The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-08-09
THE NATIONS
HEARTACHES

The heart of the nation Is bleed
ing these days, IS from an open
wound that NO surgeon and no
stitches can close. 1t Il as II the
greatest spark In American life had
gone out, leaving deepest of shadows
at the Golden Gate. At the hour
when hope and assurance were ours
and every body was happy In the
covering and about to go on his way
a cord snapped and it was all over.
The case Is made sadder by the
fact that we are part of troubled
world cropping for the paths to re-
covery from worldwide injuries, and
that when we had a president who
was an all-round man, man of the
people who came up thru the ranks;
a man who understood as few presi-
dents ever have, the east, the west,
the north and the south, and was
just completing the greatest course
of study that a president ever took
to become acquainted with the
farthest northwest and farthest
southeast, his valuable life should &c
out.
1t is especially sad for the west
because he had studied irrigation
and the needs of the west as no
other president ever had, and he was
surrounding himself in office and as
counselOrs with men of the broadcast
and most practical understanding of
western problems. His friendship
for and interest in the great seven
state Colorado river project for
handling irrigation, power and
floods, not to mention the other
lesser projects of staggering volume;
his f1rst-hand knowledge of the rich
empire of the northland on the west
and the studies he was to have made
Of the situation at Panama and
Porto Rico, the other extreme from
Alaska, were multiplying his under
standing and the value of his judy
ment and craftsmanship, and no
other man can take his place in such
full measure any more than anyone
else could be found to take the place
of the great Lincoln after his in
tensive study Of race questions and
what grew out Of them leading up to
and during the Civil war. While
another man Is learning what Hard
ing already knew. this generation
Will nave 8U0ek0Q lJS lO68.
But while the nations pulse
throbs with regrets and grief, there
is a hopeful aspect to take account
of in this crisis. His death i'm
the ideas for which he
stood and fixes them in the public
and official mind as detectives to
work to. The best organized press
system the world has ever known.
has at night and morning passed out
current information regarding his
views. his studies from day to day ON
his trip, he has had his biggest and
best men at his elbow to see and to
and to advise with him and to
listen to and consider what was
presented In conferences; these
Kings have been made vocal not
only In the conferences, but In the
records and the press Of the country,
ind by every means that science
could command. the information has
,een made universal, SO that he
caves his c0untrymen holding the
ems and the threads of the great
york vested in him while he lived. i
Mrs. Harding has long been the
elicate one of the pair-not very
trong. and last winter we nearly
Ost her. Then Mr.. Harding had in I
uenza and was taken south to rest
nd recover. But 1t was her c0ndi- =
ION that was emphasized, not his. T
When they considered his western
rip, she was considered most, and
e did not decide to take the trip y
ntil physicians approved 1t for her.
ii this time he was suffering, for u
lfluenza had left its mark on his u
ltals, and the strain Of meeting so e
ANY people and making so many =,
)eeches was heavy on him. They u
ere each anxious about the other, II
ut the public did not know more 81
ian part of that until it was all 4,
yer with him. They had won the 81
carts of all by their kindness and "
lmanness all the way, and on the u
ng funeral trip back across the 80
'ntinent, the train was made to ex- 81
ess the spirit of the two by its con- W
let toward the people along the re
ay. The train that was decked in DC
'od cheer and optimism on the trip W
est, speeding along with great ne
wer and great joy, the exponent of De
e nations wealth and purposes, OF
Is now turned into great solemn,
ent power moving back across the pa
untry, the index of the nations oe
ief. The human thing about it 90
ls that by order of the brave, but III
ief-stricken survivor of that pair ar
9 train slowed down wherever a ex
pup of people assembled on the I'M
stern plains, showing the same IN
'pect for their wishes as they stood vi
covered by the track on the desert ca
Ids as was done in the great ma
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