The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-29
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY Z. HOUSE.
(From Philadelphia Public Ledgsr.A

We are less confident concerning
Candidate Harding's chances than we I
were. There is some doubt as to
whether the broad-minded, generous /
hearted people of this country will !
brook q candidate who, it is alleged |
once owned stock is a brewery. The |
people are implacabIe in fixing the
moral standards of a candidate.
We have many times had occasion
to observe the manner in which the
voters set themselves as adamant
against the candidate who infringes
by the slightest margin upon the
moral standards set up for him. One
incident falls readily to mind The
locale was Missouri, the episode a
gubernatorial campaign. The Repub-
ltcans had nominated a good man and
true. He had what is vernacularly
known as a swell chance. But
in mid-campaign a story to the effect
that he owned a billiard table swept
tho state. 1t was in vain that those
who sought to defend the candidate
set up the plea that he had taken the
billiard table in satisfaction of a mort
gage and that he had promptly dis
mantled it and stored it in his barn.
Rural Missouri was aghast at the evil
dence of his moral turpitude and
aflame with indignation. The rural
districts remained aghast and aflame,
and the Democratic candidate won,
with thousands of votes to spare.
However comma as one of his
| friendly publicists comma it seems to
us the incident reflects no discredit on
Candidate Harding's business acumen.
! If he did own brewery stock, he was
smart enough to sell it.
Meanwhile, we are holding, and
| -
| to print the name of the Democrat
who can relieve the present drab po-
| litical situation with a splash of color.
Will the New York World kindly
oblige?
| "Southpaws," remarks a contempt
raneous sports writer. ARE born
lucky" Will the gentleman accept an
| amendment? Thank you II is that
/ the observation be made to read,
"Southpaws are born that way"
If you know "southpaws," you will
be able to get that one without the aid
of a diagraI-.. If you don't know
/ "southpaws." forget it; it wouldn't
mean anything to you.
AS a country-town reporter we are
loath to offer a suggestion to metro
politan journalism, but we doubt the
public is so deeply interested in the
Elwell tragedy as the New York news
papers appear to imagine. Al of those
with whom we have discussed the Ell
well tragedy were resigned to it. Most
of them were entirely satisfied with it.
We have, we may add by way of ex-
plantation, the gift of pertinacity. We
intend to keep on discussing the FL
we'll case until we write a clever para
graph about It,
Recent events sent us on another
reconnaissance of "Elwell on Bridge"
We find the volume as difficult to I'M
/ derstand as ever and particularly dis
appointing in one particular: it fails
to define the offense or fix the penalty
for the player who parts with his
cards as reluctantly as a miser re-
leases his gold.
We have hitherto indicated one rea-
son for our aversion to bridge 1t is
the player or spectator who labori-
| ously explains how we might have
taken another trick. Almost equally
offensive is the player who wants to
kiss every card good-by.
There are a good many poor
sports" but, so far S our recent OBJ
servations have extended DR.. Nicholas
! Murray Butler is the only one publicly
to admit it.
Meanwhile, we desire to direct the
attention of the followers of Leonard
Wood to the sportsmanlike attitude of
the equally devoted followers of Gov
| ernor Lowden and others of the de-
feated candidates for president. 1t
| is one entirely worthy of emulation.
That do1eful sound which you have
noted, and which doubtless has puzzled
you. is the wailing of the Wood CO.
horts.
Our casual journey into the political
arena over, we return TO our faithful
perusal of the sporting pages to find
that time has not stalled nor custom
| withered one of the seasons most i'm
pressive ceremonies. The New York
papers still are holding osculatory eX-
ercises in the name of Babe Ruth.
1t may interest the readers or the
column TO know that we close down
the desk for the day preparatory to
embarking upon one of the most dam
-