Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-04-21
THE PRESS,

ply to dissatisfied correspondent, furnish
es the following useful exposition OF the re
lations between editors and their voluntee
contributors
\ gentleman writes to know why eel
tain articles signed Fair Play. sent D
him to the office. have not appeared in tn
Examiner newspaper. "There being moth
inc offensive" in his articles, he canno
conceive the cause of their non-appeaI
ance.
With all due respect we have TO inforr
him tha! they were not published, slmpl
because the editors did not deem them IN
teresting to the public, and preferred film
their columns with other matters. One
two pieces had been allowed to appear ol
both sides of the question involved in thos
understanding about magistrates an
sherifs-and that was quite enough for ou
purposes.
We have replied to our correspondent
publicly, because we desire the opportunl
ty to correct some great mistakes abou
newspapers, which he shares with man.
other people.
One of them he thus expresses: 81 hat
supposed the press was free to ALL Ina
is a common idea but it is a mistake. The
press is only free to its editors, and to thos.
whom its editors believe to have good
ground for addressing the public, and some
thing to say which the public has an inter-
est in hearing. We would recommend
those who labor under this mistake to con
slider the following fact: that newspapers
are made for the large class who want tt
read and not for the small class which
want to write.
Our correspondent continued : ga pres:
sustained by the citizens ought to be free
to them" We do not think so. The sen.
tence quoted does not express the true re.
lation between the "press and the citizens
who subscribe to it. We will just state
that relation: it is the relation of buyer and
seller-no more nor less. When man
subscribes to newspaper, we simply con-
celve that he wants to read and possess it.
He buys it as he buys meal oats, shoes,
candles, or coat; and when he no longer
wants it heceases to take it tathough not un.
til has paid for it, unless he be thief & dis
honorable scoundrel, as we are sorry TO say
we have discovered good many individu-
al, to be.
This is the only relation between the
ground for any demand on the subscriber s
part, save that the newspaper be good
newspaper, and in accordance with the
samples which induced him to take it. The
idea that when man subscribes to anews-
paper he lays its proprietors under some
undefinable obligation or that he has right
to publish his composition therein with the
single proviso that they shall be inotfensive,
is popular fancy and most ridiculous mis-
take, which ought to be corrected. Not on
ly has he no such right, but the editor who
permits him to put uninteresting matter in
his columns, infringes upon the rights of
four or five thousand other people to graft
fly one individual. Very few editors act so
absurdly. If a newspaper communication
contains no new fact, no information inter-
esting to the public, or is not the uttc rance
OF some public sentiment, or the narrative
of private injury which ought to be made
public, the editor generally throws 1t in the
fire and this is the fate OF nine out of eve-
ry ten articles written for the Examiner.
YANKEE INaUIsITIvENEss.-Ag gentleman
riding in an Eastern railroad cal, ar,which was
rather sparsely supplied with passengers,
observed in the seat before him lean slab
sided Yankee, every feature of whose face
seemed to ask question and little Cir
cumstance soon proved that he possessed a
most inquiring mind Before him occupy
ing the entire seat sat lady dressed in
deep black and after shifting his position
several times, and maneuvering to get an
opportunity to look in her face, he at length
caught her eye He nodded famllarly to
her, and asked with nasal twang utterly
incapable of imitation: In afliction -
yes, Sir replied the lady. Parents p
father Or mother2 No, Sir, said the lady.
Child, perhaps boy or gal;' No, Sir,
mol child,' was the response Il hare no
children Husband then, 'expect2' 'Yes?'
was the curt answer. Hum: cholery "a
tradin-man, mebbe' My husband was
a sea-faring man-the captain of vessel
he didn't die Of cholera he was drowned.
'Oh, drowned, eh pursued the inquisitor
hesitating for brief instant. Save his
chiSt@ he asked. Yes the vessel was saw
ed, and my husbands effects, said the wld,
ow. Has they asked the Yankee, his
eyes brightning up. Pious man? he contin-
ued. He was member of the Methodist
Church. The next question was little de-
layed but it came-Don't yeou think you
got gre-e-a-t cause to be thankful that he
was a pious man, and saved his chist? Il
do said the widow. abruptly, and turning
her head 10 look out of tie car window
The indefatigable pump changed his posi-
ton, Held the widow by his gllttering eye
once more and propounded one more query,
in little lower tone, with his head Slight
ly inclined forward over the back of the
seat: 'Vas you caliatin 10 gel married
ag'm9' Sir said the widow, indignant
ly, you are imperinentr And she left
her seat and took another on the other side
OF the car. Pears to be little huffy!' said
the ineffable bore turning to our narrator,
behind him: she needn't be mad didn't
want TO hurt her feelin's. What did they
make you pay for that umberel you got in
your hand? It's real pooty one %
How TO CATCH SHEEp.-In catching
sheep, never seize them by the wool on the
back, as 1t hurts them, exceedingly, and
has,in some cases, been known to Kill them,
particularly in hot weather, if they are large
and fat. Indeed, the best way is TO avoid
the wool altogether. and to accustom your
self to take them by the hind leg or, what
&c cf1 knf hr-f hnr, Il