Thursday, September 2, 1920

Senator Harding greets two groups from Chicago today. The first, a delegation of teachers, hears a speech on education:

Gentlemen of the Committee: — Your visit to me today is one which I most heartily welcome because it suggests an appeal to the sympathy and concern of every American. You represent the great army of teachers of this country — those patient soldiers in the cause of humanity upon whom rests one of the most profound responsibilities given to any men or women. 

And yet, the disadvantages that beset your profession indicate a serious menace to our national institutions. It is indeed a crisis in American education that confronts us. If we continue to allow our public instructors to struggle with beggarly wages we shall find ourselves with closed schools; our education will languish and fail. It is a patent fact that never have our teachers, as a whole, been properly compensated. From the days when the country teachers "boarded around" to the present hour the profession has never been adequately compensated. Requiring, as it does, a high degree of mental equipment, a long preparation, severe examination tests, the maintenance of a proper state in society, and giving employment only a part of the year, with compensation too meager, the wonder of it is that we have had the service of these devoted persons employed in educating our youth.

The second, the Chicago Cubs, are here to play an exhibition game against the Kerrigan Tailers, a minor league team based in Marion. (There's a specific reason for the visit. See the other post today.)

On his front porch, Harding discusses America's pastime:

I pay to you my tribute to baseball, because I like the game, just like every other real American. It has been in the blood for over a half century, and it has helped us as a people. Of course, there has been a vast improvement since the early game, but I am sure it is not reactionary to remind you that you still try to hit them out and the big thing is to reach the home plate. There are progressive ideas, but it rejoices the average crowd of rooters to note an old-fashioned Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance...

Hail to the team play of America! Hail to a hundred millions of American rooters, the citizenship of the Republic, who expect Uncle Sam to put them over or bat them out as the situation requires, and counts upon team play in government, team play in citizenship and everybody interested in America first.

The Hardings arrive at the ball park at 3 p.m. Harding is photographed with the team: 

He also plays catch with Grover Cleveland Alexander: "Alexander didn't use his wicked twirls, but it was good for the movies. Having 'warmed up,' Senator Harding stood in the pitcher's box and struck out [Max] Flack, the Cub's right fielder. It was a technical strikeout, for both Flack and the umpire were generous, while the Marion catcher had to reach wide for the last two rows."

According to this wire photo, Alexander is standing to Harding's left:

Over 5,000 people watch Alexander pitch two innings, and the Cubs win the game 3 to 1.

Sources:

• "5,000 See Cubs Win from Marion's Team." Marion Star. 3 September 1920.
• "Harding Demands Team Government." New York Times. 3 September 1920.
• "Harding Enjoys Seeing Cubs Play." Boston Globe. 3 September 1920.

This is trivial fun: Future president Ronald Reagan portrayed Grover Cleveland Alexander in The Winning Team, a 1952 biopic co-starring Doris Day.