Today -100: July 23, 1920: Be Americans first to all the world

William Jennings Bryan declines the Prohibition Party presidential nomination. He says he is not willing to sever connections with the Democratic Party, although he’s not sure if he’ll vote for Cox. So the convention nominates Aaron Watkins instead. Like Cox and Harding, he’s from Ohio. The Anti-Saloon League won’t endorse any presidential candidate.

In his acceptance speech, Warren G. Harding promises peace by a simple Congressional declaration. Key phrases: “Preserved nationality.” “Stabilize and strive for normalcy.” “Be Americans first to all the world.” There isn’t a lot of the trademark Harding alliteration, though he does “promise the prevention of unreasonable profits.” He calls for federal laws against lynching.

Harding meets a delegation from the National Woman’s Party and expresses his “ernest desire” for ratification of the federal women’s suffrage Amendment. They say that’s not good enough.

Rioting in Belfast.

Headline of the Day -100:

The chief secretary for Ireland, Sir Hamar Greenwood, for whom every problem, and indeed every Irish person, is a nail, tells Parliament that he’ll be asking for new laws to stop funds going to republican local councils and to set up new tribunals to replace courts (and the jury system).

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