Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-07
HARDING CERTAIN
Of DENOMINATION,
LAWRENCE THINKS
Warmth of Reception En-
heartenS President for
Election TaSk-May Re-
frain From Entering Pri-
mary Campaign
BY DAVID LAWRENCE A
Ueased Wire Service to The JournaI.l
Copyright, 1921

Copyright, 1921
President Harding may or may
have not won the confidence of the
,.eOuntry on his western trip-that
is matter for the 1924 election to
settle-but he has certainly assured
himself Of denomination. it will take
! political earthquake to dislodge
| him.
! Before the president went west there
were all sorts of rumors to the effect
! that he was not particularly keen
! about a second term and that he
might be disposed to withdraw vol
UNFAIRLY from the race. These were
predicted on the assumption that
| he would find himself unpopular in
the west and that he would be much
more likely to decline to be cam
didate for denomination than to
place the party in a position which
would bring inevitable defeat in the
1924 election itself.
The writer has talked with the
president on the subject of renomi-
nation and can say with authority
that the true viewpoint of Warren
G. Harding has not been accurately
reflected either by those who have
insisted that Mr.. Harding was seek
ing a second term or those who
have represented him as undecided
whether he would strive to be re-
nominated.
Naturally, Mr.. Harding is anx.
ious for a continuation in power OF
the Republican party. Even as
early as the first few months of his
administration there were people
who sought to discuss with him the
matter of a second term. He always
put it off, arguing that the business
in hand was to make good in the
term for which he was elected with,
out thinking of second one. Just
before he went to Florida Mr.. Har.
ding told friends who inquired about
it that he did not feel it proper to
make an announcement of candidacy
one way or the other and that he
believed it was matter which the
Republican party should decide it.
self.
Friends Force Issue
Friends of the president, like At.
torney General Daugherty, how.
| ever, took it upon themselves to
predict that Mr.. Harding would be
renominated and while these public
statements were accepted as the
equivalent Of an announcement by
Mr.. Harding himself, they were not
intended as such by him. They
were designed by the friends Of Mr.
Harding to checkmate possible oppo,
sitlCn and to squelch incipient
booms. 1t was case in which the
friends of Mr.. Harding boldly took
the strategy into their own hands.
Nor could the president show dis
pleasure because the move was Oh"
viously in his interest.
Yet the fact remains that the
president feels it is not incumbent
upon him to seek the nomination.
If his record is deserving of a re-
nomination, he would feel honored
to have the party give it to him.
1t is too early to say what his atti-
tude will be toward the. primaries
next spring, but not being a very
ardent believer in the primary sys.
tenn, it will hardly be surprising II
Mr.. Harding refrains from entering
the primary campaign.
One of the reasons why so many
political people have been intimat-
ing that possibly the president
would withdraw from the race is
| their knowledge of his own sense of
resignation to fate. He has said
upon occasions that there were lots
worse things in life than being beat
en- for the presidency. He IS the
| type of man who, when the rule of
| the majority is against him, accepts
| the verdict with a feeling that he
| has done his best. Should he fail
of denomination, or reelection,
Warren Harding will be a. good
| loser.
But on the western trip the presi-
dent himself was inspired by the
warmth and cordially of the recep-
ton given him. He is convinced that
what America needs at the present
time is a continuation of this policy
of calmly trying to avoid the ex.
IRENE in anything. He believes
lily pursuing a middle of the road,
soothing policy, in these days of
trouble and confusion than by the
spectacular methods of the SUPER
statesman.
Summary Of Platform
The presidents platform as thus
far enumerated can be summarized
as follows:
1. Agriculture-A generous extern
sion of credits to rural enterprises
with promise of a comprehensive
scheme for cooperative marketing
to be laid before the next congress.
2. Transportation - Consolidation
of railroads into regional groups
with an expressed confidence that
this will lead to substantial econom.
les and indirectly bring about q re-
duct1on of the public debt.
3. Government Finance-Continued
reduction of the public debt, undi-
minshed efforts to economic on
government expenditures, but with
no promise as yet Of further reduc-
tons in taxation. This is more like
ly to be made definite in the spring
of 1921, when more is known of the
revenues available for the year 1923.
4. Labor-A distinct expression of
friendship for organized labor. and a
flat reputation of the idea that the
Republican party will encourage
any conspiracy to overthrow the
unions or the advantages they have
achieved in the last generation.
o. Wo"'c Court "A willingness to
meet the 1rreconcilabIes" more than
~ II.