The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-17
ON SECOND THOUGHT
By JAY =. HOUSE.
(yron Philadsiphia Public Lsdess)

We have a letter from a reader who
notes the fact that this column is
| ''often idiotically foolish and silly and
sometimes cleverly silly" We suspect
4 she is more than half right about II.
But there are reasons for it. A writ
f, ing man offends about half his read
ers if he writes sense. To write sense
one must say good many things that
are offensive to the great mass of peo-
| pie; he upsets all of their preconceiyed
stupidities. On the other hand. those
who admire common sense in writing
, men do not care for it all the time.
| And so. perforce, one who would hold
his audience must write much silly
stuff.
But there is a kernel of thought in
the half-compl.mentary complaint
voiced by our correspondent. 1t is
that one might occasionally write a
sensible column and get by with it.
We have mind to try the experiment
about once a month, as the spirit
moves us to do So The idea is to talk
| straight common sense devoid of
| physiological frills and furbelows and
without making any effort to write
| smartly or cleverly. We shall attempt
| to express the idea in that which fol-
| lows.
The most persistent search is that
| for a good time. The people are look
| ing for pleasure. And that explains
1.-The vogue of the motion-picture thea
| ter, which has the largest clientele in
the world. The niotion-picture thea
ter is some place to go and the ex-
pense is nominal. The average mo-
ton picture is neither uplifting. edu-
cational. intelligent nor humorous. 1t
is foolish, stupid and tiresome; it is
| neither true nor a moral influence.
And the truth about it should be stated
| and admitted
| Unlike most reformers, We do not
wish to take the motion picture away
from the people. We ask no law to
make it Illegal. We are perfectly Will
ing for the people to have it and en-
| joy it.
John D. Rockefeller. who was
who still is roundly abused by many,
| is one of the most useful citizens this
| country ever had. E. H Gary and
4 Charles NJ. Schwab are also exceed
ingly useful citizens and a great credit
! to the country. But half the people
| to cancel their subscriptions because
Of it.
| Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday
anniversary the country reverently OBJ
serves. probably was the greatest man
| it has produced. He had unusual
poise Of mind and uncommon common
sense. But If he were alive today the
| people would drive him crazy with
their fool talk. There is more fool
| talk going around than ever before
| in the history of the world.
Granting that Mr.. Harding will pick
decent, respectable men for his cabi-
| net, and being a decent, respectable
man, he would select no other kind, 1t
/ 4 Ia xIrf n c n
| it. Any citizen Of average ability can
be a member of the presidents cabi-
net and discharge the duties of the
position with credit to himself.
Every time a man picks up news
paper he discovers it is throwing a fit
about something. But nine times out
of ten-and that's very conservative
estimate-the things over which news
papers throw fits do not amount to
anything.
But. at that, the newspapers are
more reliable and to be preferred to
that which is called literature. We
have read a good many books in
recent months. We reach the con-
clusion that the biggest fools are those
who write books about themselves and
others.
But, at that. the present-day writers
are more interesting than the old
masters. At the least. one knows
what they are talking about a part of
the time. Awhile back somebody
wrote to the paper and asked, "Who is
this idiot who writes like Addison
and Steele and doesn't know who
either of them were?"
Well, we took it for a compliment
and looked up SOME of Addison's
stuff; we happened to have some of
it in the house. 1t was no comp1i-
ment. The "big stiff" was prosy and
tiresome.
The hero of one OF the recent books
was fired by the owner of the news
paper on which he worked because he
spoke in flout.ng way of the Jews
The owner of the newspaper was a
Jew and wouldn't stand for it. While
the author tried to make it appear
that free speech had been thus SUD-