The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-01-01

4
Harding Hard to Persuade.
| 1t would DO more difficult to persuade
Harding out OF a position he has arrived
NJ through his own mental processes
than almost any other public man l can
think Of. l once discussed with him
certain passage in u speech he had
made. Yes" he said, MIR. A wanted
/ mo 10 leave that out; and Congressman
. Il said ii would undo 4 lot OF hard
work he had done: and Congressman G
said It would endanger his district; but
l thought It ought to 90 in"
Tho thrEo men he mentioned are
strong men in themselves and impor-
tant in their official positions. The
naive lack Of self-Consc!ousnoss with
which Harding rccitod his orerrul!ng OF
their advice was n revealing glimpse of
the !mpcrturbable steadiness Of his pur-
pose in course he has once come TO
through his own mental processes. With
equal imperturbRh!lity he resists urg-
ings to DO this or 10 do that. Since his
election nearly every ono who has had
access 10 Harding has regarded that &C
cosS as an opportunity Tor well meant
Importantly.
. Excited advisers have wanted him 10
mako a speech on this or q speech on
that; TO mako certain appointments i'm
mediately: TO indorse ono piece OF leg
!slat!on or to oppose another. All these
suggestions have just gl!dcd off his I'M
rufflcd surface. a multitude OF sug-
gest!ons and prompttnGs sink into him
as into q Quicksand and leave the sur
face unmovcd: what appeals TO him as
called for he does in his own way and
IN his own tino. All this resistance 10
importantly he manages to accomplish
with perfectly good-natuved serenity.
His lack of susceptibility to excitement
around him Is one OF his most obvious
characteristics and IS the more remark
able considering that re has magma
tlon and constituencies TO marked de-
gree.
Harding Does Not BLOW Up"
Toward the end OF the campaign,
when loader after loader showed signs
Ot the nervous strain, and when not q
few or them moro or less blow up"
Harding himself. eXccp; IN few SEN
tsnces IN one or two OF his rear plat
form speeches on the closing day. never
showed any sign OF emotional disturb
ancc During all the suppressed COM
motion that accompanied the suOttrran-
can scandal, and in tho final explosion
attending 4. Harding was The least dis
turbed Of all tho campaign managers.
H. had the ar Of taking the position
thai there are some things gentleman
Ignores. and assuming that falschood
ammo. IN the end DO harm to its victim.
II Is almost too trite to oven allude
70 the importance OF the position that
harding Will have during the year that
begins today and IN tho era that fol-
lows. Hard!ngs relation 10 tho country,
and tho relation OF our country 10 the
rest OF the world. contains possibilities
that are almost literally beyond an or
binary imagination. ny ADEQUATE OBJ
server, looking AZ Harding with the In
tcntness that his position invites. is
likely 10 md justification for confident
hopetulneSs that Harding has II In him
10 rise to the greatest Of these posS.bi!-
!ti"s. and 1.-Two w to the opportunities.
| say has 1t in him" to do so. The
only doubt implied IS whether the p"-
,cntlal!st!c that are within him VIII [,
flow out as abundantly as they Nigh;
from man of less static temperament.
Harding IS not person OF great !n'-
;!atlvc There arc two types OF eNc"u-
tive. One keeps the outgoing tcl"-
,honc wires busy; the other occupies O.
himself more exclusively with the In
coming calls. One Is active In starting
things and putting them through. Tho /
other attends Sonscientiously to what !
IS laid before him for decision and ac- |
ton.
Harding Is Of tho latter type.
Harding Changing standards.
or any group of alternatives that |
come before his mind. Harding can DO |
depended on absolutely 10 take tho !
course that appeals 10 his conscience /
and Judgment as best That Is not
necessarily complete guarantee OF sat ,
iscaCticn. for everything depends on !
whit arc tho chooser's standards OF
conscience and Judgment. Harding IS
Just now going through the progress OF /
changing standards Ia that respect. /
Harding's standards In the past ,
have been rather exclusively deter I:
mined by fidelity TO the Rcpub;:ca" :
7arty organization. On some occasions .
in tho past he has acted according 10 =.
tho limited outlook Of Ohio politics. /
But IN the past those were chiefly the ,
standards that his responsibilities call ,
cd FOR. Right now Il Is apparent TO any !
intent observer tina: Harding Is In tho ,
progress OF taking on the higher stand ,
ards demanded BY his new relation 20 ,
the world
This, like every process OF growth. !
Is attended by some pain. 1t accounts .
for a rerceptibly increasing Rustcrlty ,
and seriousness. new quality OF con- |
centratlon In his actions and mental ,
progress.
II can be stated with confidence that /
Harding has tho imagination to reach d
and grasp tina highest standards This
- the Judgment OF men OF great In .
sight who have had much opportunity /
to observe him closely. Of course. The .
same thing Is frequently said by loose /
minded Republican leaders who would J
NFr ,r1n rhnN
do not matter But l know It Is be- /
llevcd by men whose Judgment Of other ,
men DO matter. They believe that Hard 4,
ing has ina glnnt!on and tasta In the
degree that Will enable him to live up
10 anything that fato may confront him |
with These men whose Judgment or A.,
other men Is most dependable believe |
that Harding has 1t In him TO give tho !
country IN administration OF historic !
elevation.
A Painful Choice.
Rring ihr sort OF man who functions
best IN deciding among the things that
are lnid before him. Il follows that
much Importance Will be In the channels
through which things will come up 10
Harding. in the persons who Will have
access TO him. That Is ono reason why
the choice OF hts cabinet Is important
Right now. suspect. Harding Is IN
volvod In the probably painful business
Of choosing between cabinet made up
OF old political friends and associates
and one made up of men OF high charac-
ter and proved ability regardless OF
whether or not they are sympa thet!c and
comfortable 10 his personality. He sees
that he can pick mon who specifically
will seem TO promise the case and COM 4;
fort Of an old shoe; or he can pick men !
whoat fist may press upon him pain !,
fully but IN the end Will carry him fur |
Their, last him longer, and give him /
distinguished administration. In that !
choice HardIng's destiny lies.
This L. the Judgment OF tho same men |