The Topeka state journal., 1922-11-09
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY u. HOUSE
tFrom Philadelphia Public Lsdgsr.I

There are those who still wish to
discuss the Roster case. One of them
writes: Does it not appear to you
that the Roster jurymen have missed
governed by logic so ruthlessly disin-
terested, displaying such conspicuous
moral courage, such high-minded de-
votion to the welfare of the state,
are wasted in conveyancing and egg
Gambling These men should have
been the leaders of the One Hundred
and Sixty-seventh Congress"
The Roster jury did precisely what
it was expected to do. Its verdict
merely was another manifestation of
triumphant democracy. In this country
we have been sowing the fields or
politics, economics and sociology with
maudlin sentimentaIity and emotional
pisb posh- We've sugar-coated it with
fine talk about the public veal and
human rights. Were reaping crop
of high-grade morons. 1t is the ma
tural and inevitable yield.
The play in this country is to the
moron. Pretty nearly every phase of
intellectual 'endeavor is predicated on
the proposition of stirring him to ac-
ton. Politics, literature, the spoken
and silent drama, music and art are
aimed at the moron. In most cities
of consequence newspapers are printed
for him. The acquitta1 of Mrs. Roster
is just another of his long list of
triumphs.
We are endowed with no great gift
of perspicuity. But we spend more
time looking out at the window than
the average man is able to devote to
that form of leisure. We saw it COM
ing a long time ago. That's the reason
we became a reactionary and remain
one.
The south, we desire to observe a
propos of nothing, seems also to have
assimilated some of the rudiments of
football.
1t Sounds Plausible.
Siy-Since no one has answered your
question about the remarkable ac-
curacy of woman shots, guess will
have to do it. You see when a woman
fires a gun at any one it is because she
earnestly and single-mindedly desires
that person to die. 1t is the Coue
method. Now, when the police are
shooting at criminals or soldiers are
firing in battle, they are doing their
duty, but as they are not aiming at
either friends or relatives, why should /
they care whether the result is fatal
or not? 1t is just like anything else
nowadays-al1 mental.
DAISY BELL.
We have often remarked the fine
feeling that so often exists between
friends and relatives. 1t had never
OCCURRED to us to fit conclusion. to
it. It is remarkable tribute to Daisy
Bells powers of deduction that she is
able too reason from cause to effect.
We are one of those who, having
rever can make up our mind
as to what we shall do with it. For
more than five years the question or
the disposal of the liberty bond has>I
perturbed us. Many statesmen have
sought to persuade us to sell it and
reinvest the proceeds in some gilt
edged security. But each time, just
when one of them had us convinced,
came along and Grabbed" the
deal. At the moment we are torn be- |
tween the Mexia- Higgins Oil company |
of Fort Worth and the Pewabic Gold |
of Denver.
The Higgins-Mexia company writes |
that the opportunity to become an as
sociate director in that company. may |
never come to us again. The conjec- |
ture sounds plausible 1t is the first !
of the kind that ever /
came to US; the rule of proba bility is |
that is our last chance. And we can |
get in for $25. 1t is a most alluring /
The Higgins-Mexia COM !
pany has the figures in black and /
white to show that the average annual |
return from oil investments in this |
is 62 per cent. And they not |
only claim that the average oil COM 1
pany is safer than a bank but they !
have government statistics to back |
hem up in it. They say so them !
selves.
On the other hand, we can buy !
$500 shares in the Pewabic Gold Com
pany for S25, altho the company ad-
vises the investment of at least 500, !
which, by strange coincidence, is the
precise sum we invested in a Liberty /.
Bond. The Pewabic Company says. /
and we think nobody can truthfully |
gainsay it, that when the stock goes
to ten cents share we shall be able /
to make lot of money out of it.
And so the matter stands. If we
go into the Higgins-Mexia Company
and the average rate OF return on such |
Investments is maintained we shall