A Note on My Harding Research

The information I posted during 2020 mostly covered Warren Harding's front-porch campaign from his home on Mt. Vernon Avenue in Marion, Ohio. The campaign officially started on July 31, 1920, and ended on September 25. The plan was to post daily on events that occurred exactly 100 years ago that day, but I shared other information as well. You'll have to read bottom-to-top if you want to follow the campaign from Day 1.

I used the open web for some of my research but also information accessible by using my library card or my subscription to www.newspapers.com. The most useful resource was the Marion Star, which was owned by the Hardings at the time of the campaign. I also browsed online copies of other newspapers like the New York Times, the Washington Star, and the Dayton Daily News, which, in 1920, was owned by Harding's Democratic opponent, Governor James M. Cox. I also posted information from other newspapers that covered Harding's trips away from Marion during the campaign.

Another great resource I used was Dale E. Cottrill's The Conciliator, a 1969 biography of the president that expanded an earlier bibliography of Harding's speeches. An online version is available at the Internet Archive, but I used a hard copy borrowed from the State Library of Ohio.

Readers should not construe anything posted here as a political statement on my part. I just like Harding as a historical topic.

8/26/2020

Thursday, August 26, 1920

Senator Harding has to once again make it clear he is not attending the Ohio State Fair.

In the first place I have never made any sort of acceptance for a speaking engagement at the Ohio State fair. At no time have I made any reference to a proposed attendance on the part of Governor Cox or any program he should follow during his attendance. I have absolutely no interest therein. I do have an interest in the success of the Ohio State fair, as does every other citizen of Ohio. I have not found it possible to arrange to attend because of other pressing matters of very great importance.

The candidate meets members of the Marion County Teachers' institute, who've marched to Harding's home from the departmental school building:'

This is really a very happy experience. I am very happy to have your call. Of course, you think we always say that, but I speak with the utmost sincerity. My mind runs back to something like thirty-eight years ago — which, of course, none of you ladies can remember — when I was myself in attendance as a teacher at a Marion County Institute. I had only come from college the year before, and I did what was very much the practice of that time — turned to teaching in my abundant fullness of knowledge, merely as a temporary occupation. If I only knew as much now as I thought I knew then, I would be abundantly capable of fulfilling the office for which I have been named.


Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)