The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-20
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY q. HOUSE
(Fron Philadelphia Public Ledgsf.l

Assurance from Billy" Sunday to
the effect that he intends to make no
light on tobacco is unimportant. The
use of tobacco is so widespread and so
Well established that any attempt on
the part of the Rev. Mr. Sunday to
popularize the habit would be sur
plusage. But his temperance on the
printed page has a certain significance:
1t indicates that the eclipse is over.
1t was, as we recall it, early in 1917
that the thin edge of the cloud first
obscured the Rev. BILLY" And the
phenomenon has been approximately
total ever since.
1t may interest you to know that we
have finished the reading of Sinclair
Lewis's much discussed book. Main
Street" It is a Photographic study OF
life. The sordidness, the intolerance
the utter triviality and the dreariness
of the small town are reproduced with
remarkable fidelity. The truth about
the small town, which is that it has no
sense of art or beauty and no intel
lectual aim, is set forth in clever and
remorseless fashion.
But. unfortunately, Mr.. Lewis's repu-
taton for clearheadednesS suffers be-
cause of his conviction that prescrip-
ton will remedy the conditions he de-
scribes. 1t may be that thinking peo-
pie who are bound by the small town
will be interested in the prescription.
1t is composed of three ingredients:
socialism, cooperative buying and the
lNonpartisan league.
Secretary Daniels assures the coun-
try that the fight between Lieutenants
Farrell and Hinton will be investi-
gated. We are treasured. We had
feared for the moment that the fact
ievhf Toll he
established. But after it is established
what then?
If our mood seems imperative. it
may be excused on the ground that
the matter is urgent. The people are
much wrought up. They want to
know what if anything, can be done.
Apparently. the owners of the New
York Americans have signed away
their life's blood. In Chicago on
Wednesday they entered into an
agreement which forbids them en-
gaging in public abuse of Ban John
SON for an indefinite term of years.
Since baseball in New York was
predicated on abuse of Mr.. johnson,
the agreement practically kills the
game both for the owners of the
Americans and the New York sports
writers.
We lack the curiosity of the editor
ial writer who wants to know what
Mayor Hylan and Messrs. Hearst and
Brisbane talked about when they met
behind closed doors. Having read
some of Mayor Hylan's interviews and
various of Mr.. Hearst's newspapers,
what they said behind closed doors
would be Of no interest to us.
OF course, the damnable attempt of
the newspapers to discredit Mayor Hy-
Ian stirs us, but not to the point at
which we become interested in his
private conversation.
The probabilities are that when you
see three fellows with their heads to-
gether one of them thinks he knows
where he can get drink.
A good deal of the trouble in this
country is due to the fact that those
who are able to express themselves
graphically and we'll are nearly al
ways committed to the use of some
nostrum.
As we interpret it, the moral in the
matter of Mr.. Harding's somewhat
Embarrassing situation is. do it your
self and dc it first.
The old question as to whether
woman can keep a secret is warmed
to renewed life by the appearance of
six women On New York grand jury.
The answer is yes and no. A woman
can keep a secret If it is about a man
and is something another woman
wants to know.
Buck Kilby says the chief point of
difference between the east and the
middle west, in so far as his obser-
vations on a recent trip west extend
ed is that in the middle west they
still regard the saxaphone as an in
tegral and important part of dance
orchestra.
If you were wrought up thru fear
that Doug Fairbanks and Mary Pick
ford might get into trouble with the
Nevada courts, the probabilities are
that you had your emotions for noth-
ing.
The fact that Charlie Chaplin
------------