Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-08-30
WITH VISION, CONFIDENCE
AND SYMPATHY

Senator Lodge never more impress
sively expressed his faith in the
American people and in the Amerl-
can Government than he did in his
address on the occasion of the cele-
bration at Gloucester, this week.
The reader feels that the years have
d brought, instead of acerbity, a clear
CT knowledge of the American heart,
a deeper sympathy with its emotions,
a wider and more comprehensive
understanding of the enduring
qualities of our Government.
His tribute to Mr.. Harding is that
which should be taken to ones heart.
II have never SEEN" he said, and
his acquaintance with public officials
has been both of long duration and
of unusual comprehension, "a man in
high office beset as our President
was by endless clamor and faced by
countless questions, great and small,
who met all difficulties in a spirit
so purely disinterested as President
Harding. However he decided
question or replied to request, he
never thought of himself; no per-
sonal ambition ever swayed him.
He thought only of what his duty
was and what he believed to be for
the best interests of the American
people whom he loved.
This l know we'll from close OBJ
servation, but the people instinc-
lively felt it and had faith in his
purity of motive and in his indiffer-
o ence to his own fortunes when his
, public duty came to him for per-
. Torrance"
''- He sees, also, a decp-lying, unerr-
ing instinct in our people in that they
were able, though not having en-
joyed the privilege of personal &C
Quaintance with the man, yet to hold
him in their affections and sincerely
. mourned his death.
With regard to the passing of the
power of the greatest office IN the
world into the keeping of Mr.. Cool
idge he impressively calls attention
to a feature of our governmental
system and draws therefrom in,
SEPARATION and confidence.
perhaps you wonder why I dwell
upon this incident which went by
without comment and was taker
by everyone as matter of course
That is the very reason why L speaF
of it, because it was taken as
matter of course by the American
people. Pause a moment and reflect
The greatest office in the world o.
men, as l esteem it, passed in an in
slant from one man to another and
while sorrow and mourning spread
to every nook and corner of the
country, there was not a ripple o.
excitement seen or a voice of ques-
ton heard, as to the change in tht
chief magistracy, throughout tht
length and breadth of this great land
An event. which in some countries
might have meant revolution, passeC
here in perfect silence and complete
acceptance.
What n tribute to the strength
of our government, the peoples
government: what a splendid evil
dence of the ingrained. deep rootec
reverence for the law ana ordel
which are the bulwarks of freedom.
With like vision he sees: '1f in the
divine wisdom this heavy sorrow wa:
fated to come upon us, we may
deem ourselves highly fortunate II
the man upon whom the great re-
sponsibility under the terms of the
"a constitution was thus suddenly i'm
posed. President Coolidge is one o.
our own, our very own. We know
him and honor him and believe ir
him, and the trust we feel in hin
will, we are sure, soon be shared b!
the whole country"
Those who heard even those who
read Senator Lodges address on this
occasion must arrive at clearer
saner comprehension of Americanisn
and of the privileges and obligations
of citizenship.
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