The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-09-07

and everybodys says John Smith. f,=4 r5el
The Duty Of an Fditor.6T sii .kssga sdt 10 ~
The 6rst duty of an editor is to bauish from
bis mind personal predictions. as far as pos
sfble. He should be an impartial 7obrserver;I
but this he cannot be if he looks upon the
arena of political strife and socialreferm thno'
the tinted lens of personal attachment or pref
udice- His nextdaty is to adopt certain prin
ciples by which all events and actions are toI
be Judged and measured. With these princi-
pies his mind should be saturated. They
should BECOME part of his mental self so that
they will always1be athaud. like an assayersI
chemicals, TO enable him to test the quality off
an action without references to the actor. It
is too commonly 5he ease that the love or ha
tired of che actor, or admiration ordisapproha.
tion Of the action 7createsor Qualities the opinl
ions or principles which are uttered respecting
veither. Hence follow necessarily, inconsist-
eneies and contradictions. which, by destroy
ingt readers confidence. deprive an editrrI
of the influence he might otherwise possess.
For instance. political maneuver preserves
its indentity of character. by whichever party
performed; and any course which is dishonor-,
able and unfair in Democrat, is no lessso in
"a Republican. The action and not the actor.
Iis to be looked at. and to be weighed. when
ever, wherever or by whomsoever done, by
certain already admitted principles add stand.
ards. Principles admit of no accommodation
to the vicissitudes and irregularities of actions
They remain unchanged amid all change of
circumstances and are the only safe guides in
forming decision ii We have often wished
that bis was more generally understood and
praciiced in the editorial profession. 1t ought
to be. and must be. if the dignity andiinfu-
ence of the press is to increase. Editors may
not run off in laudation of an act to-day and
to morrow denounce an act involving the
same principle. AS we'll might the mariner
think to reach bis haven by following the guild
aDce Of compass that fouud local attraction
in every, passing or neighboring object, as a
man permanently to influence or guide public
/ opinion who fails to recognize certain fixed
/ anb unaIterable principles as guides to a cor
rect judgment.
Song Of the Rum Friend. ,-.a-s5..--. i s
p Jenny Ferry thus POLITICALLY discourses
come, in the Winters roaring blpst,
i 4aI come, when Spring and her flowers are past
leone, in the Summers burning sun. ii9- 9ssi7
i In Autumn. with scar and frost come. assg=1ai
/ Hove the wall of tine orphans cry, So p
i The mothers tear, the father'ssigb Isl 81 BAD e
/ And hug the rags OF filth bring 4 .s-.-
Around the forms who have made me king.
Then NIL to the brirn, and quaf away IL ~ ts,o s
Our midnight reyel shall last tin day,
4 And sing, aud howl, in the. demons tones,
We're keeping time, on dead mems bonesi' s'ia
II sss Fiffc sosfsifa5 buf yiv5E3 sa5s!s !s5,5T zT=
/ Twas thus the Rum Fend sang in his den,
| with bloated faces, that WE'RE MEN
widows and mothers win meier forget r5i =
- The song he sung, and is singing yet.3 ,s.s5,.
What is a Turner. sa g.eaig,i,,i4a s,a,,. s.z5.
j I'VE often here in the city papers account
2 Of the gala days Of. the society of Germans
icalled Tnrners-but what that cabalisti
term. TURNER, signifies, but, comparatively
i few understand, 1t Is TINS explained, b,
IJudge Stallo, of Cincinnati, He was defend
| ing body of German Turner'S in a Court il
Cincinnati, for rome disturbance. and in de
; fning the term, Turner he said. the nam
q meant gymnast. It was established to pre-
r mote and develop the physical man, and ais
: for the Improvement of the mind. In Cir
o cinnaii it was social Organization, which al
eembled together for gymnastic exercises an
a the study of science. The Turner'S of ths
!. city had library Of over seven thousand vo
y nmes comprising many scientific and vaiuabl
! works. Lectures were delivered to them b
4 of.9ermat and american born citizens Tb
n society was also charitable and benevoler
clone. the sick members being cared for. an
:. the families Of the deceased members allowe
k an mount per week. Their meetings wei
! aot secret, and the members were at all TIM
70 willing to listen to the suggestions or opinion
. Eof those not belonging 10 them. Persons
all religious beliefs are admitted as members
II So 4a EF8sEsFl 4 sEtti, zEE.-s t'a sit.5
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