The Topeka state journal., 1922-02-13
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY q. HOUSE
tTrom Philadelphia Public Ledger.)


tFrom Philadelphia Public Ledger,
We have been intrusted with a deli
cate commission. A Philadelphia wo
man who s'fell" for Mrs. Asquith's lee
ture has asked US to use the scapel on
Margot. She says Mrs. Asquith talked
s'twaddle.'' OF course she did. but as
we diagnose the case, Margot is only
symptom. The disease is organic and
peculiarly American.
The trouble is, this is a sucker coun-
try. 1t puts Babe Ruth on a pedes-
tai and makes of Mary Pickford
popular heroine. The west buys mall
order oil stocks and perennially works
itself into a lather over governmental
panaceas prescribed by political snake
doctors. The east grovels in humili-
ating admission of its own inadeauacy
to the foreign labor. Amy third-rate
author, artist, poet, lecturer or per
sonaIity can, if he bears a foreign
trademark, attract paying and prof
liable clientele along the Atlantic
turn out to his lecture, he won't think
we'll OF us.
We have a great admiration for the
British nation. Your Britisher keeps
his se1f-respect; he doesn't fall for
British audience paying $2.50 for a.
seat to listen to the rawlings of William
T. Borah. William Jennings Bryan,
Upton Sinclair, Harold Bell Wright or
Lucy Pages Gastonl You can do it.
1t is one of the least plausible of eS-
cursions in the realm of conjecture.
Still, until the law compelling for
eigners to lecture in this country is
repealed, and so long as the legisla-
u he
them is enforced, we don't suppose
anything can be done about it.
The police estimate fixed the num-
ber of persons who attended the Tay-
lor funeral at 10000. The average
man knows 500 people. The <1ate Mr..
Taylor was not an average man; he
may have known 1000 or 1900. But
the incident goes far toward settling
the moot question as to what is wrong
with Hollywood.
For us the peanut shells in Miss
Normand's limousine have no signifi-
canoe and may be dismissed in any
consideration of the tragedy which
gave them publicity. But the copy of
the Police Gazette is more iliuminat-
ing. It proves that some of the mo-
ton picture queens, Miss Normand
among them, can read and do SO.
We had no idea the Police Gazette
still functioned as a going concern.
Our barber shop quit taking it more
than twenty years ago We shall en-
deavor to purchase a copy. The iden-
tity of the present champion bartender
intrigues.
Yes and No.
Sir-I don't recall having read your
opinion of Charles G. Norris Brass"
and I'm rather curious to know what
your rea ctions were to some of the
the married state. For instance, don't
you think Mr.. Norris description of
Lelia's cold feet far more mastery
than Fannie Hursts expose of tlHe
purple mark below the Adams apple
set forth in star Dust ] am un-
fmarried and, of course. in no position
to speak with authority but in my
opinion, Mr.. Norris gets the cement
! loving cup, not alone for the above
mentioned description. but for numer-
Gus others which should go far to-
ward making Brass" a household
word. The book is written. presume,
as a warning to happy single men to
remain in single bliss and confirms the
thoughts cleaned from Main Street.
IF Winter Comes and "Star Dust"
that woman is at best a difficult crea-
ture to understand, albeit more or less
| necessary. Now. don't try to play safe
with the ladies and say you haven't
read the book. J.. +. R.
The fact that we haven't read
Brass is unimpertant in the con-,
neetion. We have q much more vi
brant and far-reaching message for
L. r. r. 1t is, don't, trifle with your
luck.
Woodrow Wilson's reference to Ma
tional Smile Week, which was to tlae
effect that he had nothing to say On
so silly a subject. was Illuminating in
| one particular. Mr.. Wilson may not
be what he was physically speaking,
| but his mind still works with precision
and brilliancy.
Now that the country is in the gnasp
| of the Pollyannas, male and female,
| probably there is no use to struggle.
/ But, taking him by and large and one
| day with another, the crouch is greatly
to be preferred to the Sunny Jim.
The Whispering Post.
| Ex-Flapper-My dear the boys who
saw her say it flattefed her
r. S-We don't print compliment
| tary letters; we keep them. Abusive
| letters are thrown in the waste basket
| and forgotten in a day. The others
| live forever. Adelaide's eyes are }blue.
S. L. R.-Serry we can't come. The
! fact is, the gentleman who recently
held four kings against an ace-full and
a pat flush is giving a party.
Column Fan-Sorry you didn't like
Mr.. Crabb's column; we thought it
very good.
Ignoramus-We kid the intelH-
! gentSia. Why shouldn't We kid the
l ~, T oIr