New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-19
Comments by The Tribune.

The UOrld'S smartness is such that 1t has
only TO be allowed to assign whatsoever posi-
ton it will to an adversary to render 1t
formidable disputant. In the above, 1t quietly
assumes that Mr.. Greeley had asserted that
Ben. Franklin was through life Gas totally
Enlistment rs Father Mathew or George Cr'nk-
"shank" in their ripper years. position which
it triumphantly combats.
Mr.. Greeley had nowise exposed himself to
this criticism. Tho only words which seem to
justify il arc these:
all love and him lFranIslinI as journeynaan
printer who was loyal and did Mt drink"
We will prove the strict accuracy Of this
statement by citing passage from Franklin's
autobiography which narratcs Ills experiences
as q jOurneynan printer during his first so
iourn in London. Familiar az this narrative
is, there are very many who may read it again
with profit. At all events, we commend it
heartily to the sober consideration Of our
critic. Franklin says:
al now began to think OF laying by money. The
printing house OF Watts Lncoln's Inn-Fclds. being
still considerable one than that In which worked,
1t was probable might find 1t moro advantageous to be
employed there. 1 offered myself, and accepted ;
and IN this house continued during tho remainder Of
my stay in London.
ceivng that had OF bodily exercise, to which
had been accustomed In America, where the prntors
work alternately as oompOstors and at the press.
drank nothing but water. Tho other w0rkmen, TO tho
number OF about fifty. groat drinkers Of beer
carried occasionally largo form Of letters in each hand
up ana down stairs while the rest employed both hands
to carry one. They surprised to see, by this and
many other examples, that tho American Aquatic, as
they used call mo- stronger than those who drank
porter The boy had sufficient employment during the
whole day in serving that house alone My fellow press
man drank every day pint Of beer before breakfast
pint with bread and cheese for breakfast ono between
breakfast and dinner at dinner again about six
O'Clock In the afternoon. and another after he had fin
ished his days work. THIS custom appeared TO me
abOminable but he had need he said of all this beer in
order to acquire strength TO work.
81 endeavored to convince him that bodily strength
furnished by beer could only be In proportion to the solid
part of the barley dissolved In the water Of which the
beer was composed; that there was larger portion Of
-four In penny loaf and that consequently If he ate
this loaf and drank pint Of water with It, he would do
rive strength from 1t than from pint OF beer This
reasoning, however, did not prevent him from drinking
his accustomed quantity OF beer and paying every Sat
urday night of four five shlings week for
this cursed beverages an expense from which was
wholly exempt Thus do these poor devils continue all
their lives In state Of voluntary wTetchedness and
poverty"
We respectfully suggest that this passage
might piOfitably be printed in large type and
posted in the cOmpOsing-rOOm Of Tho World !;
and it might not be bad thing to have the ed
itOrial writer's on that journal required to run
up every Saturday night and read it carefully
through. Whatever their lucubrations might
possibly lose in smartness thereby would be
moro than compensated in their greater use
fulness and moral worth.