The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-10-26
Will the Bigger Harding Emerge?

1t is reported that President Harding S
| mood toward his job is changing. There
may be hope in the report. On the other
hand, there may be no hope at all. 1t
depends on what mood shall succeed
the first one. The President entered Of
ice more impressed by the honor of the
place by the great height to which it
lifted him, personally, than by anything
Else. There was also, of course, a senti-
mental acknowledgment Of the respons-
bility involved. Being an emotional
man, the President rehearsed to himself
q tender way all the glamour and
omance Of the Presidency, and did
poetic justice to the place. He enjoyed
t effectively as perhaps few men have
lone. He viewed it as an honor" hand
I'd him on silver platter by an I'M
.recedented majority. much as lesser
men might regard a testimonial dinner.
rhe recipient Of the honor of a testi-
monial dinner, however, assumes no re-
possibilities and has no harsh duties
TO perform with reference to it-where-
in the Presidency differs greatly from
: compliment.
n justice to Mr.. Harding it should be
said that he was not ambitious for the
Presidency. 1t might have been better
for the country If he had been. for then
the second mood would have found him
fighting. Mr.. Harding's second mood
threatens to be one of disappointment
and perhaps withdrawal. 1t is conceiv-
able (making the deduction from COM
mon knowledge Of human nature) that
ne might say to the crowd who worked
him into the nomination, Here! you
NaVe wanted to run this; I have listen
eH to you and you have made mess
IL it; now take it and run it yourselves,
and leave me alone until the time comes
for me to get out of this place" That
IS the mood which, in some tenapera-
naentS, naturally succeeds the mood de-
scribed above. If this should be the
state OF mind into which the President
Velapses, then there is no hope for this
administration. The danger arises in
the Presidents lack of personal an1bi-
tion and in his Discrimination to engage
in any form OF strife.
Just to take stock Of few facts con-
ccrninG the administration. In the
first place, Mr.. Harding entered upon
the Presidency under the best possible
circumstances, in that the nation did not
expect anything from him, which left
every good act free to be counted as 100
per cent gain. Few Presidents have so
fortunately started at zero. with no
reputation to live up to, no, record of
achievement to sustain, no program of
promises to fulfil. Added to this were
the best wishes OF the nation, as typi-
fled in the enormous majority by which
the election was carried.
On that best OF clean States. what has
asen wFittsn?" Offhand, the man on the
street, the thoughtful citizen in Ameri-
cas- million homes. will name three
things: certain cabinet appointments:
the Washington Conference for the
Limitation of Armament; the bonus
veto. These will be named because they
are the biggest features Of the admin
stration to date. The fiasco of coal
control will not be mentioned, probably,
for it is not an issue; it was just what
the people had been led to expect from
what had preceded it. The people are
not unreasonable; they do not demand
action from thrice proven in
AS 70 the question Of cabinet appoint
in n pinch, would prob
ably narrow itself down to one appoint
lncnt--no one challenges the Presidents