, 1923-02-15
Speaking of 1924

SPECULATION as to presidential candidates, in
~ advance of the season of announcement, is a
favorite form of American sport. And Just now
the wise, as well as the wild, psycoanalyZers are
busy with Mr.. Harding, having fairly we'll ex,
hausted subjects in the opposition party.
Senator Watson Of Indiana, but recently in
formed the senate that Mr.. Harding not only would
be a candidate, but would be renominated and re-
elected. The senator may be correct in his state
ment of fact as to Mr.. Harding's candidacy, pro
Tided he makes the announcement with full auth
ority to speak from the president; but his prophecy
Of nomination and particularly of election this far
in advance of the actual occurrences is no more
to be taken seriously than the mere wish or guess
Of thousands of others.
As to the senator's first prophecy, nomination,
this is quite easy of fulfillment if deemed advis.
able, and as a guess is not a bad one regardless
of the intervening time and all the circumstances
likely to be presented during it. An incumbent
president can always renominate himself or have
his friends do it for him. The machinery operated
by federal office holders joined with state ma.
chimes and other delegate securing apparatus,
backed by friendly newspapers can encompass the
result of denomination without great effort.
Granting the forecast of nomination as having
come to pass. This is but a step in the program,
and at that may be the wrong one. Within our
own time Harrison and Taft were renominated, by
similar methods. They were both by far the ADLER
men in comparison with their opponents, but they
were defeated at the election. The methods of
nomination were largely to blame. In both in.
stances the Republican party had wandered so far
away from what a Republican national convention
was originally ueSlSned 10 De thnt the party was
rebuked by its own members and the candidates
suffered the humiliation of defeat.
So, while it is comparatively easy to renomfnate
a president it is not always the wise political thing
to do.
When Warren Harding came to the presidency
by an unusual endorsement of the people of the
country, it was not because of Warren Harding,
personally, it was because Of the abject failure
of the Democratic party in its eight years of rule.
The people understood and were ready to rebuke
anything and everything wearing a Democratic
label. In considering Mr.. Harding as his own
successor the landslide in his favor in 1920 may as
well be forgotten, as all landslides should be for.
gotten. They spell nothing beyond the one cleo
ton.
Confronting Mr.. Harding on March 4, 1921, was
a situation never pareleled. in our history from
point of magnitude in reconstruction. The prob,
lens after the Revolution and the Civil war were
simple in comparison. The government was in an
utter state of disorganization, due in a measure TO
the unfortunate illness of President Wilson. Pub.
lie expenditures were running into the millions
daily, the business of the country was chaotic, the
Democratic congress had passed much unwise leg
1slatlon; and absolutely no preparation had been
made to transform the nation from a war to n
peace basis. The people realized the dangers and
at the first opportunity they had for expressing
their wishes they gave their confidence to Mr..
Harding.
This great show Of public confidence was not
misplaced for while the president had a tremend.
GUS burden placed upon him, he has done as we'll
or even better than any man that could have been
selected in 1920. That he has not satisfied the
people or met the expectations of the people in all
particulars goes without saying. No man could
nave done th"t. He has done the best he could and
rs We'll as 1t was possible for any human to do.