The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-11-08
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY u. HOUSE .
(From Philadslphia Public L.edgse.l


Among the unimportant and nom
essential things you are serving up,
begs F. w. C, please do devote a
ing public that word 'blurb,' which oc-
cas;onally asserts its existence by APP
pearing only in your column and the
Literary Review"
To be perfectly frank about it, we
don't know what 1t means. +. w. c.
doubtless is familiar with our system
which, briefly explained, is that when
we need a word we take one "BlurD-
ing" as we, understand it, is the vice
of OVERRIDING 1t is pinning a rose on a
pig-sty. 1t is the practice of perfurn-
ing negligible endeavor, the crime OF
making the English language bleed in
behalf of mediocre performance. If
we are wrong about it. we trust some
member of the intelligentsia will set
US right.
F. w. c. is wrong, however, in his
assumption that its use is confined to
this column and those of the Literary
Review. 1t has become almost a uni
versaI toxic. All of the smart and
clever writers have been playing WIN
it 1t now is 50 common that it soon
will be necessary to find a new word
to take its place.
Mr.. Robert c. Benchley, of Life,
recently has been making some eX-
periments to that end He has
offered the word curry as substi-
bracfng than "blurb." A more com
prehensive expression is needed, and
we trust the members of the New
York Mutual Admiration society will
presently supply one.
How about all of us voting for
Andy Gump?" asks II. 81. Il think
a vote cast for him would mean as
much to most of us as any one on the,
ticket We are all tired of the poll
tician- He means NOTTINGHAM empty
void
Blah, blahi The average congress-
man is as good as his community. On
the whole, he grades above its general
average in ability, decency, intelligence
and courage. But, as a rule, he is just
plain plug citizen with all of the
qualities of his kind. Having sent him
to congress his district sits back and
waits for the miracle to happen. But
nothing does happen. Its representa-
tive still is just a plain, plug citizen
with the limitations of his type.
What the congressman finds out
about his job when he gets down to
Washington is that it consists in run
ming for his life. Whichever way he turns
he finds himself facing a loaded gun
in the hands of a constituent. Unless
he is a man of super-courage-a
few of these get into congress or show
up anywhere e1se-he is assaiIed by
the conviction that he will be shot If
he does and shot If he doesn't. And
SO he trims and pussyfoots his way
thru his congressional career. For
two reasons he performs no notable
service. One of them is that he is in
canable of performing notable serv-
ice. The other is that if he endeayoqed
to do anything out of the ordinary his
community would draw and quarter
him at the succeeding election.
A friend of ours was beaten for re-
nomination to congress last August
His name is Philip Pitt Campbell He
has been in congress twenty years. He
is man of more than ordinary ability
and more than ordinary courage.
was seriously questioned. Step by step
he had advanced until he was. per-
haps, OF all the members of congress
the second in importance and in the
power he exercised. He knew. better
than any other man in his district,
what was advisable and desirable in
legislation. And he wasn't nIHch
afraid of 81 loaded gun in the hands
of constituent. But the various dis
affected elements in his district got
together last August and beat him for
a denomination.
The candidate who beat him was
nominated on q "blurb' issue. He is
a good average citizen, but probably is
inferior to Campbell in ability and
general fitness for office. He has
none of CampbelTs Intricate knowl7
edge of public affairs. 1t will take
him twenty years-ma 1be Ionger--to
fill Campbelrs shoes. But those who
contributed to his nomination will, if
he is elected, sit back and wait ex-
pectantly for the miracle to happen.
When It develops that there is to be
no miracle, they will indulge in the
usual t'yamp" about the impotency
OF Congress and the derelfctions of the
politicians.
Andy Gump is the perfect type of
boob" candidate. The fact that he
isn't going to be elected does not ap-
probably affect the situation. A lot
of other "boobs'' will be elected.
Our advice to II. J. s. is to quit wor-