The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-23
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY &. HOUSE =
tFron Philadelphia Public Ledgsr.l

The Harding publicity, which has
always irked us, becomes more banal
as Mr.. Harding's great moment de-
fines itself against the immediate flu
ture. We learn from one newspaper
that Mr.. Harding REACHED Brownsville
after a grueling ride in an automobile
over the twenty miles of prairie be-
tween brownsville and Point Isabel
Thru other newspapers we hear-Q of Mr.
Harding's feat of tooling a locomotive
engine over twenty-three miles of
track. As the hero of Mr.. Booth
Tarkingtoh's Seventeen so aptly
said, I'VE geds!"
A twenty-mile trip in a comfortable
motorcar over the sandy prairies of
southeastern Texas could by no
stretch of the Imagination be de-
seribed as "grueling." As a test of
physical endurance, it is equivalent to
coming downtown on street car with
the shopping crowd. Any human be-
ing gifted with modicum of common
sense knows Mr.. Harding can no mere
run a locomotive than he can operate
a linotype. And he would not, under
the circumstances be permitted to at
tempt it.
Editors defend that sort of fluff
on the ground that it is human Inter
est stuff. But it isn't. 1t is sluggish
banality flowing between low-lying
banks of bunk. There is a story in the
Hardings. The humdrum common
places, the petty details of their vaca-
ton trip and their intimate reactions
to the destiny that has just EMBODIED
them would be a peach" of a story.
1t is there begging to be written. Why
in heavens name doesn't some re-
porter write it?
The Tip" contained in the proceed
ing paragraphs is offered to the vari-
Gus press associations and special cor
respondents engaged In covering the
Harding expedition We hand it to
them free of copyright and all other
restrictions.
1t may be necessary to submit the
matter to- the board of authorities.
H. c. V. says it was neither Lord Nell
son nor John Paul Jones who said,
give me liberty or give me death
He aseribes the immortal saying to
the Duke of wellington, and says 1t
was uttered on the battlefield OF
Gettysburg.
Meanwhile, we express the thought
which sustains us thru all our weary
days. Nobody ever takes the trouble
to pan" dead one.
We have many times paid homage
to Henry Ford's wizardry in the con-
Struction and sale of cheap motor
car. But. after all, his facility in that
respect is only little more marked
than his capacity for getting into trou-
ole.
Numerically, the assemblage OF
those who have skinned" Mr.. Ford
becomes a little larger every year and
many illustrious personages grace it
Moral, why Does a Policeman Run
Sir-Did you ever see a policeman
run? Is it not a shocking perform
ance, especially when he will not tel
why he is running? Is it permissible
in the manual for a policeman to run p?
One has been caught red handed at it
in Philadelphia. About ten days ago
a man in the uniform of a policeman
ran down Berks street to Eleventh.
He peered up and down the street,
then turned tail and ran back to
Marvine street and up Marvine to
Norris. Such conduct on the part of
an officer aroused the neighborhood.
All of the unattached boys and school
children ran after him as they
streamed out of a motion picture
show. Windows flew UP and women
in unanimity shrieked, What is he