The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-06-20
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY e. HOUSE
(From Philadelphia Public Ledger.l
The Reform Column,

prove the condition and relations of
the human race. We have so many
things to attend to that The Reform
Column will appear not oftener than
once a year. Probably that will be
often eonugh. Usually when we fix
a thing it stays fixed for a long time.
One of the most important reforms
we know anything about is that of ad-
justing the financial relations between
husbands and wives. The origin of
half the quarrels between husbands
and wives may be traced to money
matters. Talk long enough to any
woman and she will tell you that her
husband is hard to get money from.
This despite the fact that, nine times
out OF ten, when a man chaseS a dol
lar it is because he wants to give it to
or spend 1t on some woman. Other
wise he probably would have no use
for the dollar. The trouble is not
that men are tight" 1t is because
women feel Inundated when they are
compelled to ask for money. It puts
them IN bad humor. and their natural
reaction is to nag their husbands
on the score of stinginess.
Every true reformer has a remedy
for the condition of which he COM
plains. The remedy we suggest in this
instance is that when women need
money they get out and earn it them
selves. Women are now equal to men
in every respect. Indeed, some say
they are superior to men. Let them
prove it by earning their own money.
1t would save them much needless hu-
initiation, and the men would profit
by it to the extent of millions of dol
lars a year.
A few reformers tell the people
what they ought to do, but a great
majority of them occupy their time in
telling them what they ought not to
do. Two-thirds of the conversation of
the world is devoted to warnings con-
corning what is proper and right and
desirable in a given circumstance
Our policy of reform is much more
liberal and attractive one. We say to
the people, within the limits of
decency and common courtesy. do
what you like. Let the people eat
what they like, wear what they choose
and play at whatever diverts them.
We know of no more sensible and
pressing reform than the one here
outlined.
When we reach the point at which
nobody tells anybody else what he
ought to do, this country will deserve
its reputation of being the greatest
under the sun.
A good many of the reformers are
now centering their efforts on the
motion-p:cture theaters 1t is pro-
posed to make m otfOn pictures better
thru the medium of censorship and
law. Assuming that they need it our
plan of reforming motion pictures is
much n Gre practical than any yet
suggested. If you don't like the type
and variety of motion pictures now
being shown, stay away from the
theaters in which they appear. If
you do rot like them, no law is going
to prevent you from seeing that sort
of thing. If you can't see it in a
theater, you will see it in your minds
eye.
The rule is that if a man has done
nothing for which he ought to be sent
to prison the probabilities are he isn't
there. Cur method of reforming him
Is to permit him to serve his full term
And while this is unpopular doctrine
and likely will evoke no favorable re-
Spouse, we'd make the penitentiary a
rather unpleasant place to spend a
period of years.
One stupendous problem having its
genesis in the public veal is that of
the reformation of those who drive
Ford motor cars. We do not advocate
the passage of laws designed to reg
ulate the Ford traffic; as everybody
knows, we are against the passage of
further laws. Neither do we counsel
violence Nine times out of ten 'vio-
lence is more trouble and expense than
it is worth. Our notion of it is that
drivers of Ford cars could be modi-
/
they could be made to see themselves
as others see them.
To that end we turn to the mirror Of
life and point out these simple facts
Everybody knows that on level roads
or on those inclining downward, a
Ford motor car will travel at rate
of about thirty miles an hour 1t
isn't necessary to demonstrate its cap
ability in that respect. 1t is an ac-
Nr,I
an automobile competently driven at
a rate of twenty or twenty-five miles
an hour, and showing due regard for
traffic rules and conditions, can be
passed by a Ford car. There is no
point in the driver of the Ford re-
esta blishing that fact in crowded traf-
fic or under any other condition. The
owner of the automobile doesn't care
how many Fords pass him, and the
probabilities are that the driver of
the latter has nothing to do when he
gets there. A Ford car can weave in
and out of a line of crowded traffic
at some danger of life and limb and
to the annoyance of drivers of auto
but there is no object in doing
so. 1t is all right for the driver of
in contempt and diSdain- That is a
perfectly natural human emotion.
But it isn't n ecessary to hog the middle
of the road in order to express that
emotion. That can be done in a hun
dred other ways, none of which inter-
feres with traffic.
As a further reform movement, we
advocate the elimination from the
vocabulary of all the old saws None
of them expresses a great truth; most
of them are foolish. Particularly we
advocate the elimination of the one
to the effect that early to bed and
early to rise makes a man healthy,
wealthy and wise
If a man gets up early, the proba-
bilities are that he has to do SO in
order to hold his job. If he goes to
bed early, the chances are it's because
there's nothing going on. The time at
which a man rises or retires has moth
ing to do with his health He can't