Evening star., 1923-08-08

"A good man and a typical average
American who sacrificed himself on the
altar of duty"
That sentiment accurately sumwa-
rizes the editorial expression OF nearly
every newspaper in the United States
in commenting on the death OF Warren
Gamaliel Harding. twenty-ninth Presi-
dent of the United States.
The sorrow is universal. Partisan
snip has completely disappeared. From
the north and the south and the east
ard the west the feeling is one of per-
sonal bereavement. 1t was the passage
of a man who was the friend Of every
one. Customary AS it Is to write the
faults of our friends on the sands ana
their virtues on the tablets of memory
here Is a case where only the latter
seems necessary in the view of the
American press. The very weaknesses
of the dead man were the weaknesses
which endeared him to the people-a
disposition of loyalty to his friends and
to try to please everybody and hurt no
man.
Editors agree that it is too early yet
to fix his place in history. His admins
trative achievements have been many.
He piloted the ship of state through the
period of post war adjustment; he in
system. while his naval disarmament
and Pacific conference treaties bulk
large as the various writer's see them,
but time must give the proper perspec-
tive on this work. Today tears blur
the visage as the eyes of America are
focused on the new-made grave in the
tiny valley of the Marion cemetery
above which the two giant elms shall
keep faithful visage over all that re-
mains of the dead chieftain.
There comes first, naturally. the trib-
ute of his 'home folk" carried in the
columns of the Marion Star. long owned
by him, that "those who were close to
him can hardly escape the feeling that
il must have been given to him to see
into the future, when, robust and the
picture Of health he told them shortly
before the inauguration that he would
1t may be said here that his great
heart-which was alike his strength
and his weakness-proved his undoing.
or all our Presidents he was the most
democratic at heart-ths most ap-
proachable He added TO his already
mighty burden by taking on those of
others. No appeal, no matter how
IowIy. was passed by him. He gave
freely-too freeiy-of hbs tirpe and effort.
He never counted the cost and spared
himself. Full appreciation Of Warren
c.. Harding, the President, will not be
written today-probably not in this
generation-but posterity will weigh his
achievements as President, and they
have been many and great, at their full
worth. But the measure of Warren G..
Harding, the man, is today beyond all
question. That he was a man among
men all will concede. None will ques-
tion his bgness of heart. his greatness
Of soul. He thought and lived above
the little things Of life. and yet was so
thoroughly human that TO know him
was to love him; and thus it is that to-
day, while the nation mOurns. our peo-
pie are stunned by the passing of our
citizen and friend-greatest and best
beloved
Not since Lincoln was murdered
has the nation been so profoundly
shocked as today" says the Cleveland
News. The big. strong. clean man
nation found its. Chief Executive gone
like a flash OF lightning leaving
night behind" He was the American
who stood for America. asserts the
San Francisco Chronicle. "and he died
as he would have wished TO die. his
hand still on the task. his ardor for
service still glowing" His death was
the CrOwning of a remarkable serv-
ice. the measure of which can be esti-
mated only when there is considered
the effect of Americas stability on
the worlds civilization" is the point
made by the Springfield Illinois State
Journal; "the world may well weep
at his bier" His place in history
must be answered with time. as the
Baltimore Sun sees it, but "two
achievements at least has he written
into the record that will stand as
monuments TO his administration
his calling of the world powers into
successful conference on disarma-
ment and his courageous and effective
battle I'm behalf of a national budget"
TypiCally of the middle western
viewpoint are the opinions Of the Chi
cago newspapers. Says the Daily
News: "The people have lost a well
beloved President He had their con-
fidence because he had given them
abundant proofs of his integrity and
his earnest desire to serve them to
the best of his ability, and with un-
assuming faithfulness he did his best
for the American. He died honor
ably in harness" The Post recalls
the nation called him from little
western town to its highest Office and
its most burdensome task. He came
Sibility was even greater than the
honor. but accepting the summons of
the people as the voice of destiny
with simple faith that God would
guide and strengthen him for duty,
and the devotion of a loyal heart to
the cause of America He had served
his state with fidelity, and the same
fidelity was given to his country In
the sad ending to the trip which the
President enjoyed with the zest of
a boy. the sympathy goes out to the
widow, the aged father and the fam
lily. the journal believes. and because
of this the political significance is
lost sight of for the moment. but it
is we'll to remember "Mr. Harding s
death may have far-reaching conse-
quences. for 1t removes the party s
ablest harmonizer when his services
were most needed"
American people is emphasized by
the Philadelphia Bulletin in asserting
the President was the victim of the
excessive burdens of an Office whose
mighty responsibilities and incessant
demands on heart, brain and body
have grown almost too much for hu-
man endurance in the last few years.
He is as much a martyr to his high
duty as the three executives who
have perished by murderous violence
striking at the Chief of State" Very
similar in tone are the expressions
from such widely separated points
as the San Francisco Bulletin. the
San Antonio Light, the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram and the Vancouver
World, the latter expressing as well
the deep grief of the British subjects
who only a very few days ago had
personal opportunity to welcome to
Canadian soil the Chief Executive of
their neighboring republic.
Typical among the comments of
the New York city press are the fol-