The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-07
THE MAYORS VIEWS
Present and Reelected City Executive
Interviews Himself.

Mayor j. E. House, just reelected to
office, and known as Dodd CASTOR In
private life and in the inside, retiring
columns of a certain newspaper, not
too widely, nor too wisely read, has
these current animadversions on the
interesting, uncertain and diverting
game of politics:
For me, never again. Hereafter, 1 shall
be perfectly satisfied to let the other gents
do the running for office. l shall be will
ing to contribute my services to the occa-
sion. | will act as bottleholder, or DO
other honorable work at the ringside. But
| shall not again become target for the
populace in a political way. For this act
of self -abnegation there are several rea-
politics drive me frantic. / don't so much
mind the abuse, the utilization, the in
citizen who gets into city politics A
good deal of it amuses rather than dis
tresses me. But there is no reason why
man who can make living in any
other way should put himself in position
where he will be smeared by the slime of
public prejudice and passion | used to
think l was a tolerably decent. respectable
citizen. 1 made it my business to con-
form to most of the laws and conventions,
But / know now that I am not decent,
respectable citizen. Hundreds OF my fell
low townsmen, reputable men and women
but mostly women-have openly said SO
within the past three weeks. If had
never run for office my villainy proba-
bly, never would have been suspected. So,
l.
1.-The only thing 1 really regret how
ever is that one of my beautiful theories
lies crushed and bleeding at my. feet. 1
would not go so far as to say it has been
entirely discredited, but 1t has been seri-
ously disturbed. AS a newspaper man l
worked for a good many years on the
sidelines of politics. While never an ac-
tuaI contender, l was always close to the
inside. l was hep to the game and knew
all the rules by which it was played. Out
of this experience l had evolved a theory.
1t was very simple and beautiful theory.
l believed the men who played politics
had the wrong idea believed the Off
cial who went quietly about his work
scorning the sounding of hew gags and
the beating of tom toms. doing his duty
as he saw it to the best of his ability, tell
ing always the truth and concealing moth.
ing would become invincible before the
people. For the past two years l have
been conscientiously devoted to that the
DRY. l worked hard and, believe, intelli.
gently. l played my, cards face upward
on the table. l did not cater to any
clique or clan. 1 did not peddle any
bunk And, in every instance, l did my
duty exactly as l saw it without resOrting
to subterfuge in any FORM l don't be.
lieve my bitterest opponents ever denied
that l had made a creditable mayor. And
vet. | had to fight just as hard for my
second election as 1 fought for my first
And so, l reach the conclusion that 1 was
obsessed of a bum theory
81 probably shall continue along the
lines l marked out when 1 first was elect
ed to office. 1 shall stick to that plan
because it is. to me, the most satisfactory
plan. But I do not advise that others
adopt it. I doubt that it will work. The
voters love the old bunk 'HOgwash' is the
favorite beverage of many. The candi-
date who feeds it to them is muche more
likely to become popular hero than the
one who tells them the truth The most