The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-25
FROA OTHER PENS
THE GAME THAT THRILLS.

OF all of the forms of public enter
tainment baseball seems to me the one
that thrills its devotees to the core at
every performance. The circus comes
to town and suffers by comparison
with its precursors, the billboards. The
art exhibition brings down criticism
upon the heads of the contributors of
pictures. Half of the audience is
bored at the opera. The drama at
tracts to the theater its thousands, but
most of them go in frame OF mind
antagonistic to the playwright and the
cast. All of them are quick to jeer
and slow to- gurgle with enjoyment of
comedy or to clap their appreciation
of the climaxes in melodrama or
tragedy. But the baseball fan" is
self forgetting worshiper of the game
he patronizes. During the game he is
translated into land of giants and
heroes and demigods, revolving around
an umpire who is either beneficent
being-an incarnation OF the square
dealNor creature devoid OF a sense
of Justice. The baseball enthusiast ad-
mires and condemns wildly. If he
finds fault at the top of his lungs he
records his approval with equal VIM
During moments of excitement result
ant upon worthy achievement upon
the diamond he is in delirium of
ecstasy, when he is oblivious OF all
events Of the future and the past and
his present oundings.-Louisville
Courier-Journal.
PRIVILEGES. NOT "PLUMS."
A much-valued exchange speaks of
an Office now vacant in Its city as "a
$500 plum" and then proceeds to
advise the mayor that he should fill
the vacancy with man of expert
training rather than a necessitous
politician. What the newspaper says
on that point is sensible and very
| much to the purpose, and we trust that
it has influence enough with the
mayor to cause his serious considera-
ton and following of the advice.
Nevertheless, when In such connec-
ton, a newspaper speaks Of such a
highly important office as a plum"
we are afraid it does more than is in
tended to counterfeit its excellent
counsel. There is too much in the in
f1uence of word and idea association
a plum why shouldn't 1t go to
necessitous politician, who undoubt-
eddy needs it more than an expert
who is presumably able to care for
himself? That Is the politician view of
the office-before he gets it; though
fairness compels the admission that
many and many a politician who has
secured an office on account Of his
necessities than of his fitness, has in
time developed a delicate sense of the
responsibilities into which he has en-
tered. and has come to the under
standing that he Is commissioned
with the administration of a trust.
Still. the word plum" gives no hint
or suggestion that there is any re-
sponsibility or trust about an Office.
All 1t suggests is something good to
eat, for the personal satisfaction of
the eater: and we think that people
who want to enforce a truer con-
ception Of what an Office is. had bet
ter use some other word Of description.
AS evil communications corrupt good
manners. so the common use of
sinister words tends to make easy the
commission of sinister acts. An Office
of any sort. properly administered. is
worth dignifying by loftier word
than "plum."-New Bedford Stand