The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-26
ON SECOND THOUGHT
By JAY z. HOUSE
(Fron Philadelphia Public LedgsrJ

1
Time was when the boy who stood
on the burning deck was regarded as
a hero. He is now believed to have
been a supercilious prig who lacked
both sense and initiative.
Mr.. Harding's curiosity as to what
Governor Cox said to President Will
son is justifiable and proper. One
might go SO far as to say it isaa mat
ter of some importance in its bearing
on the campaign. But after all. it is
a phase of the quadrennial contest
concerning which the people are only
mildly curious.
What the country wants to know
is what is the matter with the presi-
dent If Senator Cox knows, he can
instantly command the attention OF
every voter in the country by saying
so.
Mr.. Franklin d. Roosevelt's wish
have witnessed the meeting of these
two great men is echoed by the citi-
zenry. The citizenry is not particu-
larly interested in the spectacle pre-
scented by two gents in the act OF shak-
ing hands, but it would like to know
whether any of the various rumors
are true.
3 1t is announced Inat the domestic
life of the Fannie Hursts has been ex1
plotted by Ada Patterson in a moving
tale and that screen" version of
the episode is in course of preparation.
We are not, as you probably had
gathered. an habitue of the "fillum'
| palaces. but. curiosity as to what a
motion-picture director would do with
that sort of scenario inspires in US a
desire to witness the completed work.
plotted by the Hursts doesn't particu-
| larry entangle us. As we recall the
talk current at the time. it consisted
| of a communal breakfast once a
enjoy the agonies developed by stage
director in his efforts to write a
''clinch" into that sort of story.
Still, stage directors do wonderful
things with most unpromising ma
terial. Ten years or so ago we saw
a crime play which particularly i'm
| pressed US In the hands of the very
capable original company it carried
trem endous wallop, even to the sea-
soned theatergoer. 1t was a play of
red blood spilled by rough hands. 1t
| was pulled off in the haunts of vice
and crime and was marked by all the
finesse and strategy of which the I'M
Tderworld is reputed to be the master.
It's only weakness was an ingenue.
And we here interpolate the opinion
4 that ingenueS ruin more plays than
any other agency engaged in throttling
] the drama.
Two or three years ago, impelled by
recolIections of the spoken version of
the play, we went to see its celluloid
counterpart. The only thing left of
| the original was the tngenue- And
| she was seated at an organ engaged
in the preparation of sacred music.
You can't stump a motion-picture
ldirector. The one engaged to drama
/ tie the matutinal egg shared by the
Hursts may evolve the finest storm at
sea and. the most attractive desert is
land ever staged
1t is entirely possible to kiss a
| woman against her better judgment,
but no woman was ever kissed against
her will
7 The homemade scooky is another
thing the virtues Of which have been
greatly exaggerated. e
We probably know much less about
strong-minded women and self-effac-
ing men than Frances. But had it
ever occurred to her that the men
in question were relieved of the ne
cessity of finding courage to propose?
Isn't it barely possible that the mat
ter may have been taken out Of their
hands?
We recall no personal experience to
substantiate the tacft view advanced
in the preceding paragraph, but Buck
Kilby used to say men did not propose
marriage. It was Bucks theory that
men succumbed to marriage because
they were out OF breath.
We find further reference to the
progressive issues in newspapers
reaching this desk. We don't wish to
annoy any one, but we insist upon an
answer. AS a sovereign voter we are
entitled to it. What are the progress
sive issues?
OF course we were just pretending.
We know what a progressive issue is
as well as anybody. a progressive is
sue is the personal fad or foible of the
gentleman who is engaged in exploit
ing it.