinet. may appoint a southerner to
fill a vacancy before year is passed.
The move for a southern cabinet
member as such is almost wholly po-
litical- There has been wider APP
peal for men OF the character of for
mer Senator Marion Butler of North
Carolina, Endorsed by farmers gener-
ally for Secretary Of Agriculture, but
not likely to get the post
Chairman Hays of the republican
party and some of his associates are
intent upon making the solid south a
political battle-ground. They were
greatly "bucked up BY the results in
Tennessee and Oklahoma and feel that
a little more. PROSECUTING in the south
ern states would win the majority of
the people away from the democratic
party. They base their hopes particu-
4 larry upon business men and bankers
to take the lead in this direction. Mr..
Harding has promised partisan adj
ministration and a partisan cabinet,
but he refuses. as yet, to yield to
sectionalsm.
CABINET DRIVES
In the meantime, some of the sena-
tors closest friends are marveling at
the fact that he continues to permit
himself to be made the object of a
succession of cabinet drives" They
are urging him to announce the facs
that his mind is made up as to virtu-
ally all Of the cabinet posts, even If
he does not feel called upon to give
these selections to the public. Instead,
ME-. Harding gives out the impr ession
that he is ready to receive and listen
to any delegation which may desire to
advocate the appointment of any in
dividual to the cabinet. Whether this
is the result of indecision or amiability
on the part of the President is
matter for speculation.
Mr.. Harding dislikes to hurt the
feelings OF anyone, and IL person
wires HIM that he desires to suggest
a certain person for certain post.
Mr.. Harding has not the heart to say.
this post already had been decided,
and that the quest for anyone else
would be futile.
A number of the closest friends Of
the President-elect, who have been
with him for the past few days. are
DESTROYS that the cabinet should be
put out OF the way, and that Mr.
Harding should go into retirement to
write his inaugural address Mr.. Hard
ing is so certain in his own mind as
to what his administration will rep
resent, that he feels the country Al
large should rest contented, but his
friends are telling him that the judg-
ment upon his inaugural address NAV
presage the Judgment upon his admin-
istration. and they are anxious that
he should put his best foot forward.
The address, however, is not likely to
be written until the last week in
. Florida The message to the extra
session of the Congress will wait until
Mr.. Harding is established In the