Evening star., 1943-02-05
BY J. p. McEVOY.

BY J. p. McEVOY.
A few months ago there was a lot
Of talk in the papers about a fight
in the Senate over a poll tax, or
something, and since I don't hear
very we'll, and understand practically
nothing Of what / hear. I thought
it was a fight about new tax on
polls. like the Gallup poll and the
CroSsley thing where somebody calls
you up to ask you what are you
listening to and you say. Il was
listening to the baby" and they ask
why and you say. "'Cause stepped
on her"
So, anyway, it seems 1t wasn't a
tax on polls at all. and polls are
going to 60 right on and strangers
are going to continue to knock on
the door and ask you what do you
think and then go away and list you
under Don't know, and didn't look
very bright anyway"
The American Forum.
Now me. 1 don't believe in polls
because when you ask people ques-
tons you usually excite their ire
and they answer you out of resent
ment rather than out of informa-
ton. And besides, if you're not
| careful, you will unconsciously tuck
the answer into your question. which
is called leading the witness, which
l put In just to show how much I
| retain from my reading even though
I don't understand it.
And that's why I haven't con.
Quoted any personal polls on what
| people think of how the war Is going
and whether the peace will 60 any
better. My method is to stop on
| street corners and rush across the
street when the light turns red. And
| then stop on the other side and
listen to what the pedestrians say
to the motorists and what the mo-
torists say to the pedestrians and
then what the pedestrians say to
each other.
This is the real American forum
because you get people at their best
saying what they really think and
putting their hearts into 1t.
Here's Sample.
And now you must be practically
painting to find out what I have
learned in what I modestly call the
McEvoy poll, so here goes with q
sample.
On a street corner In Washington:
First citizen: Look where you're
going. va bum!
Taxi: Bum, yourself.
Second citizen: Just because you
think
Taxi: Aw gwan, I'll
! Gle goes on.)
First: For cents I'd
Second: You're absolutely right.
4 First: One Of these days the war
will be over and then I'll
Second: You're not kidding.
First: Things are gonna be Diff
ferent and when I say different I
mean different.
(They stron) :
Second: This town stinks.
First: Last war it stunk, too.
Second: Yeah?
1 First: Yeah.
Second: Whaddya know!
tThey think this over.)
First: don't like the way this
war is going.
Second: You know somethin'?
You got somethin' there.
First: Still, it's a pretty big war.
and I guess we're doing as well as
Second: That's right, when you
come to think Of it, we
First: You said something!
Second: You're not kidding.
| First: Maybe this will be the last
war.
Second: That's what you think.
First: I didn't say that. I lust
said
/ x.
First: just said we could stop
wars il We just got together and
stopped wars.
Second: Are you kidding?
First: If we all got together and
said We wouldn't fight, who'd fight2
Huh? Who?
| Second. You know. think yo,,
got something there.
First: On the other hand, there's
always guy who'll start something.
| That's the trouble.
Second: Yeah Always a euv.
Come on, quick. We can make it
| before the light changes.
First: Hey! Look where you're
going, va bum!
Taxi: Bum, yourself
From which any statistician can
prove that so per cent of the popu-
lation believes it will be the last war.
that 1t won't be the last war. that
world peace is possible, also impos-
slble. as we'll as pretty much in
doubt. Another so per cent of the
population disagrees with everything
above, while 100 per cent honestly
believes you can always beat it
across the street against the traffic
before the lights change.
distributed by McNaught Syndicate. Incl