With the end of World War I in 1919, Americans were looking for a return to the days that many of them remembered, before war and when life was simpler. As for Woodrow Wilson, he was stricken with bad health and almost a non-factor in the White House, with his wife Edith controlling who he saw and what he signed. However, when the League of Nations was rejected by the Senate, Wilson was devastated, and considered running for a third term in 1920 to persuade Congress to allow American entry into that body. Other Democrats talked Wilson out of the idea, and at the convention, nominated Ohio Governor James M. Cox and assistant secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt as vice president. For the Republicans, there was a chance they could win the White House back, and the talk of returning to prosperous times helped their cause. The convention was held in Chicago during a heat wave, and when several candidates deadlocked, a compromise choice was made. Winning the nomination was Ohio senator Warren G. Harding, and Massachusetts governor Calvin Coolidge was chosen to run on the ticket for VP. Warren Harding famously campaigned from his home in Marion, OH instead of traveling the country giving speeches. After the passage of the 19th amendment in 1919, women were now allowed to vote, and going in to the 1920 election, many women threw their support behind Harding. Some of the campaign issues dealt with America's involvement in the world and the League of Nations was one of the biggest issues. Cox supported joining the League, while Harding wanted to keep America out of any commitment. On election day, Harding and Coolidge won in a landslide, with Harding carrying almost 60% of the popular vote. Harding's term started off very well, holding the Washington Naval Conference in the fall of 1921, limiting the number of ships the world powers could have. Harding also had a prominent cabinet, with men like Charles E. Hughes as Secretary of State, Andrew Mellon as Treasury Secretary, and Herbert Hoover as Commerce Secretary. By 1922 and 1923, many scandals started to emerge, such as Teapot Dome and the Veteran's Bureau scandal. Harding's Interior Secretary, Albert Fall, had been involved in shady land deals and made hundreds of thousands of dollars off illegal sales, while the head of the Veteran's Bureau sold surplus items for a lot more than it cost the government to buy them. Harding was also rumored to be a womanizer, allegedly having a love child. Harding was on a west coast trip in late July of 1923 visiting Alaska and then Washington and California. While in San Francisco, Harding fell ill, and died on August 2, 1923. Many accused his wife of poisoning him, but all indications are some sort of heart problem. Harding's legacy continues to be tainted and he is often considered one of the worst presidents in history, a title which may not be entirely fair. As for campaign items from this election, it doesn't get any better or more rare. Any button showing both Harding and Coolidge on it are extremely rare, often requiring thousands of dollars to buy. As for word pins and single picture Harding buttons, they can be found for relatively cheap, and some of the Harding-Coolidge word pins are very common and worth less than $5 due to the number produced. For Democrat candidate James Cox, there is hardly another candidate where items are so hard and expensive to acquire. Any picture button of Cox often takes a few hundred dollars to purchase, while items showing Cox and running mate Franklin D. Roosevelt are going to break the bank, especially buttons, most in the $20,000-$40,000 range in a good market. Some of the items shown here are common, such as Harding word pins and single picture pins. The poster is a little more rare, as paper items showing both candidates are hard to find in great condition from this long ago. I also have a copy of Leslie's Illustrated magazine from March 5, 1921, an inauguration special edition. There is also a ribbon from Harding's 1923 west coast trip I own. For Cox items, I have a cut out from a 1920 Literary Digest showing Cox and Roosevelt at the top discussing some of Cox's issues he supports heading into the election. This campaign produced very few jugate button designs from either candidate, and that's why they are highly collectible and valuable, not to mention both Coolidge and Franklin Roosevelt went on to become president. I also have several paper items related to Harding, which I will include in a later blog. I also included a cigar band showing Harding.
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