The Washington times., 1901-10-13
THINGS NOT TO WRITE.
English Reporters to Forget Certain
Outworn Phrases

We followed with great interest the pro-
ceedings Of our fellows who had leisure to
attend the recent annual meeting of the
Institute of Journalists. We felt our
selves improved morally and socially by a
perusal of their doings, but we could not
but feel pang of regret al their failure
TO accomplish two or three things that
we had fondly counted upon.
There are certain reforms that must be
msde in Journalism, and it is pity that
the institute did not make them. The
greatest of these innovations is the pen
sioning off Of numerous old and over
worked phrases which have paced the
pavement of Fleet Street so long that
they are entitled at least to beds in the
Hospital for Antiquated Expressions.
They have earned a season of repose and
they should get it.
1t is time, for instance, that something
was done for that unfortunate old grey
beard, he-man-in-the-street," dragged
as he is into very nearly every column of
the newspapers, until the public is sick
Of the very mention OF his name. A
! movement should succeed to take this
poor creature from the roofiess thorough
| fare in which he has caruped so long and
either bestow upon him decent burial or
the rest TO which n decent person is en-
titled after a life of ceuseiess, sleepless
effort.
There are other phrases which equally
| deserve leisure in their old age, and we
| note with pain that the Institute of Jour.
| nailsts made no provision to support them
| in their decrepitude That worthy fellow
| citizen Mr.. 'Common-o garden must
continue to toll from dawn until the set
4fpu
| he is.
| playfellow nc-illae-lachrymae"? Can
not something be done to rescue him from
his life of persistent effort?
The venerable phrases-with their grey
whiskers and their wrinkles and their
| senile chuckles-is there no hope for then
at all? Is it that Journalists are without
| gratitude and have no sentiment as tc
| those Industrious servants from whose
toll they have amassed their great
wealth?
Heartless the men of the newspaper
profession may be toward those whom we
have enumerated, though we will not be
lieve 1t. but one there is whose tribula-
| tions cannot but arouse the compassion
even of the most callous.
| 1t is of poor old Mr.. "We-faar-the-
Greeks bearing gifts" of whom We speak
| a worthy journeyman phrase that has
| worked day and night, rain or shine. witt
| such vigor as to have honestly earned 9
| nook in some asylum. Occasionally ht
plays his part in Latin; but play 1t he al
ways does. ieschewing vacations and holi-
DAYS, and lnboring with ceaseless energy
| Let a place be provided for him where
he will worry and weep no more, anC
where, with his llow-craftsmen, THEY
things s-better-in-France" anC
''Tempora- -mutantur." he may recount his
triumphs and popularity to such younger
! journalistic phrases as come into th'
home for temporary repairs. made neces
sary by working overtime.
The gratuity fund of the institute /:
rich enough also to make some slight an
nual allowance to such splendid old chap!
| as "A-movement-is-on-f who is al
ways to be found at his post of duty
never faltering, never standing on hi:
head or running on all fours, but invari
| ably right side up, sleepless and inde
| fatigable.
"Quite-a- gloc m was cast-over- thc-com
| munity." who has gone TO every note
worthy deathbed since newspapers wer'
invented and "The-devouring-e element.
who has not missed a fire that we can re
| member must still keep in the harness
and .Old Sol figure in the summe
weather reporting. and Jupiter PluVius'
busy himself at cricket matches. whil
old bed-ridden Dull -sickening- -tnud,' for
gotten in the rush. must be taken from
assist at all the hangings.-London Elk