The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-20
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY E. HOUSE
tFrom Philadelphia Public Ledger)

We are greatly encouraged concern
ing the future of the county and the
race. We recently met a gentleman
who believes the penal institutions OF.
the country should be made places of
punishment. He doubts that eonvicts
should have a better time than honest,
Woodworking citizens. He doesn't be-
heve much can be done toward up
lifting the man who is foolish enough.
or vicious enough, to get into the pent-
Tertiary.
AS we have said. we are greatly en-
couraged. For long time, it seemed
to US we were the only person in the
world who believed those who had
committed crimes should be punished
for them. Considering the preponder-
ance of sentiment against it, It seemed
useless to attempt to put the idea
across. Now that there are two of us
working on it, some progress appears
to be possible.
The late news concerning W. j.
Bryan also cheers us considera bly,.
Taxes on Mr.. Bryan's palace in Miami
are $500 for the cusrent year. Mr..
Byran is 'beefing'' about it, but he will
be compelled to pay. 1t is gratifying
to know that Mr.. Bryan finally is to
be compelled to do something for his
country.
We note still further evidences of
progress We got out of the house
yesterday morning with a raveling
clinging to our overcoat. When a
married man can do that he is MAX
ing inroads on his thraIidom.
1t Was an Idle Boast.
Sir-Several days ago you said you
would swim the Hellespont for a
bushel of a certain kind of apples.
have a fine picture of you even at
fPn1nfinp q thing what
have you that you can even swim
the Wissa hickon? You, born in the
land where the majority see water in
any great quantity on Saturday night
only, can hope to attempt such feat
only when slightly unbalanced.
F. P. c. does we'll TO "bawi" us out.
We might as well confess that un-
familiarity with water led to one of
our most humiliating experiences. We
refer to our fatuous attempt to swim
the Mississippi river at Quincy. A
small wager was involved, but we
didn't mind the money; ii was the
principle of the thing. A swift current
was pounding the west bank of the
river We cut into it about two hun
dred yards from the goal. But weak
ened by our unfamiliarity with water
and tired from the long swim, we
could make no Roadway against it.
After it had carried us two or three
miles down the river. we gave up and
were dragged into the boat in an ex-
hausted condition. We shall make no
more proffers to swim the Hellespont.
F. p. q. has set us to nursing on old
wound.
The ridiculous part of it is that. at =
normal stage, the Mississippi is only a
mile wide at Quincy.
We congratulate Sergeant Samuel p.
Woodfill. Having printed his picture
and made appreciative but sufficiently
brief reference to his military record,
the newspapers are showing a dispo-
sition to let him alone. If they con-
tinue to do so. Sergeant WoodfilI is
likely to be a hero as long as he
lives.
You will recall that. in giving him a
farm and offering him vaudeville
contract they pretty nearly spoiled
Sergeant Alvin Yorke for everybody.
Everybody agrees that Abraham
Lincoln was a great man. He was ais }
a good politician. as it attested by the
fact that he once observed, You can't
fool all of the people all of the time"
"Seorn' may also be defined as the
feeling which dominates a man when
he has occa sion TO observe his wife in
the act of driving a motor car.