The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-15
ON SECOND THOUGHT
Some nIemoirs of an Ex-Nfayor.
BY JAY E. HOUSE.
(From Philadelphia Public Ledger.)

Some Memoirs of an Ex-Mayor.
Former Mayor Thomas B. Smith is
to write his memoirs. 1t viii be, as
Mr.. Dooley might and probably would
phrase it. "a fine liter'ry exercise"
But, if the familiar and intimate Lam
guage of the people be permitted, it
won't get him anything. Very likely
1t will disclose his inability to tell
story clearly and succinctly, his igno-
rance of the writing conventions and
his unfarniliarity with syntax and
prosody, but it will not in the slightest
degree ameliorate his lot as ex-mayor
of Philadelphia. OF all the political
corpses that strew the sanguinary
field of affairs, none is so dead as an
ex-mayor. 1t is an offense that never
| is forgotten or forgiven by the people.
Occasionally-say once in a genera
tion--an ex-congressman manages to
rehabilitate himself in the public
esteem. But there are no faint indi-
cations of respiration on the distorted
countenance of an ex-mayor. His is
the agony. of death, not that of sus-
pended animation. Granting that Mr..
Smith is sufficiently animate to bedew
the shoulders of the public with his
tears, he will never be able to expiate
the crime of mayor. His is the for
gettery. No book of memoirs, how
ever touching, will raise him from his
sepulcher.
However. since he has thus and in
such manner become the Inspiration
of the days column, we give him
credit by hanging these few lucubra-
tons on the nail which he has pro-
vtded. This orator once ran for pub
lie office largely as a matter of curl
osity. AS one who had been on the
side lines of many political battles, he
was often beset by the conjecture as
to whether an American citizen could
lxxrf,, nd l,111 akf -,
time, retain his self-respect. He had
wondered whether an ordinary hui
man being could navigate the tortuous
channel of public affairs without ''pla-
eating" the interests or kissing the
proletariat. For that, after all. is the
acid test in the efficient conduct oil
public affairs. The average office
holder is honest enough. His ambi-
ton is to be a first class official and
to serve his constituency efficiently
and well. His weakness is that OF
abdominal inadequacy. He can't stand
the grind, and when the screws are
applied he slumps forward in his
swivel chair and popular government
sustains another repulse. With these
half-defined convictions in mind and
with our we'll known curiosity func-
tioHing at high" we picked out the
office of mayor and ran for it, We
might have picked some other office
There was a large and varied assert
ment from which to select. But beine
mayor of a town, large or small, is this
dog" job of the universe. For the
experiment contemplated it was the
proving ground par excellence.
OF the details and success or failure
of the experiment We have no space
in which TO speak. Already the column
Is beginning to encroach upon the ad-
vertising of the motion picture thea
ters and we must hasten. We may
reveal here only a chosen few of the
high lights of that adventure in the
application of self-respect to public
business. AS to the setting, it was 8
state capital which may be roughly
compared to Harrisburg in size, physi-
cal and Industrial chara cteristics and
in its social and economic atmosphere
The interests were friendly. Big
business and the various public utili-
ties supported us in the first election
as they did in the second. They asked
nothing and were promised nothing
There was no bargaining" of any
sort The head of the largest munich
pal utility told us afterward that theil
support was based on the promise that
We We're the type OF candidate unlike
ly to go crazy over night. The point
in the connection we wish to empha-
size is this: During four years a:
titular head of the municipal govern
Representative of big business, tried tc
influence our official conduct in any
way. They were watchful and aler
in matters which concerned them
But no representative OF big bust
ness" ever suggested that we do 6
thing which conflicted with our SENSE
of duty or our oath of office. On the
other hand, seldom a day passed or
which some representative of th'
great common people" did not ash
us. as a personal favor, to do some
thing questionable or crooked.
The town was in the aqua pura belt
1t had been dry for a generation
But in municipal elections whisky
was always the issue. We were SC
successfully stigmatized as the wet
candidate that in the first election the
bottom or "slum" and petty Grim
inal crowd vote, went TO us en- masse
There ensued two years of the most
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