The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-18
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY Jay e. HOUSE
(From Philadelphia Public LedgerJ

Forever you gore the dreahleIs ?;
the idealists and the ssrious-minoeo,
writes one who refers to US as propa-
gandist of the devil. ~ ct this IS put
a minor part of your offense. for the
greater is that at one and the same
time you whitewash and hold up 10
glory those veritable satans OF prac-
ticality. the politicians. Why DO you
do it?''
It's a fair question. One reason we
string with the politicians is that We
| want to get something done. Not only
that, We want it to stand up after IL Is
done. The politicians are the only
| chappies who can do it. 1t is. we
hold, the smart thing and the sensible
thing to line up with the side that mas
the ball and is going somewhere In
particular.
Another reason is that we just nat
! urally prefer the society of the poll
| ticians. They know something for GER
tain. They're genial and companion
| able. For the most part they're good
| fellows and good sports. In the main
they're straight. They keep their Wofd
and they're good to their folks. Be-
sides that, the dreamers and idealists
bore US stiff; the maunderings and the
mutterings of the serious-m minded set
tie upon US as pail Of gloom.
Having settled that moot question.
/
leisurely survey of the unusual and
un1mpOrtant
In Which We Arc Misunderstood.
Sir told a friend of mine you
were inviting discussion as to how far
man could go with another mans
/ wife. His reply was, ut all depends
on how much gas he has in his tank"
p thought it was a very good AN
swer." Wot? T. p. G.
Far from it, and nothing of the
/ kind. What We want to know is ex-
actly what is considered proper in the
| best circles. AS hick from the Middle
West who has much to learn of social
usage. We wish to square our conduct
with the accepted traditions of our
present environment.
That is to say, theoretically speaking.
Concretely we have neither the desire
nor the opportunity to infringe the
! time-honored conventions. The time
honored conventions are as safe in
our hands as little child.
The Ieisurely survey of the unim-
portant, hitherto forecast, brings jess
| Willard nom entarily into the perspec-
tive. Ostensibly, Jess has struck oil
he has plenty of money. He inter
poses that alleged fact as his reason
for declining further to consider the
game Mr.. Dempsey offers
We refer to the matter here in
order that we may engage in the
pleasing JUNCTION of caressing our OWL
perspicacity. Wizards alibi was cor
rectiy diagnosed in this column before
he sprung it.
Further light and airy consideration
of the unimportant finds US in the act
of contemplating Mr.. Dempsey and his
future. What could be more meet and
proper than inability on the part OF
Mr.. Dempsey to find further engage
ments in his particular line? What
| could be more satisfactory? If they
have not already done so, the wolves
shortly will have stripped Mr.. Demp-
sey clean. If he can find nobody to
fight he will for the first time in his
life. be compelled to go to work
We ask you if there is. in your con-
temptation of the workings of destiny
a more delightful prospect.
We turn to the theatrical firma-
ment and specifically to Mr. Zeig-
fields Follies for further inspiration
| Mr. Zeigfeld created a wondrous spec
tacle as tasteful as a woman's dream
| and as chaste as a new moon. And
then he spoiled it all by erecting for
the curtain of the first act a cheap
| tawdry, boresome burlesque of the
| Dempsey Carpenter fight.
In the name of art, good taste, ex-
| tPavagant sartoriaI investiture and
superlative lighting effects why did
{ Mr.. Zeigfeld do it?
Others have sprinkled the feat with
| the aroma of beautiful words and the
| lob is pretty well cleaned up We
| merely observe that had Mr.. Hughes
| been able to unloose an equivalent
wallop in 1915 the result might have
| been different.
| Our use of the lateral word pass
| having got US into bad odor at Penn
| State, we return to straight phrase
elogy long enough to say the Penn
/ State-Navy contest was the best
/ football game we have seen.
And there, we foRdly believe. is a