The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-05-05

How to Make a Loea, Editor.


The Cincinnati Times thinks there should
be a special professorship for instruction in
local editing, and discourses thereon In this
WISE
''The student in the local business should
have great deal of exercise on his legs eacn
tiay-taught that it isn't brains SO mucn i's
leo talent that is reyuired to make an elnGiehI
local reporter. He must learn W shnI - ~,
item a long distance, as the H,ooei W. ~
.snuffath the battle from aiar, anu spar no
exerton in finding is. nas 5 ianrS anu tn' ",
nation need to be cultivated somewhat, ana
liz mention ouckened and encouraged, in
order that he may have something to fall
hack on in case things pessistently refuse to
hnnpen. for the public demands local news
every day. remember, whether there be any
or not. Deprive them of able leaders and
thew NAV stand it for q day or two, but they
won't give up their local news not for a sin
Gle issue.
''The would-be locsl will require little in
structon in regard to receiving presents of
boots, hats, clothing, bottles of wine, oysters,
cigars, dead-head tickets, etc., etc. They
learn that very readily. The professor can
do as he pleases about advising them to ac-
cept or refuse such perquisites.
THE student should be taught to miss his
OF festive sllppers, and sit patiently to hear
long and dull speeches from after dinner ora
tors. He must learn not to be alarmed by
threats of horse-whippng, and mustDe hcked
occasionally by the professor to accuston
him to any incidents of the kind that are not
lnpfobube to occur.
'.IIc must be taught to have no emotions
OF his own, to look upon all calamltles with
purely professional eye, to observe and de-
&, hmm Of rnn1lar
comedian, and catch the last sigh Of an ex-
piring victim of the hangman, with the same
stoical indifference. The professor of local
reporting ought to hand man occasionally
in the presence Of the class, in order that
they may become accustomed to reporting
executions. And finally, the candidate for
the local chair should learn to live on a
moderrte Income, sternly subdue all inclina-
tons for more than the necessaries of life,
and be willing to give poverty a smiling well
come, until fate or his own exertions hoists
him to higher place."
MODERATE DRlNKING.-I have long had
the conviction that there is no greater cause
of evil, moral and physical, in this country,
than the use of alcoholic beverages. 1 do not
mean by this that extreme indulgence which
produces drunkenness. The habitual use of
fermcnted liquors to an extent far short of
what is necessary to produce that condition,
and such as is quite common in all
ranks of society, Injuries the body and dimia-
ishes the vital power to an extent which, think
few people are aware of. Such, at all events,
is the result of observation during more than
twenty years of professional life devoted to
hospital practice, and to private practice in
every rank above it. Thus have no hesita-
ton in attributing a very large proportion of
some of the most painful and dangerous NAL
aides which come under my notice, as well as
those which every medical man has to treat,
to the ordinary and daily use of fermented
drink taken in the quantity which is conven-
tionally deemed moderate. Whatever may
be said in regard to its influence on the men,
tai and moral faculties, as to the fact above
stated, feel that have right to speak with
authority; and do SO solely because it appears
to me a duty, especially at this moment,not to
be silent on matter of such extreme i'm.
portance. y " My main object is to express
my opinion as aprofessional man in relation to
the habitual employment of fermented liquor
as beverage. But if ventured one step
further it would he to express belief that
there is no single habit in this country which
so much tends to deteriorate the qualities of
the race, and so much disqualifies it for endur-
ance in that competition which in the nature
of things must exist, and in which struggle
the prize of superiority must fall to the best
and the strongest.-Sir Henry Thompson.