The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-13
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY E. HOUSE
tErom Philadelphia Public Ledger.l

IT have looked in vain" writes F.
H. B.. for comment on your part on
the agitation of the students of the
famous Big Three to abolish cham
pionships. intercollegiate football con-
tests and the glamour and fuss at
present occasioned thereby. 1t seems
peculiar that this move should have
been delayed until other schools had
succeeded in taking the championships
away from them OF course, it is
tate to suggest poor craftsmanship or
to impute unworthy motives to these
Woodworking boys"
As one whose university was a po-
tato patch, and who still visits period
ically the corn field which is his alma
mater, we are reluctant to comment
upon college activities. 1t seems pre-
sumptuous to do SO. But we'd hate.
to see the intercollegiate football
championship contest abolished. We
still believe Harvard and Yale should
play a game of football every year to
settle it.
whitman, Thackeray. Meredith
and Poe" Waldo Franks publishers
assert, were also laughed at" The
inference is that Mr.. Frank is being
laughed at. We don't believe It MT
Franks publishers are Kidding
themselves.
We do not despair OF the Republic:
we leave that to the New York Ameri-
can. The Republic will be IN GOOD
hands and will get along all rlght as
long as the column survives. But we
have about come to the conclusion
that the public can't be trusted to
walk alone. You've got to take it by
the lily white hand and lead it.
A Cradle of E1apdoodle-
sir-As an additional light on the
origin of "flapdoodle.'' I refer you to
paragraph:
"rt's my opinion. Peter, that the
gentleman has eaten no small quantity
of flapdoodle in his time"
whats that, O'Brien?" replied.
IT never heard of it"
why, Peter rejoined he, Its the
stuff they feed fools on"
This carries the investigation back
to 1884; can assist you no further.
T. T. H
whoever bore fIapdoodle performed
a great service in behalf of the writ
ten and spoken word. 1t is one Of the
most effective of phraseology's ex-
plosive weapons. Unfortunately, it is
so uncouth-so physically unattractive
that it can never hope TO get into
society. 1t will be invited out from time
to time. Upon occasion it will be the
N~~~
hope really to belong.
Physical responsiveness puts many IL
legitimate children Of the language out
of business. There, as an instance. is
the word "slob,' a particularly rugged
and vivid bit of nomenclature. But
it is physically so repulsive few writers
have had the temerity to use it, and
these not without shudder.
We thought we detected some for
eign substance in the biscuit at the
time it was buttered. Mr.. Lewis has
revealed it. The miners want the
government to take over the mines.
We don't blame them. The miners
remember what the government did
for the railroad boys. Everybody re-
members that.
Mr.. Bryan repulses the thought of a
simian ancestry and puts it to rout-
And that, we pause to observe, will
reconcile all of the Republicans, and
most of the Democrats, to it,
Three of the six best sellers in
tiful and Damned" and "Cytheria."
Various gentlemen have sought to
write prescriptions for the country.
Ours is a specialized practice as a dag
nostician. We have not hitherto at
tempted to suggest a medicament. We
shall do so now.
What this country needs is a muck
rake.
Lighting a fresh Silver Statue. we
leisurely scan the sporting page and
learn that Connie Mack is smiling.
If the grandstapd at Shibe park
should burn. Mr.. Mack's laughter
probably would be worth going miles
to hear.
The Hon. Ruth, We observe as we
continue to refresh our mentality with
news from the training quarters, is
hitting .218 against the sore-arrned |
pitchers along the trail OF the Dixie
itinerary. A parlous thought thrusts |