Warren G. Harding is not considered one of America’s greatest presidents (served 1921-23). Indeed, he is usually ranked as a “failure” by “presidential” historians (few of whom can be trusted today). There were certainly scandals in his administration and he was accused (after he died) of extra-marital affairs and other naughty things. However, my intent in this article is not to argue any case, for or against, Mr. Harding.
My purpose here is to compare the views of two presidents on the matter of race: Mr. Harding (a Republican) and his predecessor, Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Neither man was a saint, neither was a demon. I only want to look at some comments they made about race. These statements will certainly show who the “racist” was, at least in these words.
First, Mr. Harding. In a speech on October 26, 1921, he said:
“These things lead one to hope that we shall find an adjustment of relations between the two races [black and white], in which both can enjoy full citizenship, the full measure of usefulness to the country and of opportunity for themselves, and in which recognition and reward shall at last be distributed in proportion to individual deserts, regardless of race or color.
“There [have] been times when we heard too much about the labor vote, the business vote, the Irish vote, the Scandinavian vote, the Italian vote, and so on. But the demagogues who would array class against class and group against group have fortunately found little to reward their efforts. That is because, despite the demagogues, the idea of our oneness as Americans has risen superior to every appeal to mere class and group.
“We cannot go on, as we have gone for more than a half century, with one great section of our population, numbering as many people as the entire population of some significant countries of Europe, set off from real contribution to solving our national issues, because of a division on race lines.”
At another time, Harding said, there should be “no occasion” for “limitations of the individual’s opportunity.” “I would insist upon equal educational opportunity for both” blacks and whites.
That has basically been the position of the Republican Party for much of its history. Abraham Lincoln, as would nearly all Americans of his age, would certainly be considered a “racist” today, saying that he believed, in effect, that blacks were inferior to whites. Racism in America (and elsewhere) absolutely must be understood in its historical context, something liberals NEVER try to do. The misuse and abuse of history by the Left is one of the most frustrating points I, as a historian, constantly face. They rewrite history to fit their philosophy, with no regard to context or historical period. That is totally unfair, but nothing about the Left IS fair. They don’t know the meaning of the word justice.
Regardless, we have Warren G. Harding’s words. Any decent American in 2023 would be hard-pressed to find flaws in what he said, as quoted above.
The same cannot be spoken of Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, who was elected president in 1912 and served two terms. Wilson was a segregationist who wrote a history textbook praising the Southern Confederacy and, in particular, the Ku Klux Klan. As president, he rolled back hard-fought economic progress for black Americans, overseeing the segregation of multiple agencies of the federal government. Here are some statements from this Democratic Party icon:
“The white men were roused by a mere instinct of self-preservation—until at last there had sprung into existence a great Ku Klux Klan, a veritable empire of the South, to protect the Southern country.”
“Segregation is not a humiliation but a benefit, and ought to be so regarded by you gentlemen.”
“[Reconstruction government was detested] not because the Republican Party was dreaded but because the dominance of an ignorant and inferior race [black] was justly dreaded.”
“The whole temper and tradition of the place [Princeton] are such that no Negro has ever applied for admission, and it seems unlikely that the question will ever assume practical form.”
“In the matter of Chinese and Japanese coolie immigration, I stand for the national policy of exclusion. We cannot make a homogenous population out of people who do not blend with the Caucasian race…Oriental Coolieism will give us another race problem to solve and surely we have had our lesson.”
Again, putting Wilson into his historical context is important. He made these statement publicly, and obviously could not have done so if he thought they would be denied or rejected by the majority of his fellow-countrymen. Racism has certainly a sordid history in America, as it has had in almost every other place in the world. If you still want to see a grandiose example of it, go live in Communist China, like I did for 10 years. Americans—especially Leftists—are too insular and parochial, and basically know nothing about the rest of the world, as it exists now, or as it has ever existed.
But, look at Wilson’s quotes, then look at Harding’s. Mr. Harding didn’t do much about the racial divide in America—that wasn’t perceived, in the early 20th century, as a role government should adopt—but in his words, he did recognize it and condemn it. That was a step Mr. Wilson—supposedly the “greater” of the two presidents—hadn’t taken yet.
And one might argue that the Democratic Party has made little or no advancement on racism and segregation in the last 100 years—except to expand it and include gender, sexual preference, and any other kind of “identity” politics they think they can gain power from (DEI). The Democrats care absolutely nothing about black people; that is obvious from the cities they run. They only care about one thing regarding black Americans:
How they vote.
It’s all about power to the Leftist Democrats. ALL about power.
Subscribe to my substack mklewis929.substack.com for recent articles and podcasts. Lots more on the Founding Fathers there. Follow me on Twitter: @thailandmkl. Read my western novels, Whitewater , River Bend, Return to River Bend, and Allie’s Dilemma all available on Amazon. And God Bless America!