The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-02-02
FREEDOM FROM THE PRESS
BY George Corrin

BY George Corrin
One naturally expects ten years to
make quite a difference in manners
and customs, so | was not surprised,
when | returned from my enforced re-
tirement in Patagonia, whence ! had
gone solely for the purpose of finish
ing my education from 1922 to 1882.
| say | was not surprised to find
alcohol, tobacco, the movies. tea, cot
fee, and dancing prohibited absolutely.
Nor was ] much amazed to find that
the "Old Women's Mind-Other-Peo-
ple's-Business Union" had succeeded
in having amendments to the consti-
tuition passed prohibiting song, music
and all forms of rough. rude high
school athletics. | we'll remember
the time when / had a neighbor who
thought he was learning to play on a
B-fiat cornet, and | could see the
righteousness Of prohibiting instru-
mental music.
was on the football squad; ! admit
that the games were a little rough
and some of my opponents did seem
quite rude. | never would have
thought of having them prohibited.
| psupose some psychologist has dis
covered that it has some degrading
effect or the cerebellum or lessons
the efficiency of the epigottis,-well,
anyway, the world must move for
ward. @ an .. .
| had been back in the United States
some two weeks, taking my ease with
my family connections, when | decid-
ed to visit the old home town.
"AIl strangers" thought /. after
glancing at the throng of people at
the station as l alighted from the
train. | bought a paper and boarded
a street car enroute to the hotel. l
finally folded my paper and looked on
each side Of me eager to start a con-
versation with a citizen and ask him
about some of the old-time residents.
Everyone seemed to be engrossed in
the discussion of politics and | found
no chance to get in a word.
/ was naturally expecting to see
some changes, but | certainly was
amazed at the vast improvements
which the old town had been subject
". AillOHB lnt uISI IllIDSS lHdl dl-
tracted my attention was the new
central high school, and it was the
first place | went to look over.
Upon entering the building, | MOTTO
ed a mar in dirty blue overalls on his
hands and knees scrubbing the floor.
| walked over to the poor fellow and
was about to ask him where the sup
erintendent's office was when he turn
ed around.
| nearly fell over backwards. 1t
was my old classmate. I'll call him
AL for short. | was the more surpris-
ed because AL had been graduated
with honors and his ambition had al
ways been to become a political lead
while mine had been to become
a writer of fiction.
| did not touch upon the subject of
profession and asked for no ex-
PLANTATION as | knew the disgrace must
have been hard for him to bear. We
got to talking of the good old times
and then of the future.
II think I've loafed long enough AL
| said, next week ] intend to go over
to Chicago and buy a typewriter. and
go to work. During my stop in Pata-
gonia, / had time to think up the plots
Of two or three excellent novels and
a couple of hundred short stories.
| can sell these to some magazine and
hen have them published in book
To my surprise and horror Al, who
was usually a gentleman, leaped at
and grasped my adams-apple be-
.ween his thumb and forefinger, chok-
ng me until / was blue in the face.
Not until / was quite limp and lax
lid he desist. While l gasped for
he dragged me into a room,
.losed and locked the door, lowered
he windows blinds, and stopped the
fan.
MY goodness g~racious!" he brut-
lily exclaimed, don't you know that
he eighty-eighth amendment prohibits
writing Of fiction and the Blue
tead Law makes the discussion of the
ubject a criminal offense?"
They do, do they?" l asked, mas
aging the front of my neck tenderly. /
Why. do they?" /,
"All / got to say" he whispered, "is {
hat there Patagonia where you've {
cen must be q queer sort of place. /
on don't mean to say they have mag {
there yet do you? And say! 8
that's the sort of place 1t is I'll bet I
hey have newspapers, tool"