The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-07
ON SECOND THOUGHT

We commend Commissioner Kra-
mer for his frankness. He admits the
! esteemed Volstead act is not very well
enforced. The quality of frankness is
so infrequently found in a prohibition
enforcement official that we pin a
half-blown rose in the commissioners
buttonhole. But we part company
with him when he characterizes
t"home brew as a fad or an adventure.
| If we are any judge of the so
called human race" as the late B. L.
T. so aptly termed it, home brew is
both a solid, substantial achievement
and a fixed rite in the mysticism of
those who seek the artificial urge.
Along in the winter we visited in the
: Middle West, where, due to a remote
ness from the bases of legitimate lu-
bricants. "home brew" is much fur
Their advanced than it is along the
eastern seaboard. Out there they
have produced a soporific wallop en-
cased in an eiderdown blanket. 1t is
a liquid the color of the mulberry and
which. when held to the light. dis
closes the sheen of molten gold. 1t is
as caressing as a soft south wind and
as seductive as a woman's smile. 1t
! is as innocuous to the taste as a rasp-
berry sundae and as delectable as
| ambrosia. And it is as wanton as
machine gun.
/ We were an honor guest at a num-
Der eft festivals at which this. emol-
lient was served. The community
| still holds a little hard liquor The
hard liquor was set gu. alongside
| the home brew 1t went begging as
those who had gathered quaffed the
product of the home and fireside
We submit that tipple which thus
| ca ptiYateS community cannot be de-
scribed asa fad or an adventure.
OF course. there is always the
chance that the home brew will kill
| its devotee or that it will blind or
paralyze him for life. But with the
| so-called human race in its present
state ofSrnind. that only adds zest to
the experience.
We don't pretend to know what
common labor should receive from the
railroads. We merely recall that it
was paid for at the rate of twelve and
one-half cents an hour when we per-
formed it.
It is true that we engaged in one
| interesting. if disastrous, fight over the
question as to what constituted a sat
isfactory income, but it settled moth
| ing. In company with a gang OF, SO
| to speak. colaborers we were engaged
| in ballasting track for the newly built
*. c. & p. The wage was S1.25 for
| a. day of ten hours. Brett HARDWOOD
took the position that IL he could be
day for the remainder OF his life he
would be entirely satisfied to accept
| it. We scoffed at the idea and i'm
pugned all of Bretts faculties Con-
| troversy led to recrimination, recrim-
| nation to epbhet and epithet to physi-
cal combat. Having given away about
fifteen pounds, we took somewhat the
worst of the encounter: but the battle
| still was in progress when the gang
boss interfered and stopped Il. Then
he discharged us boG, not for fight
! ing but for fighting on the companys
| time
In a way, however. time has justi-
fled our position. Brett found s1.25
day was not a reasonable ambition.
| We saw him last winter. He was get
ting $50 month as janitor Divine
wood school. He said he was going
fto< strike for SIS next year.
We learn from the New York pap
ers that Mr.. Whitman Is to investi-
| gate the EIwell case. We do not ques
pugn them We merely direct his at
tention to. the fact that in its present
| status the Elwell case is satisfactory to
pretty neary everybody with whom we
have talked concerning it.
We don't, we go on to say, mind
| being persuaded. But we do hate to
| be pressed.
| Standardization old chappie!
Mine was last Sunday. AS we were
born under the astrological sign of
| Aries. will you tell the columns read
ers the significance of that?
H. F. S.