Warren Harding was the 29th President of the United States. He served from 1921-1923. He was born on November 2, 1865 in Corsica, Ohio. He became a publisher of a newspaper. He married a divorcee, Mrs. Florence Kling De Wolfe. Florence was the daughter of a very rich man. She had one son from her previous marriage. She had a real toughness and was a hard worker. She was a motivator for Harding and she had encouraged his political aspirations. Harding was a trustee of the Trinity Baptist Church, a business man and a leader in charitable and fraternal organizations. Harding was known for his very expensive tastes. He spent a lot of time of his appearance. He had so many clothes when he entered the White House that new closets were needed to be built.Harding was a Republican and had a great speaking voice. He was willing to let others come up with the policies, but sang their praises. He was elected to the State Senate and then became the Lieutenant Governor in Ohio. He was unsuccessful in his run for Governor. He was elected to the Senate in 1914. Harry Daugherty started to promote Harding for the 1920 Republican nomination for President because “He looked like a President”. He easily won the Presidential election by 60 percent of the popular vote. The Republicans in the Congress could easily get Harding’s signatures on bills. Together they ensured that wartime controls were eliminated. Taxes were reduced and a Federal budget system was built. They restore the protective tariff and tightened limitations on immigration.
The postwar depression was easing up and America was entering a time of prosperity. The newspapers toted Harding’s campaign motto “Less government in business and more business in government.” Harding’s administration also had trouble. Harding had found out that some of his friends were using official positions for their own gain. He struggled with whether or not he should give the public knowledge of the grievances for the overall good of the country. Harding was able to dodge a bullet in the League of Nations controversy as it was defeated. However, he gave full support for the US entry into the World Court. He supported Hughes’s plan for the international naval disarmament. This had been accepted by Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan in 1921-1922 at the Washington Conference. Harding had also supported the Mellon tax reduction plan which reflected his strongly held conservative Republican values. He convinced the Congress to adopt unified federal codes for banking and business. He did not do much to help the failing farmers who were suffering from lower crop prices.
He also did nothing to help workers facing unemployment and severe wage cuts. Harding went with the majority on his stance on immigration and Prohibition. Harding pardoned Eugene Debs, who was the Socialist party leader who had been put in prison under the 1917 Espionage Act for opposing American involvement in the war. Most had thought that Debs did not deserve jail, but Wilson had refused to release him. He died on August 2, 1923 of a heart attack. After his death there were a series of Congressional investigations that brought to the public’s attention the corruption of his administration. The Veterans Bureau and the Justice Department both had investigations.