Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-03
OUTSIDE POINT OF VIEW
Written for the Times Republic IN

1 Written for the Times Republic IN.
| 1t may be that others have noticed it.
| If so, there is nothing new in what fol-
lows: but the writer has an idea that
| the turned out, polished product of the
eastern college or university has an abb
sorbed Frequently unconscious) char
acteristic that graduates of western
colleges lack. After claiming excmp-
tons to the universal rule, the writer
| proceeds to name 1t, and finds trouble on
his hands. Not from fear of the indig
nation of the lacking westerner. but be-
cause no name, or two or three word
sentence seems to cover it. A finished
| Stearns thinks If he had not gone into
The art of delicate flattery also ex
presses the idea. If this graduate of
the eastern university would own to
himself and others that he is whole
sale dealer in "taffy" we are getting
close to name. How would this do for
a college catechism: What have you
learned during your college course that
| is worth more to you for success in life
than any other one thing?" Answer:
II have acquired as a secondary part OF
my nature a faculty of fine f1attery in
everywhere, and deal in this article in
so delicate and secretive way that my
| listeners are unaware of it, AS our
friend the Silent Partner would say, he
sells taffy in chunks and doesn't give
away his occupation.
| For instance, my friend Stearns in
his youthful days wrote poetry. Like
John Hay, he doesn't mention it these
days, but just the same, even at 65,
Stearns thinks If he had not goine into
a bank as clerk at %, and had adopted
the profession of poet, the world would
have known of a second Whittier. Now
the Yale man knows all this. Some
night somewhere at a function"
Stearns and the Yale graduate get in a
corner by themselves. The result Is
when Stearns, aged 65. goes home that
night he thinks the Yale man q very
agreeable young person. In some way
the Yale man has heard of Stearns'
youthful ebullitions, and knows the
titles of some of the poems and repeat
ed a few lines to show that he had read
them. 1t is almost unnecessary to add
that the, average westerner, even II he
knew of all that poetry business, would
not have; taken any of this trouble to-
make friend, and it is not improbable
that the westerner, perfectly uncon-
|scious of results and feelings. not only
would have forgotten to have men
toned the poems, but might have ms
dulged in mild ridicule of the same and
thus made. a deadly enemy. The writer
has used the word he in the foregoing
Illustration. The eastern sweet girl
graduate has this same big advantage
over her western sister. Once upon
time an eastern young lady made a
special trip cut west to attend we'd
ding of college friend. She only ar
rived the day Of the wedding, but that
night at the reception captured" every
man and woman she was introduced to.
To the preacher present she talked OF
friends in the east, mutual acquaintan-
ces. In the college professor she found
a friend of her teacher in the east. The
banker actually knew of her father.
The merchant, she soon told him that
he was selling our goods" lie. the firm
her father was connected with. The
young ladies were told their dresses
We're exact copies of the latest style in
Boston. Young men of the west she al
ways admired for their good figures and
healthy looks. Bald headed old phil
osophers. she repeated for their bene-
fit. Women are old as they look: men
as old as they feel" She was just as
anxious to please the flower girls and
did SO. The old maids present she made
happy by adding on five years to the
date in her own family Bible.
i .
Readers of this column who have
waded thus far are saying he has
shown us two confirmed hypocrites-
"fulsome flatterers.' Not bit of it.
Such young men and women do not
give themselves away. They are past
masters If the subjects of their atten-
ton had glimpse of the on-going pro-
cess they were like petted cat-they
We're "smoothed" the right way. the
way the hair grows. The westerner
"smooths' the cat the wrong way just
for the fun of seeing the cat get mad, |
and then wonders puss will not make
friends the next time they meet. Some
of this fine work will eventually be ta-
ken up by western graduates. Today
the president of one of our big colleges
in Iowa in this line has no equal in the
west. He goes before legislatures and
brings about his desires for the college
by just this method. Once he meets a |
man he remembers him. The writer in
with him once risked |
his (the writers) family tree |
A year afterwards this president re-
and told of branch he had |
found elsewhere in Iowa. This presi- |
dent can handle the liquor question both |
publicly and privately in such way
that he has neither antagonized pro-
or high license men.
Smooth? When the writer adds that |
this president has warm friends among
the equal suffragists and the ants.
BOTH the reader can rest assured he is
smooth. Here, again, some one says
LYnoc rite Ry no means He does NOT |