The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-17
ON SECOND THOUGHT
By JAY e HOUSE,
tFrom PhiladelphIa Public Ledger.l

| Says a contented. customer who
writes to discuss certain phases of the
political situation II am now doing
! my own thinking-even tho it be
| poor. That is a contamination de-
Toutly to be wished. Any time the
| people of this country settle down to
! the steady grind of doing their own
thinking we'll back the republic to
the limit.
The trouble with the thinking is
that most of it is done by proxy. The
result is that most of that which
passes as fact merely is propaganda
and a large part. of that which is con-
sidered knowledge isn't true.
A new play called 'TWest of Pitts
| burgh'' is in rehearsal and will shortly
have a presentation in Atlantic City.
/ We are not advised as to the subject
matter. but We suspect the Wild West
possibly that portion of it lying be-
tween the Wabash and Illinois rivers
is about to sustain another wallop.
At any rate, since the piece was
written by two New York dramatists,
that is the logical presumption.
There Are, However, Conditions.
Sir-Just a suggestion from one
who has read the column several
years. Some time ago. you exchanged
pulpits with, Mr.. Cullen Cain. why
not do so again? 1t will be a pleasant
Trusting this villa be received in the
spirit in which it was sent, am.
P. H. G.
Wen exchange on one condition. 1t
is that we be assigned to do Mr.. Gains
stuff from Seattle. Los Angeles. Jack
sonville, Chicago, the Adirondacks,
New England or some of the other
points to which he continually is jour
neylng in quest of material. Well
write Mr.. Gains column any time
there is a ride in it. AS long as we
are compelled to stick around this
desk Wen do our own stuff.
Certain of our speculative adven-
lures have proved intriguing to a few
readers of the column. We take the
liberty of recounting another expert
ence. We just laid a wager of Sc with
a Chestnut street haberdasher that
we could pick out a straw hat that
wouldn't make us look any worse.
The fear that we have lost the
wager aSsails us, but we shan't know
for certain until we get home.
The column approves Lady Astor's
declination to engage in joint debate
on the subject of prohibition with Miss
Elizabeth Marbury. Next to mass
meeting, the joint debate probably is
the most futile of proceedings If we
may offer a suggestion, it is that the
fashion.
Nam fashion, we shall add for the
benefit Of the women who have not
famiilarized - themselves with the
methods of the intrepid sex, is to Of
fer to wager $40 and then hedge
when it comes to putting up the
money.
All Russia wants is a billion dollars
in money or goods. Well, you gentle
men know who will be expected to
foot the bill, whatever it is. You
might as we'll assemble your organiza
ton and get ready for the canvass.
Who will be the first to subscribe
$4,000 toward meeting the Russian
demand?
'oThe senate's fight on She bonus"
writes Cornelius Vanderbilt, jr., lis to
be a decisive battle between Main
street and Wall street. Wall street,
with all her resources, all her silken-
lined pockets, all her foreign I'M
American advice, is face to face with
the Young America from the Main
street for forty-eight whole-souled pa
triotic States
We told young Mr.. Vanderbilt's en-
ployer more than a year ago that as
d I0POEl0E Al0 WISH worth ln6 81 "a
a week he is reputed to receive. That
is TO say, we as good as told him. We
printed the opinion in this column.
One of those engaged in projecting
fool questions recently asked Booth |
Harrington the name of his favorite |
heroine. Mr.. Harrington replied that
he had no favorite heroine. We have
no wish to quarrel with his reaction |
to the question. What we want to |
know is whether he is making any |
progress with his explanation.
Our interest in the matter, we shall |
add, is personal and not academic.
without giving much heed or thought |
to the matter, we made a remark |
equivalent to Mr. Tarkington's along
in the fall of 1912. We haven't been
able satisfactorily to explain it yet.
If these paragraphs happen to meet !
Mr.. Tarlxington's eye, we hope he'll |
write and tell US. If he has a recipe |
that will do the work, we'll buy it.
George Matthew Adams