The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-29
Americas Corn-Fed
PHILOSOPHER
BY DIR. FRANK CRANE
Copyright, 1919. by Frank crane)

am a disciple of Old Ed Howe. That
does not mean believe all he says. Nobody
but a fool believes everything anybody says.
We don't read what men write in order
to get information, but in order to be
stimulated to get our own information.
A writer | always agreed with would bore
me to death.
But Ed Howe represents Point of View.
He speaks for the Common Man in the
u. S. A. better than any writer | know.
His plain, quaint, hard-fis utterly UNI
enthusiastic philosophy is as refreshing as
a dinner of ham and cabbage at Moore's
after you've been living at the Ritz.
! would like for you to read the follow
ing sentences which | Gull from recent
issue of his Monthly There is nothing like
them in literature. They will amuse you
and make you angry.
"'In few mcnths says big town
writer, the city saloons win close, and alco-
holism will sink to what it is in the country
"a furtive sucking of Jugs behind doors.
This furtive suciang of Jugs behind doors
in the country Is a notion originating in
cities: | have lived in the country all my
life and know nothing about it. The lure
of whisky is grossly overstated everywhere.
Getting rid of whisky is about. the best
thing ever accomplished the iokesmiths
should cease exploiting the idea that people
care for it and cannot get along without
their dram.
There recently appeared in newspaper
a letter from a visitor in Los Angeles. He
said: 1T is difficult for tourists to under
stand the California prejudice against the
Japanese. They are industrious and well
behaved. and seem to be responsible for the
cheapest foodstuffs to be had here--vege-
tables and fish. The Japanese do most of
the gardening; they can raise more on an
acre of ground than Americans can raise on
three acres That is the trouble with the
Japanese-they are so industrious and well
behaved that they are an insult to us.
II dislike certain men. Am unfair with
them? Probably; / doubt if there ever was
a man who could be fair with a man he
disagrees with. So watch me when / write
of those | dislike; take off something for
prejudice, meanness and ignorance
when woman has guest at her house
she will put a fine display of towels in his
room; but she will talk about him if he uses
them. Everyday towels are for use COM
pany towels are to display the artistic bent
of the hostess, and guests should know it.
"You may usually make good guess
about everything; the probable is nearly
always true.
mo man who is always excited can
amount to a great deal.
! "A crazy man never raves about the i'm
portance of modesty, quietness, politeness,
fairness, and common sense
"A great wrong is sometimes nothing
more serious than a man clamoring for
something he is not entitled to-
Il suppose no one has looked more indus
triously, or in more places, for Good Time
than ] have. Results have been so meagre
that | have concluded that Good Time
is more or less of phantom.
ANY one can make success of modesty
only few succeed with impudence
! What great offenders beautiful phrases
are! And what q great number of speakers
and writers are uttering them Beautiful
phrases have caused us so much expense
and Inconvenience that | believe time is
coming when people will object to them as
much as gentlemen now object to dirty
phrases"