Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-10-11
Harding in the Campaign
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This campaign, in it's national as
pect, is being run on the issue of
President Harding'S policies, at least
on the surface. The politicians of
both parties are agreed on it. There
is good reason to believe that the
people, for once, are more interested
in the record of Congress than in that
of the President Still, we must take
things as Wo find them, and both
parties are talking about Harding
through their oratorical and news
paper Spokesman.
The Democratic argument against
the President is that he is weak,
postulatc which we believe history
will deny. His decisive and cour-
ageous action in certain recent cases
has come to his enemies as a sur
prise, and they only can account for
it by saying, without a particle Of
evidence, that Harding has changed
his attitude" or "bcen spurred into
firmncss." There is no change in his
attitude. He has not been Squared"
into an act at variance with his
fundamental beliefs, as eXpounded by
INN ia tiIC eoiiipe'iSh " loSp. Ills
adverse critics merely have forgotten,
that is all, or perhaps they took his
campaign as mere buncombe and
genuinely are surprised to find that
they were not.
A backward look is worth while
just now. Mr.. Harding made the is
sue quite clear in 1920. He believed
the people were tired of autOcracy,
and he himself undoubtedly was tired
of it. He promised that if he were
elected there would be no autocracy
and that he would in all things take
counsel and give up his original posi-
! ton if he found himself wrong. The
! Democrats remember that at least,
| for they still sneCr at his announce
ment in that campaign that in all
cases he would consult the best
minds"
At that time it was not sneered at.
and the people deliberately voted
their preference for the change in
/ policy indicated by Senator Harding.
They voted for the abolition of one
man government and the substitution
+; of flexible government in which the
\ President would be open to reason
and would hear everybody. The is
sue was plain and the majority tire
/ mcndOuS. Governor Cox was well
| enough liked and made q better run
| than any other Democrat could have
made, but his personality simply did
| not enter the campaign. 1T was
| fought out, not between the two
candidates, but upon the one issue.
| The President faithfully has en-
deavorcd to carry out the mandate
given him. but he has not been
weak" He has given wide latitude
to his Cabinet officers, has conferred
patiently with everybody, has cor
! rectcd such points of his policy as he
believed after consultation, to be
mistaken: but he has stood firm for
his own principles, as, for instance,
in the case of the Bonus Bill. But
| even if he had been the treeleaf
tossed about by every idle wind that
| his enemies present him, he would not
| have been far from the kind Of Presi-
dent the people really wanted in 1920.
WHY. then, should the opposition
expect to make capital out Of the fact
that the President has fulfilled his
promises? He has disappointed
them by not being the mere figure
head they dcpicted: but he has been
a consulting President. a man who
heard everyho and never was stub
born, though always firm in his con-
victions and bold in taking the ac-
tions necessary to enforce them.
That is what the millions of MAORI
TICS voted for in 1920