The Topeka state journal., 1908-04-10
KANSAS COMMENT
LOOK OUT roR THE sEM1-L1AR


The liar is sufficiently wen known to
obviate the necessity Of any description
with him. We all have him within the
circle or our acquaintance and we are
all sorry for him sometimes, indeed,
We even hate him In spite of the fact
that the psychologists would now have
us believe that he cannot help it and
that he is afflicted with a disease for
which he is not to blame and could not
possibly avoid.
But there is the semi-liar with whom
we are not SO well acquainted or to
whom. rather. it Is harder to get next.
For him, however. there is no excuse
1T cannot be claimed that he is suffer-
ing from disease and his semi-hes are
usually brought into being for his own
advancement. or for an opponents
detriment.
This fellow never fights in the open
for the reason that he usually lacks
the ability or the courage to do so
But he will take the statement of an
other and twist it with malignant
skill; put it back into that others
mouth and proceed to ,dissect it. He
usually does this well because, before
putting it back, he has injected therein
enough untruth to give him vantage
ground.
Those who have not previously heard
the other side of the question are apt
to believe him. His arguments sound
convincing, and he often goes for a
long time before he is unmasked.
1t is well 10 reflect. however. that he
is invariably unmasked. In the case
of the semi-liar, as in the case of all
other offenders against the moral code,
retribution is sure to follow but he, Of
all others, manages to dodge 1T. for a
long time.
/ He is one of the surprises OF life; the
fellow of whom We have thought so
hi ip11l 1lxy NIB ~oo <x ~ h Uyif a
crash, but his degradation is usually
extreme-once exposed we are all able
to see very clearly the innate mean
ness of the man. We all have suffered
from his methods, but unfortunately
our experience does not always help US
to detect the next fellow who comes
along until he has gotten in his work.
Let us keep our eyes open for the semi
liar.-Wichita Eagle.
THE PERIODICAL COAL STRIKE.
Why is it that every two years. as
regularl-- as they pass by, and some
times oftener, this country must under
go the annoyance Of a coal strike?
From past experiences the railroads
have learned that it is wise in these
years when the agreements terminate
to store vast quantities Of coai--work
which has to be done at a considerable
unnecessary expense in the first place
and which entails an additional cost
for redistribution afterward-if they
are to operate their trains continuously
during the tie-up. Manufacturers also
must take similar precautions and the
task is even more difficult for them.
because they have not always the stor-
age space available. Small consumers,
If they can get coal at all during this
idle period, frequently find that the
price has advanced. A very serious
question arises as to whether the coal
miners on the ones side and the opera
tors on the other are acting wholly
within their own rights when they
allow their disputes to involve classes
Of people who haxes absolutely no per-
sonal interest In Their controversy.
These periodical coal strikes serve to
make more than ever attractive the
idea of compulsory arbitration.-Leav-
enworth Times. i