The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-08-06
THE MAN THE NATION HAS
LOST

l
United Sta:es-,rot even DR.. George
T. Harding. himself.
For all the world knew then,
Warren Harding was Just the same
as any other youngster and gifted
! with no more talents than his
srhoolmatcs. One Of them, by the
way. Is now policeman in Mem
his. Tenn, and another is a barber
in a western city.
Eut the queer fates of DESTINY
which had piucked Lincoln from a
log cabin years later sent this lad
In the White House and old DIR.
Harding lived to see the day.
The son of country doctor of
very modest circumstances, and la
ter laborcr, printer, newspaper
publisher and finally president, the
career Of Warren &. Harding fur
hs:es another striking example NJ
what Is possible in America.
Although 'childless himself, Pres.
Harding was a lover of children.
Rarely did an opportunity present
Itself, especially during his lates
years, that he did not take a little
tot by the hand or pat him affec-
tionately on the head He never.
spoke CT it, but somehow those
around him seemed to sense his
longing for child of his own.
Pres. Harding dearly loved his
mother and to him her memory |
was a hallOwed treasurer. Greater
I nan anything else, perhaps, was |
her Influence on his life.
She died 10 years before her boy
became president, fact that
caused him a secret sorrow on his
Inaugural day when he was being
showered with all the honors a ma
ton could 'bestow. 1t was not that
he wished to parade his greatness
before her, but because he knew
the 10y that would warm her heart
II she could only be there.
For many years before she died.
he sent flowers to her regularly
every Sunday morning. He liked
to select them himself so he could
make the prettiest bouquets posi-
Bile. When absent from home, he
usually wired to the florist or made
arrangements before he left. Az
ter she went away from him, he
used to go frequently to the Gene
cry and place wreath on The lit
.!e green knoll where she slept.
These things indicate the kind ,
If man Warren Harding was.
Destiny picked Harding for the
presidency instead OF the ministry
IS his mother wished. but the deep 6
'eligious training that he received ..
rom his mother lived Throughout: ..
he years, as a passage from hi; '.
inaugural address will show:
II believe in prayer" he said SIM y
Wy. II believe in prayer in the
,loset, for there one faces Cool
llcne. Many times the outspokm
prayer Is only for the peoples q !,
ars. I can understand how those i
''ophets OF old in their anxieties, !,
'toblems, nerturbations and per-
';exities found courage and
trength when they gave their n
carts to the great Omnipotent in p
rayer. How many things there /
re in the Scriptures that we in I
ur own worldliness never dis !.
over" !
W
The proudest moment of his life, a
ne president once confessed, was "
OF the day that he stood before II
'e massed throng in front of the
apitol with one hand resting on a
lie Bible and the other raised to l
eaven and took the solemn oath M
the head of the mightiest nation m
mong men. nj
1t was back in Marion, long years g
efore, when he was the leader or m
le town band. A great event in nj
hfo in those days was the annual
md contest at Findlay, to which
came from miles
'ound. The youthful bandmaster NJ
en- Marion had stretched his
edit to the limit to buy new UNI HI
rms for his flock so they might =
'esent Respondent appearance, -
I'd he was gambling on winning
G prize money for reimburse
emit.
The rival bands blared away. ),
oh getting its turn before the (
dyes, but after a few had fol. /
wed them most of the Marion e
ndsmen lost hope and quietly de- +
rted, not wishing to publicly suf- f
the humiliation of defeat. At [
st. none remained but young |
arding. and the clarinet player I
a bass drummer. Imagine his
when the judges called Hard !
forward and announced he had
IN a prize of 5000. which was
IRE than enough to pay for the 1
W uniforms. \
The ovation that he got when he P
turned to Marion, he said in the =
hite House one winter afternoon,
IS the proudest moment of my Y
T.
Warren Hardin. was human.
was his hobby, golf was F
diversion. but dogs where, his S
re. He was fond of dogs-had E
yavs been so--and behind LAD
Boy" whom he accepted as a
ppy when he entered the White /
use was a long line of illustrious-
nine predecessors who had cheer
his lonely moments and soften
his sorrow over. the fact that he
d no children.
There. was Doe the faithful \
nDanion of his childhood who >
ed. to a respectable old age ami i,
s tenderly buried in the back Ii
d. Later In the canine cycle =
ne Hub" -
loon after his Inauguration.
IS. Harding read in a newsna- ~
that the dog Of a Russian immi. IL
ut was about tOgbe shot under
'eculiar state law. Immediaae!v