Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-13
RESIGNED
To FATE REGARDING
ANOTHER CAMP A|G|V
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal
(ConYright. 1923

| (CopyrgnI, 1870
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9-Presi-
dent Harding has adopted an inter
esting attitude toward the question
of whether he should or should not
be renominated in 1924.
The president agrees with the ar
gument advanced by Senator Robin
son, the Democratic leader, that dis
cussion of candidates. this far in
| advance of the national conventions
is decidedly premature. He is not
unaware, however, of the cross cur
rents in the American senate and
certain senators have thought
enough of the Importance of these
currents to go to the White House
and seek something definite on
which to chart their course in the
| political debates which have sprung
up in congress.
Mr.. Harding has shown no hest
fancy in talking frankly with his
callers on the subject, for he feels
| 1t is, at this time at any rate, more
or less an impersonal matter. Mr..
Harding believes it all boils down
to this: If the administration has
been success, the party in 1924
| naturally will want to renominate
the man who has stood at the head
of that administration; if it is re-
garded as a failure, the nomination
may not be attractive to any Re
publican aspirant, as the people will
turn to the other party's candi-
date
Resigned to Fate
Under these circumstances, if the
party leaders were to think that
someone else had better make the
race, Mr.. Harding probably would
be found resigned to the turn of
events. But the chances are against
such an outcome because if the adj
ministTation is to be the issue in
the campaign, which it undoubtedly
will, the party leaders will wish to
have the men who made the record
stand forth and defend it.
Warren Harding is distinctively a
party man, He always has felt that
duty to party was above the obliga.
ton to individuals. He feels that
way about himself. And he is will
ing to abide by any decision the par
ty may make in 1924. There are
positive disadvantages to any explicit
statement on the subject at this
juncture. Fl st of all, if he were to
say that he did not care for a re-
nomination, it would simply stimu-
late all the variouSepersons who want
the nomination to begin active cam
paigns. Party solidarity in con,
gress would give way to Individual
ism. Chances OF making a good leg
islatiye record might be impaired by
the desire of candidates to advertise
themselves as militant champions of
various measures. And it is known
fact that parties make greatest head
way when they are harmonious
rather than divided into groups and
blocs.
If, ony~the other hand, President
Harding were to say fatty that he
is a candidate for denomination it
would be like firing the opening gun
in the presidential campaign itself.
Would Be Bothered
The efforts of political groups and
organizations of various kinds to in
fluence his course on pending mat
tiers would be redoubled. Pressure
to get friends appointed to public of
flee would be eXerted in the light of
what delegations could be mustered
for the first ballot of the national
convention as we'll as what votes
could be gathered for the final fight
in the autumn after the nominations
have been made.
Mr.. Harding knows what it is to
deal with patronage. It's the most
troublesome and perplexing phase of
presidential work. To announce him
self as a candidate at tIis stage of
the game would impart for the next
twelve months a physical strain
which could not but diminish the
energy of man who has the respon-
sibility of the presidency
The president is anxious to avoid
discussion of the denomination
question. He did not desire the re-
cent speech of Senator James Wat
son, Indiana, Republican, but the
latter made his own prediction of
what the Republican party woull
do and he said Mr.. Harding would
surely be renominated.
Watson Mentioned
There has been talk on Capital
an aspirant for Republican nominal
ton in 1924. All this has been on
the theory that Mr. Harding was
tired and would withdraw volun-
tarily. Senator Watson did go to
the White House. His speech is
his own deduction of what will hap
pen and it amounts to a disavowal
of any candidacy of his own. 1t
will be recalled that Herbert Hoover
took occasion recently to announce
his belief that Mr.. Harding would
be renominated. He, too, had been
mentioned as d candidate in the
event that Mr.. Harding withdrew.
The fact to be borne in mind is
that Mr.. Harding has no intention
Of giving up the presidency for per-
sonal convenience, as has been indi-
Gated from time to time by some
who enormously interpreted his
candid remarks about the weighty
responsibilities of a president in this
reconstruction period. Mr.. Harding
will accept the nomination if his
party wants him. That's all there is
to it. And with that fact definitely
implanted in the minds of Repub-
Leans the ones who seek the nomi
nation will not be numerous as his
tory has proved that in most cases
the man in the White House is re-
nominated by his party.
Thrty-Three Printing