Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-02-18
DQilicS and Drink.

article on j0ufGaiiSli anu DflOh,
by q journalist, suggcsts, without
exactly saying 80, that the daily
newspaper is produced "in AZ
atmosphere redoient with WHISKY
Through the policy Of the paper the
younger members Of the staff are not
only obliged TO drink themselves. bat
to indorse the Judgment Of Others" ard
this is done by paying their bills for
drinks when they are engaged II col.
| Letting news, by meeting the same bills
when incurred by advertising agents hy
sending its reporters to write up sample
rooms, and, IN a mythical case which is
quoted, instructirg its locals to ask
Smith to take glass Of something. /!
will loosen Lis tongue ''Drinkirg,'
in word, this journal says, summing
up the attitude Of the papers IL general
is the policy OF the paper
Utterances of this sort inply extra
ordinary ignorance or extraordinary
misapprehensi0n. There is probably
70 trade or calling IN the world wLieh
more requires men to be always master
of themselves than newspaper work.
There is no close season in a reporters
work. In Wcl,.orgdnized newspaper
/
bly, not an experienced newspaper man
III the country who has not hal his rest
and vacation repeatedly broken by 81
unwelcome aud unexpected call to duty.
When other men have their Sundays, 1t
is sometimes the case that newspaper
man has none Tor month, and the men
are not few in the profession who can
| look back on three, six.an3 nine months
in which every week saw seven days
work The success Of newspaper
piyots on always having all It's Heu at
command, On having its daily work
done to the quickest possible minute
and 3GJ times in tho year, on focusing the
sharp activity OF n day SO that the press
begins to move exactly as the press
room clocrticks q particular minute
if any man who knows this, thinks that
it is the policy Of any paper to cncour-
age drinking among its employees he
must be good deal of fool.
The simple fact is that there is no
class in the community that is SO much
exposed to drinking temptations which
drinks 90 little as the class which in
cludes newspaper employees. They are
not all teetotalers. Neither IS any other
class. 81 soon found my attitude as a
teetotalor," says " Journalist "a very
Unique one" IS lie would es broker
on Wall street, as u club man up town,
as politician, as young New York
lawyer. Newspaper employees are in
this part of the community engaged in
work which requires active contact with
men-with this difference, that re-
porter or editorial writer has to be alto
gether moro sparing in his indulgence
under sharp penalty, often of dismissal,
always of professional loss, if his use OF
liquor leaves him unfit for his work.
ner, he works half the night. Other men
Other men have nothing to do after din
can postpone much Of their work. his
has to DO done daily. Other men have
stated holidays, but their holidays are
apt to be his hardest days. The practi-
cal result of all this is that sobriety has
the highest commercial value around u
newspaper office. The man who cannot
be trusted to have all his wits about
him after dinner is soon dropped-the
man who cannot stand stretch OF
twelve or fifteen hours long and come
out clear-headed, goes to the wall. 1t
ia perfectly true as Journalist" says,
that number of great dailies which are
incorporating advocates of the total
abstinence is very limited" 1t is. We
recollect one which is or was, and it
rents the basement of liquor saloon.
The question of total abstinence is ono
on which even good men differ, and
newspapers differ with them, but in en-
couraging temperate habits of its en-
ployes great newspaper has the strong
est interest and acts upon 1t.
ANYWHERE BUT IN New JERsEY.-A
young man, whose mind was wandering,
misplaced by his friends in care of DR..
-, of the town of -, in the State OF
New Jersey, in the hope that he might,
under his judicious treatment, soon be
restored to health. He was, however,
very discontinued with the place, and
with the restraint on his movements
that was felt to be needful; and the doc
tor more than once, in kind and
friendly conversation, endeavored to
make him feel recon lied to his stiua-
ton. And as the young man was.of q
religious turn of mind, and o constant
reader of his Bible, the doctor ono day,
when talking with him, sid, You
ought to remember, my friend, that the
apostle has taught US that IL Whatso-
ever state we are, we should Herewith
be content"
"Yes, yes," replied the other, 81
know Paul says that; but then l don't
think Paul ever was in the State OF New
Jersey. Editors Drawer, in Har-
per's.
A NICE POINT IN GRAMMAR.-T
two young heirs, who had been taking
their first lessons in grammar, disputed
long and earnestly over aquestion, and
at last agreed to decide it by arbitra-
ton, selecting the head Of the family as
arbiter, with full power to send for
persons and papers. The old man was
greasirg his boots before the kitchen
stove.
Father" s.id the elder heir, sis it
proper to say we is rich.' or we am
rich %
The old man worked carefully down
into the hollow of his boot under the
instep, remaining long time in
thoughtful meditation, and then slowly
| ra,,lipl.