New-York tribune., 1922-10-01
LAS I SEE IT"
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE
by

writer whom President Roosevelt called
20 great power from his garret and
ssl. waoih PRESIDENT Wilson kept around tho
"Aaee house like the "organ in the parlor.
20 give the place tone," President Harding bas
ignored indeed, President Harding has
packed up the writer's books and chased him
off the place.
90 the writer has naturally felt that the
piutoiss mas replaced the writer in the White
AAoase' Inc writer's inference is unfair Plu-
.ucfacy may have better chance in the
"niee House with the writer back in his
ae'lc' ous not because the President conscious.
~ agrees with the Plutocrat HARDING is NOT
eooi OF wall Street. Wall Street has little
sIaholng In the Presidents cosmos: and this
~ True despite the mistakes Of Secretary Fall
eae nonsense uttered by Secretary Weeks and
ehe outrageous conduct Of Attorney General
Daugnerty. The President is country town
man. with the country towns distrust Of Wall
S1rees mingled strongly with his respect for il.
He let the coal miners win their str,ke erd
when the railroad strikers had lost +hair
strike the Administration foolishlv oora :.
most unnecessary kick with the Dauphertv in
junction. But Hardmg's fair pronosala-ro-
5ected at different times by both e}de.-;ndi-
Gates the fairness Of his mind.
80 we may say that, like most men who ara
essentially gentle. he is also fair as he unav be
1he reason why he is not fairer than he IN
comes nos for lack Of courage but comes he.
cause ne doesn't know how to be fairar than
ne Is. A'1ack Of information, a limited back
ground IN his experience, is his most obvious
drawback. Roosevelt and Wilson knew the
DOCKS where they could fnd truth. They vere
schoiars who had read Of the problems before
tnem and mad associated with well-read men,
PRESIDENT Harding has made his living n.
publisher, rather than a. an editor. His CON-
Germs were politics as it affected circulation
ana advertising rather than fundamental nol-
c1es rs they affected the life about him. Ha
mad followed his party. He had cared l,tt,a
Tor platforms and much for victories, Hence
1he distractions that make big issues ara new
TO hlm. he senses ont much, and when he "a
sure he moves bravely. But he Is too often
insure.
his courageAs never clustering, never crue1
never sef-seeking. But his courage never
1a1ls him. His veto of the bonus took grit
MS advocacy ofsshe, ship subsidy took some
thing OF the same quality. One was popular
IN many quarters. the other was, popular In
boc q few. But popularity does mob gauae %he
quality OF the Presidents nerve. Il also Is
gentle, digniAed, persuasive rather than au.
gressive. but always steady.
30 there he stands, our ruler~tor two years
and i've months more. We need expect M
new man to emerge. He Is what he ID and
Will be--a gentle, sincere, fairminded man with
courage and without pretense. He is not piv.
en- TO intrigue. Nc one accuses him of lvino
he is not sophisticated, and because he is kind
ne is never rude. He has no hobbies. ia not
hampered by convictions about public matters.
goes at a days work with desire to do n
we'll and let. it, go at that. He Is no Caesar.
but neither is he Cassius nor q Brutus. Ana