The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-27
ON SECOND THOUGHT
By JAY e. HOUSE
{From Philadelphia Public xsedgaf.)


Mrs. Palmer" relates the esteemed
New York Tribune, els former shows
girl and the divorced wife of James z.
Parrish, jr., clubman and lawyer Thes
details OF the marital episode as they
are manifested In New York always
curious and speculative mood. Who
was she before that and what. II any
thing, has happened to Mr.. Palmer?
1t is a curious thing that the New
York reporter, trained as he is in the
relation of the minutest details or TINS
matrimonial ENHANCEMENT nearly al
ways leaves out some salient feature
of his story.
Three cheers have been proposed
for the Kansas farmer who. havine
grown tired of supporting him. last
week shot his worthless son-in-iaw.
The rural gentlemans fate at the
hands of jury will be noted with In
terest. A good many will want 20
know whether he committed an Of
Tense or stablished a precedent.
It is to be hoped Mr.. Wilson will
have health and strength to write tbs
history of the war he kept us out of,
as he now plans to do. Likely it Will
not be much of history of the war,
| but it will be a fine authoritative his
with a subject of which the public is
mostly in the dark
For one, we dismiss the story of
! hazing at Annapolis from mind and
decline to be perturbed about it.
When the Hon. Josephus Daniels is in
charge there is no occasion for pri-
waite citizen to worry.
! And in like manner we dismiss the
complaint of reader who bought
tickets to THE Passing Show of 1919"
only to discover that Blanche Ring
and Charles Winninger were no longer
in the cast and that the Acme Com
edy Four had shrunlS to a trio.
Tastes vary. 1t may be that ours Is
| irrevocably committed to '1ow-brow'
effects. But that wouldn't have
spoiled the show for US.
Upon that point. however, we fancy
we need not dwell. The quality of our
tastes in theatrical entertainment was
definitely fixed when we walked out
on Theda Bara.
Discussion of theatrical entertain
ment brings to mind another question
in ethics which we wish some reader
might settle for us. 1t relates to the
matter Of dealing with the bootleg
/ standing. Should one tip him, thus
| itor, or should his occupation be re-
garded as merchan dising?
| The question carries further-or
farther. Should the "bootlegger" be
given the friendly recognition former
| iy accorded the bartender or should
| the deal be hurried to q conclusion on
the basis of strict business? We have
| been rather free and easy with ours.
and we are curious to know whether
we have pulled faux pas.
1t appears there were a number
| who didn't get" it. Another who
conceals his identity in the matted
! copse of anonymity writes: eff tie
| editor of Second Thought would re-
frain from his ill-timed and most dis
of the United States and devote his at
tention to the study of grammar. he
would avoid the use of Illy.'s Would
| he, for instance, say 'welly' IL he
cared to comment, which he never
| does ~ ,g1Ff
| =. For the purpose OF, the moment we
| shall discard the. processes of subtlety
| and return to the use of the ak and
/ the marlinspike. Since there seems to
! be some misunderstanding about il,
we'll say that so far as this section
\ of the country is concerned we were
| the original Harding man. Early in
| May We forecast his nomination in
| this column. Jack Hayden, regular
reader Of the column, who lives in
Craig, Mo-, won $1,000 on that Zip"
Thirty-six hours before the convention
put Mr.. Harding across we again fore
cast his nomination in q dispatch to
this newspaper. We are for Mr..
Harding both ways from the jack, and
always have been.
AS to grammar. we don't pretend
to know anything about IT. That is
our great strength. We can use any
word that seems to fit the purpose
without fear or tremor. No gram
marian can do that.
Suggestion to artists: Now that the
old year is passing out. why not draw
a picture of Father Time clad in an
improbable undershirt? The concep-
ton of Father Time which discIoses
him with two buttons off his under
garment has. we think, been oyerdone.