, 1889-07-18

fnlI races come of the horse will he
trained s. is to run and win.
The salary nf ST Matthew Battle
Begbie, as calet Justice "i Vancnuv"r
Island for TIE LIST G7.a year was
$3.50 or jast $50 !ess than that Of the
"wretehei reporters" ha abused during
the recent libel trials il Victoria. Beg
bic is one of the high mucka muCks OF
the EpiscoHal church in Victoria, and
about as toady 10 royalty as many OF the
American dudes in the States. He wants
to muzZle the press so that the dOings OF
the dear guilt edged baronets may never
be ventilated through the columns Of Il
journal From the language he used il
addressing the reporters at the trial, the
chap On the corner will lay him Shil-
ling to sIXpenCe that there is no one on
Victoria newspaper, from devil to edi-
tor, but who can give him odds and beat
him on points OF etiquette, II he had
bee.i in the free United States, the re-
potter weuld probably " sassed bacfa. -
Talking about reporters, the PaTsiian
reporters have by no means an easy time
OF it in his profession. Confined purely
to routine work, he has no opportunity
to Distinguish himself by displaying any
brillianGy he may be possessed OF. The
interview, as we understand it, is en-
tiTely out OF his province, and any re-
markable cleverBess in getting news is
not appreciated either by employers or
readers. He works on salary-and
mighty small salary it is, too and he
lives, l should judge, on Absinthe and
French cigarettes, the most body and
BRAIN destroying combination that could
be invented. Ii by chance he manages
to smugsle a good piece OF work into
the paper, it is only used as I text for
the editorial writer, who, in any case,
gets all the credit. Socially, in and out
of the profession, he is snubbed by the
editors and high officials with whom he
comes in contact. Public men unmcrci-
fully sit upon him, just as this man Beg
bic did on Gibbons, OF the Victoria
Colonist. He has no means OF redress,
for the idea of protecting its reporters
from insult, or standing by them in case
OF dispute, never occurs to French
newspaper.
In, ,Sf hn
town attempts TO justify the action OF the
Democratic paraders in pauslng before
Mayor Learned's residence by saying
that the procession simply stopped TO
dress ranks" and that the statement
published in this column was the result
of the outgrowth OF partisan spirit or
perveted Imagination. The chap on the
corner can say in reply that it was
neither, He sat in the office OF the
ARGUS, and heard the band coming, and
looked out of the window TO see where
they were. When he noticed them com
ing along Washington street in the di-
rection of the opera house, he silently
wondered who was so unsympathctic as
10 direct the band. to pass the residence
of the defeated candidate. He thought
it i'll timed and was convinced of it when,
q few minutes later, he saw the line fac
ing the opera house. This yarn about
stopping to dress ranks is the purest
nonsense, and suggests the answer TO the
question, what makes cat walk soft
ly?" Rats! Was it absolutely neccs-
sarY that the ranks should be dressed
just in front OF the residence OF the de-
feated candidate Tor mayor? II the man
about town had slid it was through the
exhuberanCe of spirits of the party at the
result OF the election no one would have
thought anything about it, As it was,
the chap has no idea that Mayor Learned
cared or thought Il whit about the pro-
cession stopping where it did. 1t was a
big victory for the Democrats, strength
ened by their only hope, the Mugwumps.
The chap on the corner does not kick,
next time we will try and have it the
other way.
BYSTANDEG.