The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-07
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY SAY e. HOUSE.
(From Philadelphia Public Ledgsr.)

The moaning of the editorial
writers who professed to see some
| sort of menace to free speech in the
Bir1-Henry incident dies away on the
evening breeze. Now that there is
a moment of comparative quiet, we
ask the privilege of making a nota-
ton. 1t is that free speech was not
at issue. The question was as to
whether it was Bill's day to be funny.
1t was decided that it wasn't. and
Bill has accepted the finding.
There are, we regret to say, certain
human manifestations which yield no
residue OF mirth and jollity. Last
winter the greatest of contemporary
humoristS was sent to Washington
for the purpose of revealing to his
readers the humorous aspects of the
Peace Conference. He was repulsed
and driven off the fieLG Now. as q
humorist, we are disposed to give
Rfngold Lardner a somewhat higher
rating than William Allen White. AS
humorous procedure the Peace Con-
ference ranked the shipments strike.
But. considered as subjects for funny
cracks, both are total loss.
This country has all Of the freedom
of speech it is qualified to express.
What 1t really needs is better taste
and better judgment.
of Alice Adams. writes a Kansas
reader, II am moved to tell YOU of
your standing as a literary critic in
our limited midst. You may remem-
Der remarking that an author who
left his heroine gazing up a gloomy
stairs to a business college was bound
to disappoint his public. You advised
him that he should have started her
there, then found her a position with
a wealthy bachelor who would fall
in love with her at first sight. That
comment was quoted at our club
meeting and, with two exceptions,
was unanimously acclaimed"
We have only qualified and limit
ed success in giving It to them, but
we always know what the people
want.
The columns esteemed contempor-
airy, Mr.. Cullen Cain, is no gutter.
When embattled by trouble, or borne
down by superior resources, he fights
like a wildcat, But we do think he
their respective leagues to the New
York ball teams. This column con-
cedes pennant to neither of the
New York teams, and we intend to
october.
And we make no bones of saying
il the Yanks win again 1t is going to
spun MAAltCl 1OA uSs
The Column Scores a Notable Victory
Two years ago this summer. when
we took up the fight to shut off the
water in the fountain in Rittenhouse'
Square, we advised those interested
that it might take some time. But
we pledged them that the wasteful
flow would be stopped. We should
be less than human did we now neg
lect to direct attention to the fact
that it has been done.
Now that the victory has been won,
we wish to disclaim any personal in
terest or animuS in the matter.1 Water
in the fountain in Rittenhouse Square
is nothing to us. We don't even know
why those who insisted that it be
done wished it SO. What we do know
is that readers of the column wished
the flow. stopped. And to us the
wishes of the readers of the column
are ever a command.
Are there, we desire to ask, arc
there any other little matters that
need attention?
Golfers prints a picture of Samuel
Gompers with the footnote that Mr..
Gompers is one of a number of distin-
guished citizens who can never be
President. Either Golfers or the
column is in error. AS we remember
it. Mr.. Gompers was President for a
considerable period during the early
years of the war.
OF course, our memory may be at
fault, but we certainly got that i'm
preston.
Jane Cowl is quoted as saying there
never was a time in the history of the
stage when plays of real merit were
so much in demand. Miss Cowl is
right about it. A good. snappy
boudoir farce willie fill the theater IN
any city in the country and yet there
probably were not more than a dozen
such farces produced last season.
We know, too, that the drama is
decadeRt. We found that out when
we first began reading the Dramatic
now about thirty years
ago. and we've heard it every year
since. We ought to know it by this !
time. I