[1935 Mr 19, 20:3 — editorial]
 
TOO QUICK DESPAIRER.
  "Poets should be law-givers," said EMERSON. JOHN STEVEN MCGROARTY, who represents certain districts of Los Angeles County in the present House, is one of the rare birds who have carried out this adage. By vote of the California Legislature he is poet-laureate of the State. He is a good deal more than that. He has written perhaps the best history of his adopted State. He is the author of the famous and now classic San Gabriel Mission Play. He is the amiable and witty philosopher who has seen the world "From the green Verdugo Hills" in The Los Angeles Times for it must be almost twenty-five years. Miner, lawyer, journalist, Doctor of Laws, double Doctor of Literature, he is his accomplished multiple self.
  Perhaps his study has been little on finance and economics. Anyway, he succumbed to the atmosphere of The Angels; spread persuasively the gospel of old reliable Doctor TOWNSEND. An unregenerate Democrat, he was sent to Congress form a rank Republican district. He seems to feel that he has discharged his obligations by introducing Dr. TOWNSEND'S bill. Just like a poet, he has been at Washington for only a few weeks when he thinks he has had enough or too much of it and says he won't have another term. He doesn't complain of uncongeniality among his associates. he is sick of his constituents. At least he is sick of one of them, whom he strives his best to displease.
  To him he enumerates among the "countless drawbacks" of his service in Congress,
that I am compelled to receive impertinent letters from a jackass like you in which you say I promised to have the Sierra Madre Mountains reforested and that I have been in Congress two months and haven't done it. Will you please take two running jumps and go to hell?
  A man who won't butter an angry constituent, but who gives him such marrowy directions to speed him Gehennaward is too precious to lose. For the common delectation and benefit Mr. MCGROARTY ought to change his mind.