The Railways and Prosperity: Address by Warren G. Harding, at the Annual Dinner of the Railway Business Association, December 10, 1914

by Warren G. Harding

Excerpt from The Railways and Prosperity

That was probably one of the last endeavors in Ohio in steam railway promotion by popular subscription, but the adoption of the scheme in electric line promotion is still much in vogue, though there is perceptible diminution in the practice, temporarily, until the public policy in dealing with public utilities points a safe way for invest ment in transportation.

20 pages, Paperback

Published August 24, 2018

About the author

Warren Gamaliel Harding was an American politician, and the 29th President of the United States, serving from 1921 to 1923, his term ending as he died from a heart attack at age 57. A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate (1899–1903) and later as Lieutenant Governor of Ohio (1903–1905) and as a U.S. Senator (1915–1921).

His political leanings were conservative, which enabled him to become the compromise choice at the 1920 Republican National Convention. During his presidential campaign, held in the aftermath of World War I, he promised a return to "normalcy"; and, in the 1920 election, he defeated his Democratic opponent, fellow Ohioan James M. Cox, by a landslide—60.36% to 34.19%.

Harding headed a cabinet of notable men such as Charles Evans Hughes, Andrew Mellon, Herbert Hoover and Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall, who was jailed for his involvement in the Teapot Dome scandal. In foreign affairs, Harding signed peace treaties that built on the Treaty of Versailles (which formally ended World War I). He also led the way to world Naval disarmament at the Washington Naval Conference of 1921–22.

By many, Harding is ranked as one of the least successful U.S. Presidents, despite having been immensely popular while in office.