The New York herald., 1921-01-24
MONDAY, JANUARY "a. 1921.
The Parting.

4 only the men WnQ nave SpenlrSe ears
in a newspaper office can imagine the
feelings which must have been WAR
Rem G. HARpING's the other day when
he formally relinqulshed the editor
ship of the Marion star. The troop
ing Of memories must have brought to
the Stars owner mixture of sadness
and Joy. This was inevitable in the
case Of a man who built newspaper
up from nothing, who made some
thing which in turn helped to make
him and who at the end of more than
generation was letting go his close
hold on this creature of his own
ability and going away to the greater
and more exacting adventure of the
Presidency of the United States.
"We have purchased the Star and
will stay" Such was young HAB-
D1NG's succinct greeting and promise
to the people Of his home town on
November 20, 1884. That was long
time ago. HARDING was lad Of 10.
Perhaps the people Of Marion, who
had seen one newspaper after another
20 by the board and who realized how
hard 1t was to keep n daily alive In a
town of 1000, smiled over the brief
declaration Of intent But "we'
stayed for thirty-six years and 1--WE"
presumably will go back to the old
desk when the White House days
are over.
1t is the struggle of many years,
Aeginning a few days after the first
lection Of CLEVELAND to the Presi-
gency, that is the real story of WAR
kEN HARDING's later success. No man
ean keep a daily paper going in
small town unless his fellows like
him aad trust him. There is a per-
sonal relation which does not exist
In the cities. The editor in town
such as Marion was then-it is seven
dimes as big now-has to know every
body. He must personally find news
items and advertising. He must have
a personal interest in the vital statis-
tics, the lost dogs, the strawberry
festivals, the political ambitions of
the town supervisor. And in the day
when HARDING took hold Of the Star
a small town editor had to be fercely
partisan. That was the political
fashion Of the day when every Re
publican was deeply grieSed by the
defeat of BLAINE and fearful Of what
CLEvELAND's election would mean to
the country.
1t is easy TO understand now why
young HARDING was able to keep his
promise to stay. Marion liked and
trusted him and he understood
Marion. Yet while that affection was
in the making the young editor under
went all the business and editorial
tribulations which the fates have
inflicted on budding editors since the
FIRST Of the graphic cavemen hacked
vnews pictorially on stone wall.
Digging into the last corner Of his
pockets to pay off the printer on
Saturday night; collecting in advance
from advertisers to pay the paper
man; struggling TO make the badly
worn dress Of type do duty a little
longer; fighting to make circulation
and then longing for n press capable
of handling it-every young news
paper pioneer, whether BEN DAY or
the first BENNETT or young. HARDING,
has had the same useful but nerve
wracking experience.
It might be said Of HANDING that
he took better care Of his newspaper
than Of what political ambition he
may have had. He carefully and
deliberately prevented his newspaper
from saying anything about WARREN
G. HARDING. All the kind things that
were said In Marion about him had
TO travel by word Of mouth. In spite
OF this inhibition all of Ohio came
20 know HANDING, not merely as the
owner Of good newspaper but as
the possessor OF good mind.
OF course It was the star that made
,its owner, even though it printed
never word about him. He had
transformed II from a few fonts of
type and cheap press. into one Of
the powers Of n great State. After,
ne had shaved twenty yenrs for the
star, the star began TO work for him.
SO the recent parting was between
mutual friends; for to man who has
made Il a newspaper is a throbbing
entity.
A lawyer chosen TO the Presidency
csn take with him his law books;
soldier can take his maps But there