The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-29
ON SECOND THOUGHT

Having "pussyfooted' in his reply to
the meddlesome woman who wrote
him asking that he refrain from the
use Of cigarettes. Mr.. Harding already
finds himself the object of attention
from other zealots. The Anti-Tobacco
Society of California has written ask
ing him to give up the use of tobacco
altogether.
The lesson of the incident D that one
can't "pussyfoot" with self-appointed
conservators of public morals. The
nothing to them. One must hit 'em
with a dornick. The self-appointed
conservator of public morals never
NEEDLES twice with the public man
who kicks him in the Stats.
We have expressed the thought in
language that is rough and crude. But
when the processes OF courteous
speech are futile and unavailing.
1t is not surprising that Mr.. Bryan
wants to reorganize the Democratic
party along Bryanite lines. He would.
Bryan has again burst from his cere-
ments. What the recent Democratic
National Convention hoped would be
a case of rigor morris merely proved
to be one of suspended animation.
References to Mr.. Harding in the
current outburst of the column maybe
construed as a reflection on the quail
ity and the rightly of Mr.. Harding's
spinal column. We did not SO intend
them. Mr.. Harding established the
quality of his spinal investiture when
he began going to Toledo tailor for
his clothes. There is no reason to
question the courage of the man who
withholds his patronage from the
hometown tailor. 1t takes more
nerve to do that than it does to wear
the net result of his artistry.
We recall that in a political cam
paign in which we were the defendant
one of the issues was the admitted fact
that we once had a suit of clothes
made by Chicago tailor.
Careful readers of the column will
recall our dismay at the apparent
sweep of prohibition in Scotland. 1t
may interest them to know that our
perturbation was unjustified by the
facts in the case. There still are, we
are permitted to state authoritatively,
1921 places in Scotland where one
may get a drink.
Or, to phrase it a little differently,
the places in Scotland where one may
get a drink are almost as numerous as
they are in New York City.
Not that it is likely to do US any
Scotland, the chances are we'll never
get there.
MY personal excuse for intruding,' -
we take the liberty of quoting Sir Hall
Game, lis that I devoted four and 4
half years of the war solely to the
task of interpreting the soul of my
country to the soul of America
We confess to being one of those
who, at the time and subsequently, re-
manned in entire ignorance of Mr..
Gaines activities. If it isn't an i'm
pertinent question, how far did he get
with it?
"You have to talk to this huge
philosopher" writes a New York re-
porter of Gilbert K. Chesterton, "be-
fore you can understand him-and
then he leaves you guessing in this
end
We rise to a question of personal
privilege. What's the object in, talk
ing to huge philosopher one cannot
understand and who leaves one guess
ing in the end?
There may come a time when this
country will worry about what Mr.
CEesterton thinks, but it will be after
1t has worried about everything else
The selection by the proponents OF
the Blue Sunday of Berwick as a trial
ground is happy one. If a trial OF
the Blue Sunday is demanded, let il
De made in communities in which the
residents will be unable to notice any
difference.
,WhilS the foregoing quip is some
what 6umsily worded. we shall he
greatly disappointed if it doesn't bring
a singing rejoinder from some resi-
dent of Berwick who has been COM
PEELED to spend a Sunday in Philadel-
phia.
We recur to the eccentric Miss He
pert for the purpose of observing that
in chasing her quarry $4,000 miles
Miss Hebert broke all records for dis
lance. The rule is that if woman
doesn't catch a man in the first SOC
miles she never overtakes him A
Few instances in which the quarry
travelled 1000 miles before succumb-
ing are of record. but Miss Hebert's
journey of $4,000 miles is one for the
book.
Congratulations on the quality, OF
our endurance come to US from L. c.
Beattie. Mr.. Beattie, who quit ex-
hausted at the end of the third chap
ter thinks the exhibition we gave in
completing 1.-The Age of Innocence
marvellous one
We lack. however the elasticity
and the pep that once were ours
We once read all of E. P. Roe's works
in the course of one summer and fall
and went into winter quarters in good
condition.