IN VINO VERITAS.

NZ Truth, Issue 57, 21 July 1906, Page 1

IN VINO VERITAS.

THE STORY OF AN EDITORIAL LAPSE. 4 '(Written for "T^ruth."). There was an Editor-in-Chief, A man of culture rare, Who had a- most profound belief, In acting on the square ! And yet since he was quite a lad< A bright and eager youtli ; The force of circumstances had Debarred him writing truth '■{,;' Perhaps their wooden-headed way.al Some evidence affords That daily papers nowadays Are mostly ruled by boards !l ■ \ And that is why so many 1 men Are oft compelled to write "The thing which is not,'' now; anj|. then, 'And swear that black is white !. ' ■ ■ . ' ' i. ' ■ . ■ ■ ■ ; '.-."••■ A" pressman feels a lawyer's pride, . When victory" is gained ; • ■ And has to argue for the side. : By which he is retained. , .. And' yet an Editor-in-Chief Is spoken of with gall By lawyers who will take a brief -^or any, case at all ;! ■ v . ■„-'. ■_ This editor fouod lots of robm— Whate'er his board required— ; For slating^many a statesman whoia He privately admired ! Most faithfully he earned his hire, . And yet he had, m sooth, A most insane &nd weird desire To tell, for once, the truth »^ This strange uncanny .longing! for A plain, unvarnished' tale, i':; He felt he must discourage, of Let mighty truth prevail ! . And that, of course, would never otte For daily papers which V Depend upon distortion to Assist their growing rich t: And. so his native honesty , For years he kept m check, ■=-■■ And wrote perverted history • At his directors' beck !• A : sober man he used to be, But one fine day; instead, He got so very drunk that ho Completely lost his head P r Yet no one\ noticed lie was tight; 1 He seemed to look quite well ;. . But when the comps came, on that night You should haye heard them yell ! -g- ■ . • ■_ . . ■ He. wrote the bedrock truth, begad, In all he had to say ; ... And what a salejihat paper had When it came out next day ! And what a row the boodlers made, To think that this uncouth, Befuddled ass should spoil their trad* By. writing simple truth I Of course, he went T 'And now they've got The man whom they require— A noble-minded patriot, And most accomplished liar'!' W.T.ff,, ,