The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-10
A KANsAN IN NEW YORK.
PREFACE.


publication of a series of half dozen
experiences of the editor of this pa
per during the last week in April,
which he spent in New York City. To
be sure, there are those who have ex-
pressed an ardent desire to read these
articles; but the opposition is such
that notice must be taken of it.
This opposition is conferred in just
one person. but nevertheless comes
from one who has a large influence in
the life and doings of the writer.
II don't think you ought to print
those articles" says Mary MacLennan
in an emphatic manner. You say you
think Governor Capper exploits him
self too much in his own newspaper.
Now it seems to me you are doing the
same thing. If you think it is not en-
tirely proper for Mr.. Capper to do
this in his paper, why should you do
the same thing in your paper?"
$50 that's it. is it? That's the key
note of your objection to this proposed
forthcoming work on "A Kansan in
New York; I'll tell you the answer
and it is complete: Governor Capper
is running for an office. 1 am not
running for any office. am not a can
dictate for any office and don't expect
to be. Isn't that a difference? Gov
ernor Capper is using his own good
advertising medium to further his own
cause: haven't any cause to further,
except I am always anxious to give
the reader a little bit more for his
money than he pays for.
'Tt is my duty to enlighten as best
I may and entertain to the fullest ex-
tent those who pay their good money
for their subscriptions to the State
journal. If we can give them little
more than the Notwithstanding
other than the Associated Press and
the United Press and the local and
general news, and features, these sub
scribers are apt to continue to sub
scribe, pay up and keep the wheels go
ing around at Eighth and Kansas ave-
nue."
What if some of your subscribers
running this series of articles, which is
alleged to be important and entertain
ing? What about that?'
well, confess I hadn't thought of
that; there may be something in
that"
The young woman shifted and 1 left
the house and came down to work
Now that think of it, why did she
sniff? I believe I smell a mouse my
self.
This same young woman is the party
whom took riding a couple of weeks
ago in my trusty Ford. 1t was the
first time she had ever been in the
machine and she has not been in. it
since. On that occasion I had some
little trouble in the dark in finding
and while I threw on the emergency
brake. the machine moved right up
over the curbstone, across the side
walk into a brick wall on Ninth street
1t didn't hurt the car or the wall nor
either of the two occupants, but I re-
member now that it did hurt the feel
ings of the one who wasn't driving; it
was a serious matter with her. She
got out of that car very quickly. There
was absolutely no damage. except to
the dignity of the party concerned. I
can prove this by Alonzo Thomas of
the Santa Fe Watch company, who
saw the whole performance and helped
push the car back into the street out
of the way of pedestrians
Ever since that little incident there
has been this sniffy opposition in
my family. I have now come to the
conclusion that this opposition is not
well grounded; that it is prejudiced
and that the demand for these arti-
cles. excepting from this one source, Is
such that it is my duty to print them.
Another thing, one can't write this
sort of a series without being personal.
Leave out the personalities and the ar
ticles themselves might just as well
be left out too. A writer who uses
the personal pronoun, as 1t must of
necessity be used here. subjects him
self to the criticism of lacking mod
esty and good taste. The writer as a
rule is not afraid of criticism, if con-
structive, invites it, and accepts the
Hence this preface
Why is preface. anyway? Espec-
tally why should there be- a preface
after the first chapter of this work has
already appeared in print; namely, on
Monday. May 6, and was entitled 1.-The
Entertainment IF Soldiers"
While that really constituted Chan
ter of this proposed volume, it must
be remembered that the stenog-
rapher wrote that chapter Stenog-
raphers have no discrimination; they
put down everything you say. That
chapter needs editing; a lot of it had
nothing to do with the subject, but /
can't be responsible for the stenogra-
pher: it is enough to be responsible
for the proof-reader.
But this book has got to have a
preface / can see no way out of it,
so the preface comes in between CHAP
ter and Chapter II. Chapter II will
appear. Saturday evening and is en-
titled "a Visit With T. r." Why
that appears as Chapter II will be
made plain in the next issue of this
paper.