ies few risks. It is like staying in Marion
instead of going to New York or even Cleveland. It is easier, and
often more profitable than studying hard or thinking deeply or
inquiring too much.

And Mr. Harding's is a mind that bows to authority. What his party
says is enough for Mr. Harding. His party is for protection and Mr.
Harding is for protection; the arguments for protection may be
readily assimilated from the editorials of one good big city
newspaper and from a few campaign addresses. His party is for the
remission of tolls on American shipping in the Panama Canal and Mr.
Harding is for the remission of tolls. Mr. Root broke with his
party on tolls and Mr. Harding is as much shocked at Mr. Root's
deviation as the matrons of Marion would be over the public
disregard of the Seventh Commandment by one of their number. His
party became somehow for the payment of Colombia's Panama claims
and Mr. Harding was for their payment.

A story tells just how Senator Kellogg went to the President to
oppose the Colombia treaty. After hearing Mr. Kellogg Mr. Harding
remarked, "Well, Frank, you have something on me. You've evidently
read the treaty. I haven't."

A mind accepting authority favors certain general policies. It is
not sufficiently inquiring to trouble itself with the details. Mr.
Harding is for all sorts of things but is content to be merely for
them. A curious illustration developed in Marion, during the visits
of the best minds. He said to the newspaper men there one day, "I
am for voluntary military training."

"What would you train, Mr. President," asked one of the
journalists, "officers or men?"

The President hesitated. At last he said, "I haven't thought of
that."

"But," said one of his interlocutors, "the colleges are training a
lot of officers now."

This brought no response.

Another who had experience in the Great War remarked, "In the last
war we were lacking in trained non-coms; it would be a good idea to
train a lot of them."

"Yes," rejoined Mr. Harding eagerly, "That would be a good idea."

A more inquiring mind would have gone further than to be "for
voluntary military training." A quicker, less cautious, if no more
thorough mind would have answered the first question, "What would
you train, officers or men?" by answering instantly "Both."

In that colloquy you have revealed all the mental habits of Mr.
Harding. He was asked once, after he had had several conferences
with Senator Mc