The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1921-05-06
sDtsL oYALTY 70 HANDING is DIS
OBEDIENCE 70 coDv


and his party, we are now told--for
example, by the Christian Statesman
that "Disloyalty to Harding is DISC
bedience to God
So far as we have observed, there is
a very general disposition among dem
ocrats inside and outside Of the con-
gress to give to Mr. Harding's admin
istration very cordial and even gen
erous support.
Indeed, two very influential demo
cratic newspapers of this state are
giving him much more magnanimous
support than was accorded to Presi-
dent Wilson.
One of those publications., in most
Mandatory editorial, said that as the
campaign of 1920 had nothing to do
with the historic issues dividing the
parties, therefore Mr. Harding has
wide latitude to do what he thinks to
be right. and it is believed that he will
do the right thing.
In very frank utterance in his
place in the United States senate Hon.
John Sharp Williams of Mississippi
said:
Democratic government is gov
ernment Of the people. It is a govern
ment which allows the will of the peo-
pie to he heard by majorities and by
minorities. 1t is q fair representation
OF what the last election meant. We
went down. You went up. You have
a right to govern the country, and /,
for one, do not profess any right to
hamper you while you are doing it.
Your president has right to. have
under him men who are personally and
politically loyal to him. and am go
ing to do all / can to see that he gets
men of that sort / am not going to
object to anybody that he wants to
put into office unless it is clearly con-
veyed to me that the man in question
is either incompetent or dishonest.
That is seldom conveyed to me, be-
cause in great country like this
most people, who aspire to office are
both competena and honest"
In patriotic and loyal language Sen
ator Pat Harrison of Mississippi and
Senator Tom Hefiin of Alabama re-
peated in substance the words spoken
by John Sharp williams
We think it can be said that these
distinguished officials give utterance
to the sentiment pervading in the
south.
Up TO this Very hour the people of
this section have looked upon the acts
and dongs of President Harding. ii
not with approval. at least with com
placency and silence.
All of which is well and good-but
what the tables were turned. does
anyone suppose that the picture would
be the same?
Not in the spirit of captious criti-
cisln, but for serving what we believe
to be a good and patriotic purpose. per
init us to paint a picutre in words.
Suppose that when Mr. Wilson was
first elected he had felt it his duty
TO call to his aid the master minds of
the country, and had only called i'm
consultation those from the south
that he had totally overlooked all Of
that vast section lying on the opposite
side of the Mason and Dixon line.
Suppose that in the formation of his
cabinet he had purposely or uninten-
tionally overlooked the same section
and had made his selections entirely
from the south;
That in the selection of his assistant
secretaries to the members of his cab
met he had pursued the same policy;
That in the appointment of our am
bassadors to foreign courts he had Sc
lected only statesmen from the south
That throughout his conduct Of the
government he had totally overlooked
or purposely ignored all that extensive
territory lying north of that famous
sectional and geographical line;
Would Senator Lodge and his col
leagues have given utterance to the
same sentiments as those We have
quoted from our southern senators
Would our northern newspapers,
who are always ready to read us lee
lures on loyalty. patriotism and good
manners have been as complacent and
silent as the south has been through
the acts and doings Of President Har-
ding along the lines that we have pic.
tured?
Uninteationally or purposely ignor-
ing the scope Of territory south Of the
Mason and Dixon line, as forming an
integral part OF the Federal Union. we