The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-23
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY E. HOUSE
tFrom Philadelphia Public Ledger.J

The constitution for the Workers
Party of America, a new organization
designed to take the place of the fad
ing Socialist Party and other radical
organizations, has been adopted. Pro
vided it is successful. the workers
Party of America will attract to its
ranks virtually every incendiary, every
loafer. every bum. every impractical
BILE. every visionary and every parasite
in the political world If it isn't sue
cessful it will attract only portion of
those so classified.
In any event, there is nothing to
constitute only small percentage Of
the total voting population The
thrifty. hard-headed. hard-working
citizens of this country doubtless will
continue to run it
I'VE are not going to have an agent
in our OUTFIT Prohibition Enforce
ment officer Duncan is quoted as
saying, who, forgetful of the DEGREES
of fashion. might wear a pair II
on such an occasion. Even his lie
will be correct in detail and his gem
eral appearance must bespeak that OF
a polished gentleman rather than the
ordinary prohibition agent"
You have the instincts of surhise
and conjecture. Can you imagine a
gentleman with the qualifications de-
scribed or the ability to stimulate
them going into the work of enforce
ment> of the prohibitory statutes? We
own one of the best surmisers in the
business: our talent along conjecturaI
lines has attracted widespread atten-
ton. But we can't do it.
We know something of prohibition
enforcement officers. We have hired
and fired them. Our experience is
that polished gentlemen cannot be in
duced to engage in that sort of work
honorable tho it may be.
1.-THE farm bloc seeks to promote
the interests of a group" says the es-
teemed New York Tr.b. Well said.
say we. Are we permitted to add that
the group consists of the senators who
constitute the farm bloc?
The farm bloc is a play to the home
folks, who are for the most part. az
ricultural in their interests and IN
! their mental processes.
Probably we should play to tho
home folk, too, were we in congress
We don't know. What we do know is
that it is extensively done.
The column has been asked to COM
ment upon Walter Camps selection o.
a mythical "AII-American'' football
team. We do so with pleasure We
don't see enough football to pick an
| "All-American" eleven. We should
not be competent to do so if we did.
! But Mr.. Camp seems to have disclosed
rare judgment and a discriminating
impartiality.
Thoughts on Columning by CoIumn:St
| What does a coiumnist think
I q
of inconsequentiaI things, we easily
reply. One knotty problem continual
! " perplexing this one is how much
and to what extent he should quarrel
with people who wish publicly to dis
agree with him. 1t is our faculty.
we won't say it is a liability and it
may be an asset-to make a certain
number of human beings see red
| We can't utter a. commonplace state
ment about the most obvious fact
without stirring some honest heart to
rage. Always lurking just outside our
| door is some lady or gent who wishes
to smite us hip and thigh and tear US
| limb from limb.
! There is always a question in mind
as to whether we shall have public
row with them. Usually we have the
row. But. after more than twenty
years of ii. we are in doubt as TO
whether readers care for that sort of
thing or whether it adds anything to
the sum total of human knowledge
and enlightenment
Only yesterday we had a public row
with one PivelI. Our first Impulse
was to toss his letter into the waste.
basket, but in the end we printed IT,
! adding to our comment certain reser
vations. After the copy went upstairs
we asked he Old Head what he
thought about printing that sort Of
stuff. Now, the Old Head is a very
wise person. He thinks it is all right
| to engage in controversy with the
gent who clamors for it, provided one
can diffuse information or correct a
I faIlacious idea in so doing. If there
| is no object other than that Of beat
! ing up" the letter-writer. he thinks It
Is time and space wasted.
We think that is a good rule. SO far
as is possible. we intend hereafter 10
aDply Il to public controversies.