The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-02
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY z. HOUSE
tr-om Philadelphia Public Ledssr.l

We have no antipathy for or feeling
of rancor toward Eugene Debs- But,
as reporter. we are interested IN see
ing to it that contemporary history is
fairly written and correctly annotated
These seem to be the salient facts with
reference to Mr.. Debs. He is kindly
disposed, charitably inclined, imprac-
teal and visionary sort of person who
from 1894 to 1918, inclusive, made an
easy. comfortable living abusing his
country. During all those years he
performed no useful labor and con-
trfbuted no important service to hu-
manfty. He continued to abuse his
country after it became a violation of
law to do so. For such open and. ap-
parently premeditated violation OF law
he was tried, convicted and sentenced
to the penitentiary. We trust We
| have not wearied you, but Mr.. Debs's
term of service in Atlanta prison
should not be the subject of miscon-
struction.
| The moral in the case writes itself.
1t is important to obey the law.
Those who do so do not get into the
penitentiary.
''The hope in Russia as we get 1t
from the Associated Press, lis that a
middle class intelligensia m y
emerge" Speaking as one who has
painsta kingiy worked himself UP to
/ the middle class, we say too much is
I OAPSNNSA Va 49,
How do we find the going in the
new environment? Well, confidentially
speaking, rather dull. The middle
classer feeds and does one>rather well.
and he is an agreeable chance ac-
quaintance. But as a boon companion
he is enervating.
We love the velvet-cushioned life
against which the bourgeoisie leans,
hnt hot to et1x ~,
triguing and exciting.
We have been abused, more or less
/ for declining to regard woman as
sacrosanct, but nobody can say We re-
fuse to give her what is coming. In
the matter of rubbing a pinch of salt
into the raw spot she is the most deft
and finished of performers. Having
set up the premise, we attach the
tcracker. We had spent the evening
"slough,ng it OFF, to the boys in the
piquet game. At the close of the ses-
sion theS>had everything except the
garments on our back. Having learned
that it is the part of wisdom to come
Clean" we broke the news as gently as
possible. And YOU" sneered AIDE
laide, you are the economical, thrifty
gentleman who felt we couldn't afford
to pay 50 seat to see the 'Follies.'"
Why do we insist on relating the de-
tails of our domestic relations? Well.
chiefly because they probably are very
similar to yours. We not only write
a column such as it is. We go further;
we show you the wheels.
That- the sun rises and sets is about
the only general accepted fact. Every
thing else is disputed by somebody.
We believe we have hitherto stated
Buck Kilbys objection to suffrage.
Since you probably have forgotten it.
i we refresh your memory. Buck slys
You can't confer the ballot ON women
without giving the suffragettes the
right to vote.
/ shs--svaSt tr4
man enjoys being chased by the
women, But he hates to be run down.
Thanks for the Ad.
Sir--Your reflections inspired by
Mr.. Dan lson- Hurst's Solution of the
! conjugal breakfast-tabie problem, con-
Guiding in the deduction that nobody
ever said anything worth hearing be-
fore IL o'clock in the morning carry
the assurance that your own conclu-
| sions could not have been reached be-
fore that hour. ooh, that's all right,
old top; but waltz
Now, having admitted that YOU can
not SAY something" until after IL
O'Clock. and having kept us informed
or your afternoon golf process. alter
mated with hopeful visits to the base
ball parks. as well as your censorship
of the motion-picture drama in the
! evening, we deduce you haven't solved
the problem of Short hours" and
high wages which the trades unions
are at such pains to secure. Is the an
swer piece work. or how do you get
away with it? HUGH MERR.
! I We hesitate to reveal the secrets of
this business. but writing a column is
a mere lackadaisical adventure in
words and lies in the territory bound
| ed on the one side by leisure and on
the other by light mental exercise. All
one has to do is to think of something
to write, write it and submit 1t to the
editor in order that it may be purged
| OF objectionable utterances likely to
wreck the paper before he goes home
i at O'Clock in the afternoon.