New-York tribune., 1922-09-28
Harding the Natural
(,
Leader in Reconstr,,e.;;,..

80 "eco"strucii0n
Before I close let me saw 49,.
thing about national sfTairs some-
What were the things
headed most in March. 1927 iH,sfles
there we're five needs Of tho e.ax saiax
der of Importance: ''s' or
First--To have ended ~.
cratic method Of goyernroav. suto-,
sentcd to for the purnose sn' ~ ceRv
ing on tnc war, end The habits sS
modes Of thought and action ,nt eng
had grown up during that sn,s nslea
racy. su'oc.
second-To have abolished 81
Immensely extravagant scale =, me
penditure established during 81 " ex.
and to have restored in H. ssr
economy in the conduct Of soss y.ses
ment. govern
Third--To have normal n,o,...
resumed through the reatorst;ass t;ss'oa !!
q will to industry throuobans" !.
country, and such Industrial r..a % &
justment rs might be necesss,n ssa4
Fourth--To have inter5asy.-,. -
peace established. '~'l0aal'
Fifth-To have for all ~
covery and convalescenca Fr.@ @ -,
condition Of feverish excitemsn. ne =
cident to the war, and a restors+i.- ~
OF the American people 70 thei, 1ssoas saH
mai condition Of cool-headed r,.... a.i''
cal good sense. pi1es''
All OF these things reouirsd o..
exercise Of moral forces gs;.t nv
pure reason nor brute FORE rs.Is
accomplish the desired ~ss.s.a aa
States Of mind had to bo cssa..s ss..s.'
and that cannot be done bv go
or by statute. We were a fars,,.....
people to have brought 10 tbs .a.s lass
or our national government ina, -
this time man who bv fen,nar.r
ment and disposition was nst,,.I1..
ADAPTED to leadership in this :.
taniishmenf of the modes of thouab1,
and action through which the rrs.s.
ness OF onr country has been nra-l.
duced and must be continued.
Mr.. Harding put an end to autoe.
racy by refusing to be an autoeras-
In the first place he selected a CsM.
net OF extraordinary strength ara.
power. Cabinet far above the avar-3
age of capacity. He was not afrs;s.
to have about him men who s-s,,
themselves individually the obiectst
OF public confidence and respect us-
was not afraid to take advice. a.
sought it, and was glad 70 get Is
He was not afraid to have r,.,
ABOUT MN who would tell him ttal.
truth as a matter of course, and la
was big enough to accept that srsi
profit by it. He was not so desir,.ss.
to control the government of tn
United States as he was to do 7-,is
hls full duty as a part of that : y
eminent, observant Of the limitati q
OF his Official power, which he III
lleves, and | am sure we all bel;.~,F
TO be essential to the preserYa.fy
of our free government. So
ne exercised the full funstiur n
leadership incident to MS y
while he expressed formslly and =
formally with the utmost Mani -
and decision mis- own opinion =
governmental policy, while he 81
lowed those opinions in his ow- =.
fcial conduct, ne never attempte .
usurp the official powers Of ofs =
or to use compulsio on or tbrestE ~
punishment. He was earnest slA
strong and persistent in carr ya
out the policies he thought wise. sl,
he was not a tyrant by nature re
had no weakness toward that virs,..
80 hateful, whether in public o. in.
private life. He would listen TO-.
anybody, consider everybody's Point
of view, and then decide himself.
and when he had decided ne was4
1nffcxible. His intercourse vita.
public men and private citizens,
great and small. rich and poor. Is,
characterized always by genuine
good nature, consideration. and With
human sympathy which ii IS so dif---
ficult for any one to initiate success
fully very long. r
The Presidency Of the United
States is so powerful nm Office that
the whole government has TO adjuss
itself to great degree TO the Presi,s
dents way Of doing business. With
that process Of readjus.ment uudsgss
the benign influence of Presidents
Harding autocracy disappeared frcns1 4
the government Of America.
There is 4 strong tendency ID haspl
man nature TO admire the strosg nfssf
the man on horseback-the ss'o-#
crat. The multitude Of vsaklingss
love to lean upon man Of tbat type
and 10 follow him, but free, rupaIef,.
government cannot be carried On Z
in that way. There can be no tree
republic with the spirit of Hsrsps-~
tion. Of hatred and revenge out Only
in the spirit of respect and kaai!t
consideration for the rights, sss
authority and the opinions o' shqs
ones fellows. ~
Some useful things which have re-
manned undonc might perhaps ssss
been done, and some things mlgas
have been done better during tas
past eighteen months by the appllss'
tion of autocratic methods IN ea,
government; some Senators aas
Congressman might have been g.
creed, bulldozed. into acting agslass
their own Judgment. but all thess
possible things would have been :.
infinitesimal consequence compares
with the injury of autocratic methoes
that would have perpetustec as
autocratic habit. and compared WIZ
the fact that the Presidents reisssl
to use those methods has oroagas
us back co the sound basis of limitsas
OowerS ppnr ,yh;eh our irSfifgss1Ht