Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1923-08-10

Today the nation bows its head
in paying a last tribute to the
memory OF its dead President,
Warren G. Harding, whose re-
mains will be laid in their last
resting place in his home town,
Marion, Ohio, besite those Of his
late mother. The death of Pres
ident Harding, following the en-
couragiDg bulletins issued only a
few hours before, came as a dis
tinct shock to the country and
the world Profound sorrow
permeates the entire country
and the sympathy of all, regard
less Of race, color, creed or poll.
tics, goes out 10 his grief-stricken
widow, who stood so courage
ously by him throughout his life
and whose inspiration and CO.
operation made his life a distinct
success, and the nation wishes
her good health and strength to
bear up under the great shock
that has befallen her.
There have been few Presi-
dents for whom the American
people, regardless of party, have
shown such general liking and
esteem than Warren G.. Harding,
and there would be sincere sor-
row over his taking of even if he
were not, as chief magistrate of
the nation, the representative of
us all. There have been greater
Presidents than he, but none
who has more sincerely tried to
serve his country or shown more
courtesy, friendliness and good
will to all with whom he came in
contact.
He, himself, never oyerrated
his powers, and his natural mod
esty was reinforced by the close
contact with people brought by
his experience as newspaper
editor IN a small city. He did
not pretend 10 be a genius, ana
believed, not without reason, that
the people like sometimes to
raise to nigh office an average
man OF little intellectual preten-
sions, but closely in touch with
popular feeling. That he repre-
scented faithfully the feeling OF
America in some OF its phases
during the great psychological
let-down that followed the war
can hardly be gainsaid. He put
it concisely in the odd word
normalcy," which will always
be associated with his admins
tration. 1t expressed very well
the general craving for relief
from agitation and a return, il
that were possible, to the hap
pier days which the war had SO
rudely interrupted.
Such a return no administra-
ton could possibly effect, and ii
history tinds fault with the Har-
ding administration it is likely
to be for falling to realize fully
the impossibilIty Of restoring
normal conditions, in any but the
most superficial sense, until
grave problems had been solved.
Yet to judge it from a term So
cruelty cut short is hardly Just,
since in a great measure Presi-
dent Harding was waiting upon
events, and while a more aggres-
sive personality might have ac-
complished more in SO limited a
time, it is also true that his full
term might have yielded the OPP
portunity Tor which he was wait
ing.
1t is pleasant to think that he
lived to see the ratification of the
treaties negotiated by the Wash
ington conference, by far the
greatest of the achievements OF
his administration and a cause
which he had deeply al heart.
In his last days he was no earn
estly DESTROYS to see America
participate in the work OF the
world court, and his last utter
ence, which he was not able toI
deliver in person, was the San
Francisco speech which closed
with a strong appeal Tor such
action; it was his farewell mes
sage to the American people,
and it will have much weight.
His death would at any time
have been a blow to the nation;
the blow is all the heavier for
coming in days Of such anxious
uncertainty as these. There is
more reason to be thankful for
his ability to surround himself
with able men who can carry on
tho xrfSs.lx