Letters to the Editor
Defending Harding’s Record
America recently celebrated February 21 as President’s Day. Concerning the evaluation of U.S. presidents, it has always perplexed me, as a former American History teacher, that historians consider Warren G. Harding to be among the worst presidents — if not the worst — in U.S. history. This is the sourest grape since Aesop originated his fable. Let us dispel this historic misconception by examining the Harding record.
Warren G. Harding, an advocate of a strong national defense and a staunch anti-communist, was president from March 4, 1921 to August 2, 1923. His foreign policy promoted “America First.” Fearing the loss of American sovereignty and entangling alliances, he opposed U.S. entry into the League of Nations. Harding wisely signed into law congressional legislation that restricted immigration into the U.S.
Harding’s economic achievements were remarkable, and rescued the United States from the Wilson recession of 1920-21. Assisted by a Republican-controlled Congress, Harding cut taxes, implemented high tariffs (increasing revenue for the federal government), balanced the budget, eliminated deficit spending, decreased federal spending by 50 percent, and reduced the national debt. Unemployment, a benchmark of Woodrow Wilson’s administration, stood at 11.7 percent in 1921 (Harding’s first year in the White House). As a result of Harding’s astute economic program, unemployment had dropped to 2.4 percent by the end of 1923.
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