The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-28
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY e, HOUSE
CFrcm Philadelphia Public Ledger.l
A Letter to President Harding.

Friend Warren:
Well, Warren, I seen you at the
GridiTon dinner Saturday night, and
that is the first time have really saw
you since you walked on eggs at the
convention of 1915 and never cracked
a shell. That was a fine job of egg
walking, and I made up my mind you
was a pretty big man, on account If
you hadn't been you sure would Ct
added some of them. Well, Warren,
IL you want to know how 1 think you
are getting along I think you are get
ting along all right. II I've said so
once I've said so a dozen times. But
just because all the correspondents
in Washington is for you don't you
get the idea that all the people is for
you. They are some of them here in
the east who is not and you will be
surprised when I tell you why. They
say you are not nothing but a small
town editor from the middle west,
and that is one thing, Warren, that is
not forgave by good many people
east of the Allegheny mountains. They
can stand anything but that. and they
do. And so just because the big fell
lows and the correspondents is for
you, don't go to getting the idea that
it is unanimous, or is going to be.
They might get over your being from
the middle west in time, but they are
not going to forget you was small
town editor. OF course, 1 have been
small town editor and I know it
takes a smart man to be one or maybe
1 would be one yet, but the great COM
mon people east of the Alleghenies
don't know II. and nothing you can do
will prove it to them.
1t makes me think of Harold Chase
and why they abused him. Harold
and me was side kicks on the old pa
per out west for a good many years.
Whenever Harold started something
constructive in his part of the paper
I kicked holes in it in mine and vice
versa. In seventeen years we never
wrong about that We both said Doc
Cook discovered the pole, and you
know what happened to people who
said that. A good many of the peo-
pie that liked Harold didn't like me.
and some that liked me didn't like
Harold, but we got along all right per-
sonally with each other and there
never was no hard feelings. But on
account of us not agreeing on nothing
some thought maybe it would please
me if they knocked Harold to me and
som etimes they done it. Well, one
day they was a fellow damning Har-
old, and he was not doing it with faint
praise. either, and says to him,
What's the matter with Harold ?''
And he got red in the face and all
excited and said: whats the matter
with him :? Why. he's a college grad
uate, that's what's the matter with
to that on account of Harold being
one of these Harvard old grads, and 1
shut up. If Harold lives to be a thou
sand years old he'll never live it down.
They'll always hold it against him.
And it's the same thing about you be-
ing a small town editor. They'll al
ways be some that VIII hold it against
you.
Well, Warren, all I wish is that
of Of
the east who have never been west
of the Youngstown flood could of been
at the Gridiron dinner and seen US
middle westerners. About half way
thru the meal 1 looks around and
there is Henry L. Doherty of Madi-
son, Wis. sitting right behind me and
1 says, why. hello Henry, how,ve you
been?" and he says, Fine, Dodd. how
are you ?" But it was like everything
else 1 do 1 pulled. my stuff where
to see it. Them that saw me talk
ing casual-like to one of the wizards
of Wall street didn't know me and
maybe supposed done it every day
it was miles away. Well I looked
around some more and seen John J.
Pershing of LacIede. Mo, and Kene-
saw NJ. lands of Kokonfo, and Will
Hays of Sullivan, and Dave Mulvane
of Topeka and John T. Adams of Du-
lumbus, and Henry Wallace of DeS
Moines, and George Christian of Mar
ion, and Hubert Work of Pueblo and
Joe Cannon of DanviIle, and George
of Muncie and Ira -Cop1ey
of Aurora, and Charlie Curtis OF To-
peka, and Harry Halves of St. Louis, |
and Jim Mann and Fred Upham of
Chicago, and Herb Walker of Atchi
son, and forty or fifty others an from
west of, p line running north and south |
thru Jamestown, and most of them |
was at the head table. at that. I come |
pretty near being at the head table |
myself. I looked at every card on it. |
My card said table No. 1 and if the |
head table is not table No. ], I says
TO myself, what is it? I asked the
chap next to me where he was from !
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