Evening star., 1923-12-11

tTeSlueDL IOOllCSeS eUlOgy or
President Harding was as follows:
One of the brief poems that have
touched the hearts of men is
that wherein Leigh Hunt tells Of
the visit Of an. angel to earth. re-
cording the names of "those who
love the Lord"
And is my name there?'
may, not so,' replied the angel.
"Then write me down." he was told.
''as one who loves his fellow
men,"
The angel came again to show his
list of those who loved the
"And lo!" the name of him who
loved his fellow men lied all
the rest"
1t will be hard to find a better
picture than this of President
Harding, the man we loved and
mourn. He loved his fellow men,
and because they felt ii and knew
it, they loved and trusted him.
His whole life, from the knee Of
that cherished mother who had
an inspired faith in him down 10
the day when a sorrowing world
laid it's tributes to his bier, was a
continuing testimony to his de-
votion to them and to their faith
in him.
Some will say that such sweet
and gentle nature could only have
found it's setting and It's oppor-
tunity for service in strange and
peculiar time. Perhaps they are
right. Yet he came to the worlds
stage in an hour when II seemed
set for other characters. The
captains and the kings. the armies
and the navies, the men who
would have war and the men who
would not have peace had long
dominated the scene. Where among
them could place be made. could
ear be found for this kindly. gen.
tie, gracious soul?
Harding Found His Place.
% Yet he found his place. He
caught the ear of a war-tired
world. He called our country
back to the paths Of peace and
gladly IL came. He beckoned the
nations to come and sit in council.
He pointed them the way to peace.
cast away the sword from the arm
OF might. He sought for men and
nations q peace-the only true and
lasting peace - based on Justice
and right. He stood first and firm
for his own country, then for
MANKIND. Ills SluSSIlly civ -
ness won to his side those who
sensed the great truth of human
brotherhood So he led the way
to the monumental accomplish
ments of the Washington confer
ence on Limitation Of armament.
The same simplicity and direct
ness marked his program In do.
mestio affairs His was the steaay'
strong, inspiring hand OF guild
ance and helpfulness. 1t was
never the mailed fist OF compul-
sion. He knew that the greatest
need of the world was peace with
industry and production. He ask
thrift and the will to make good
the losses that had been inflicted
in the years Of strife. He called
his counLrym en- to set an example
of those homely virtues, and they
did. He gave without remorse OF
tragic end. He rose above misun-
derstandings and misrepresenta.
tions, but he was curiously In
capable of hard feeling toward
those who were unfair with him.
In time when the minds OF many
hurried conclusions he held back
and dared to take his time and
thought before deciding. He was
free from the pride of opinion,
but strong in the determination of
conviction; He eo,I1a had ut that at calm calm
pressed, but that was firm and
final when decision had been
reached.
He was criticized because his
own country under his leadership
did not move forward so fast as
some wished. But when. worn out
borne, he laid down the burden.
leadership had accomplished. They
saw that 1t had been a leader
ship forward and upward, in an
era when most other countries
ward. They saw that prosperity
smiled once more on favored
land. They saw that prosperity
and material well being were
somehow strangely rare in other
lands SO they came to realize
leadership had wrought for his
country.
Mourned Abroad and at Home.
It was natural that such char
acter, passing from the stage of
life. should leave the multitudes
q sense of personal loss. Seldom,
indeed, has any mans death left
that feeling among so many He
was mourned abroad and at home.
The conviction was felt every
where that he was one Of the men
best fitted to serve a distracted
world in q difficult period OF it's
history.
But he was not permitted to
finish his task. He broke and went
down under the load. In the hour Of
sorrow for his loss, men and
women were moved to q broader
charity; q relaxation Of partisan
excesses, q determination to be
fair and moderate and reasonable.
His life became, in the tragic sor-
row of it's end, a lesson in the
value Of simple and modest ways.
We mourn him today, and we
shall mourn him 80 long as re-
membrance holds before us tho
snoa faith and CHsistisa toisr.