Evening star., 1895-09-14
newsy paper. noticeable for its excellence,
next morning,
Drinkers Now at a Discount.

Drinkers Now at q Discount.
But such a system could not be kept up,
and today the man who let's liquor get the
best Of him. even at long intervals, cannot
hold position on any reputable journal in
this country. He may manage to confine
his Hbations to the hours when he is off
active duty. but the unerring instinct of the
editor will discover his habit. and then there
will arise In the editorial mind that distrust
which inevitably leads to short final inter-
view and new man on the run around
town.
1t is not difficult to understand why this
Is SO absolutely necessary now when 1t
was not regarded as being so twenty years
ago. Then newspapers were largely con-
Quoted with regard to their political in
fuence. The means of international-in-
deed. interstate communication were very
meager. There was but little demand
OH the part of the public for anything more
than the news of its particular community.
The press associations made one great ef-
fort during the year, and that was at cleo
tfon time. Reporters were engaged eX-
clusveiy for particular routine work, and
having attended to t, is. satisfied Themselves
ports in regular stereotyped style, and the
reasons for news or the results the events
making the news might lead to were of no
importance to them. Actions were record.
ed while motives and probabilities were. OF
no moment. The change came when the
facilities for gathering news and putting
1t, mechanically, In shape SO vastly I'M
proved To the writer's mind, the remark
able improvement in the mechanical part
OF Journalism made it imperative that the
intellectual portion should become more
awakened and enterprisng. The cylinder
press replaced the f1atbed; stereotyping
took the place of Impressions from type;
the telephone saved the reporters legs and
made his brain matter more active; then
the type-setting machines compieteo a
metamorphosis as ma velous as 1t is actual.
The Newspaper of Today.
Today well-epuipred paper like The
Evening Star is tie very quintessence of
sef-reliant power. 1t IS a great mental
machine of which each part is requisite
a!tho; gh not an alb olu ely necessary factor
iii the whole. This seems to be paradoxical
but it is easily explained. The system is
such that when the managing. news or city
editor is absent. there is no noticeable evil
dence of the fact in the afternoon issue
Why? Because the newspaper employs
farce that is separate in its entities. but
wtoze parts are vet transferable from one
70 mt of Usefulness to an ther. w n lie inter-
dependent upon each other. they are stiii
Interchangeable, and the absolute relia-
fil.ty of each for whatever duty may be
ass gned is the secret of the magnificent
system that only the gravest and most un-
Usual accident can disturb in the slightest
This system, too, marks the mana cement
of every first-class newspaper. twenty
years ago, when it was necessary for a
managing eultor TO SenQ q TlaH away iioii
the city of publication on a mission, l. was
e question with him whom ne could trust
10 attend to the duty without failing
down. on him. as the expressive saying IS.
Today he is confronted with no such diff
Guilty He knows he can send any man on
the force whom he considers equal to the
character of the work to be done to the
erds of the earth. and that he will perform
the mission conscentiously, quickly, ana
get out of it all that is possible, and come
back to drop into his place again as un-
concerned as If he had just returned from
midday lunch.
An Illustration of this confidence which
makes modern Journalism possible may be
cited in concluding this article.
Some time ago a Star reporter was about
to he sent off to meet distinguished man
and have a talk with him.
ANY instructions?" he inquired of the
r,araeing editor.
"retter take your overcoat along; it's La
bic to be chilly in the mountains" was the
reply.
1t is that absolute faith in the integrity
ard ability of the reporter of today on the
part of his superfors, and his indomi:ahle
determination to deserve it, that makes the
system of the modern newspaper what 1t
is-the miraculous mechanical equipment.
combining all the powers and mysteries of
steam and electricity, Is but secondary
to the complete harmony of the minds
which keep it in motion. c. C.