The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-20
A Name as an Asset.

How much of a political asset is a
fortunate Christian name? If Mr..
IaIt 8 nrSt name were Reginald would
ne be as popular a candidate as he is
how would Algernon Bryan appeal to
the Democratic party? There are, of
course, no comparative statistics by
which to prove the case one way or
the other, but glance back through
the pages of national political history
shows that in general men who have
realized their ambitions by receiving
presidential nomination at the hands
of great party have had names that
appeal to the popular mind. They
have been names either distinctively
racial with which all were familiar
from childhood, or like Ulysses. Zach
airy and Grover, names that attract by
their very oddly.
Present indications are that the
president elected this fall will be the
third William to occupy the White
House. This name, though one of the
most frequent among English speak
ing people, has been elected to the
presidency, only in connection with the
elder Harrison and Mckinley. James,
a name equally typical among people
of English ancestry. has been borne to
the White House by five men, and
John by three. These three names.
James, John and William, are the only
ones that are repeated in the list of
twenty-five men elected to the presi-
dency. President johnson became
chief executive SO years after jack
sons election. repeating the name An
drew, but his ascension was accidental.
Presidents Arthur's first name per-
haps came nearest the tabooed class,
and he. too, was an accident. For the
rest, such names as George. Thomas,
Martin, Willard, Franklin and
Rutherford roll majestically from the
tongue.-Cleveland Plain Dealer.
How Grip Epidemic Was Checked.
Shortly after January 1. when the
law prohibiting all liquor traffic in
Georgia went into effect, sporadic cases
of the grip were treated by the ply
sicians with whisky and pine strip.
This prescription did not seem, however,
to prevent the spread Of the disease.
On the contrary, the scores of patients
multiplied into hundreds, all enamored
of the same medicine. until the COM
plant became a raging epidemic and
the apothecarieS could scarcely meet
the demand for the popular remedy
Then a strange thing happened. The
doctors and druggists were arrested for
violating the law in prescribing and
selling compounds containing ardent
spirits, and the court sustained the
complaint; and Immediately following
the legal boycott of the whisky cure
the grip took unto itself wings and flew
away. There is food for thought for
both the medical student and the poll
tico-moral ilosopher.-Norfolk Vir-
ginian-Pilot.
A Boiled Shirt Dinner.
did you ever eat a boiled shirt din
ner?" asked white" the newsdealer
at the Y. M. G. A corner. When he
received an amazed negative answer,
White continued: well, I came near
having to pay for one today. I'll tell
you how 1t happened. Saturday I
bought night shirt at department
store and after having 1T wrapped up
the clerk asked: Will you take it with
your I said: Yes and he handed me
the package and a sales slip, which
put in my pocket. Then I went to a
certain restaurant for dinner. After
having dined the waiter tears a slip
from his pad with the amount written
on, which I also put in my pocket. I
walked to the cashiers desk and laid
down Is cents and the check. You owe
me IS cents more said the young lady
cashier What forT I asked. She
handed me the check I had presented.
On it was written: 81 shirt, so cents.''-
Philadelphia Record.
A Razorless Race.
The only known race of hairy hu-
man beings reside on the Island Of
about 100000 in number. and are
known to the japanese as the mo
sinos'' or call hairy people" They
have the entire body covered with a
profuse and remarkable growth of
hair, the only exception being that the
faces of the women are bare. but
usually stained with a kind of juice so
as to resemble the boards of the
males.-Brooklyn Eagle.
QUAKER REFLECTIONS.
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