The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-27
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BIZ JAY =. HOUSE
(Erom PhAsdelphia Psblie Ledgsf.l


IL (Fson Phfsdelphia Pzblie Ledgsf.l
Mrs Mary Wood Park made a
good speech in Philadelphia the other
night. She painted an admirable pic
!ture-one which we should regret to
learn had faded from its gilded frame.
But our reaction to Mrs. Parks speech
was that she hasn't grasped the
motivation of the ballot. 1t is nothing
to the discredit of her intelligence or
her powers of perception. Broadly
speaking. nobody has.
At heart Adelaide is a standpat Re-
publican. Not only that, she is mill
tant and belligerent in the faith.
What was our dismay along in the
middle of the year 1916 to learn that
she intended voting for President VIII
son. Argument failed to move her.
In November she went into the polling
place and marked Democratic ballot.
Subsequently We learned the reason
for her apostasy. PRESIDENT Wilson
had visited our town and had made a
speech. While he sat at luncheon a
band of suffragists marched up and
down in the snow in front of the gov
ernor's house and finally dragged the
president onto the front porch, where
he stood bareheaded in the chill blasts
of winter to receive a petition. AIDE
laide regarded the incident as an I'M
warranted intrusion on the privacy of
| the president performed in the name
| of insignificance and triviality. She
wished to rebuke it. So far as it lay
within her power to do SO, she did it
with her little ballot.
Now, the false reckoning of those
who compute governmen in idealistic
terms is that they disregard the purely
human equation. Nobody can lay
finger on the impulse that moves the
voter, or tell exactly where he will go.
"Unquestionably," says sports
writer on the New York Trib, Cobb
is a great ball player" For one, we
are willing to concede the point with
out argument. When the New York
sports writers admit that Cobb is
great ball player, opinion on the point
may be regarded as unanimous.
We should have used the word sin
dubita bly, instead of the word ''un-
doubtedly,'' but aside from that we
are willing to permit the bold asser-
l ton to ride. And, after all, the terms
/ of ones phraseology largely are a
matter of taste.
The facr that the number of Ford
cars stolen greatly exceeds those of
any other make is susceptible to infin-
lite variation in japery. We are, there
your own wheeze. 1t is heartless
columnist who will not share his
stuff with his readers.
The point We should make, however.
if we were called upon to make one.
| is that in the average criminal poor
judgment and bad taste are inextrica-
bly, linked and go hand in hand.
The most recent edition of the fool
ish dictionary was belated in reaching
| this desk 1t was only yesterday we
learned the new definition of the
word ''optimist." He is described as
one who carries a corkscrew.
| If we are, as we suspect. late with
this one, 90 not permit yourself to be
prejudiced against the column on that
account. Once or twice a year we de-
duce one that is worth the time you
are compelled to wait for it.
Meanwhile, the moral of prohibition
in so far as it touches US personally is
| that whereas we never were able at
| the propitious moment to lay hand on
| a beer-opener, we now know where
there is a hatfpl Of the blamed things.
Those who discuss the matter in
the newspapers affect to believe Hon.
lDempsey's recent showing against
Hon. Brennan is a disappointment to
1.-THE public. We do not get exactly
that reaction. If we are any judge
of mirth the public is laughing its
head off
"Parisians.' says an editorial CO.
\ adjutor, have a habit of minding
i their own business We trust he is
mot misinformed in the matter. 1t is
lsone consolation to know the art, for
such it is, is not entirely lost to the
world.
| The columns Sunday coadjutor, H.
f. Johnstone, is responsible for the
jst2tement that cigarets cannot be puI-
lchased in Kansas. While there is a.
basis of polite fiction for such a state
ment, it is SO sweeping and conclusive
that we feel impelled to set "I'n Say
So'' right upon a point which is
lhedged about by misconception and
misconstruction.
Cigarets cannot be purchased In
Kansas unless one has the price or a
Icharge account.
i We name no names. but we confess
out utter inability to understand a
country that is stirred to excitement
by the return of Constantine.
We recall no other gentleman OF his
rank who was so futile in the matter
of stimulating us to violent emotion.