The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-01-19
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE,
Especial Despatch to The Reformer,l
Copyright 1922.
WASIIINGT0E, Jan. 19.-President
Harding was in soliloquyins mood to-
day on the arduou~ tasks of the presi-
dency is viewed from within and With
out the White House.
Mr. Harding was discussing newspa-
pers. editorial criticism and the execu-
tIve's job He had, been discussing a
public question and his reply was SO
aptly phrascd that the inquirer asked
permission 10 quote the President.
There was twinkling in Mr.. Hard
iugs eyes IL. he explained "a president
really should, not be quoted 50 often,
that sometimes phrase or sentence ut
tered in impgomptu conversation wasn't
Us well polished a. it might be or at any
rate wasn't always dramatically pei
feet and he feared the wrath of some Of
the stylists who lately have been pick
ing his utterances to pieces.
There was nothing plaintive about
Mr., Harding observation i'm this con-
nection. lie gave the impression that
he rather enjoyed the freedom that an
editorial writer had-sayinG just what
he pleased. And Mr.. Harding INDUCED
briefly i'm "reminiscences Of the days when
he too was an editorial writer and eX-
pressed himself with the utmost aban-
don about public men and affairs. But
hc warmed his hearers good naturedIy
that some day if any OF them happened
10 be- elected to the presidential Office
they would lind it vastly different job
writing and saying things Immediately
sent broadcast t0 the world for the in-i
spection and minute criticism of hun
dreds of millions of pc0plc and writing
newspaper articles for the consumption
Of small community like Marion. ..
Feels Responsibility.
Responsibility makes difference
And Mr.. Harding shows il. He cxhfh-l
tie used the occasion with splendid tactI
10 take a Hing at some of the writer's
Who have been CharacteriZing him as
IA Main Street president" with q crude
literary style Mr.. Harding isn't par
ticulariy dl>pieaScd with the references
10 Main Street" If he We're 10 dis
close his true feelings it would appear
that Mr. Harding thinks it Il virtue for
the American people occasionally TO So
lcct someone for the presidency who
knows the simplicity and matter Of fact
problems of the common people of the
United States
But there was just a touch of pathos
i'm The Presidents observations on his
critics. lie gave the impression of Il /
man overwhelmed by the awful RESPONSE
bllricS @. this era OF economic recon
struction."a man torn by the conflicting
emotions of au agricultural West and Il
East inside the Republi-
can party. man who was struggling 10
make Roadway against almost insur
mouutable obstacles in the way of gov
ornament eXponditure>-aHd with such n
burden OF his shoulders hc was not n
little hart that the critics should spend
their time worrying about imprOmptu
remarks made by the President in con-
vtrSatiou with reporters and later sent
broadcast as the mature and deliberate
utteranccs of "a nations chief executive. !
Similar 10 Wilson.
I'm this respect Mr. Harding is not un-
like Woodrow Wilson who suffered bit /
ter criticism from newspapers because of
certain twists of his literary style. Mr.. |
Wilson used to think there were bigger |
things for the critics to write about |
than his style Of expression. MIR. Hard /
ing himself has found that looking at
the presidency from inside the White |
House dwarfs in Importance some of the [
criticisms which are made about a ma |
tons executive and that while he is /
the last person in the world to be Scnsl- |
i've about honest criticism. he wonders |
if the little carping innuendos are neces- |
Sary for the successful working of 4 !
The Presidents little talk would have I,
made much more interesting reading /,
than his FIRST remarks for which permits |
sion to quote was sought But. here |
too, Mr.. Harding took refuge in a self /
imposed modesty which insists that a /
president should be quoted ON things /.
really worth while, things carefully /.
thought out and maturely considered /
and that the outside world should nor
get from the newspapers the impression |
Of a loquacioUs executive with a stilted /
style just because alert persons are
ready to take down everything he may /
say in his waking hours.