American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1859-07-21
RnIToRs.

The Lutheran Observer makes some sp.
propriate remarks on the duties and re.
sponsibiIiiies OF the editorial chair. Some
erroneous or oovelOns minds imagine that
the editor has an easy and pleasant posi-
tion.. IfeeaGers Sefs ell OF like iastes, ,and
requirements, Il would not be difficult 10
furnish paper. But this being out OF the
question. we may not aspire to please OF
profit ali readers. We subjO'n the follow.
ing:
There are certain perpIexilies inherent
in editing a newspaper. II Is impossible
TO meet the wishes Of all. Writers some.
times send an article which the editor
thinks unsuited to his columns. II may
have merely local interest. 1t may con.
tain personalities. Il may be on subject
foreign to the general character Of the pa
per. One reader may wish his paper "a
be grave and solemn throughout; another
wishes it gemmed with wit, and relieved
BY plessantEies. One would wish for sto,
ries and narratives; another wants doctTin-
81 discussions. One asks for controversy
another for gentieness and charity. One
asks for church neWs--aDother for abstract
and profound essays. One delights in
short pithy articles another sees no value
in anything but a full and thoI Ough hand
ling Of the subject in hand. One wishes
bis religious paper 10 give him daguer'
rean picture Of the intelligence Of the day
from the whole world; another wants thu
columns filled on ona and the same topic
With these various and opposite tastes ant
judgments among some thousands Of read
ers. it is utterly impossible to crafty then
all. We do the best we can. We bTinl
our best judgment into exercise. and d
the best we can for the good Of our readers
and the glory Of God. And We are verJ
thankful tha. we Rave found much less an
noyance than some Of the editorial frater
nifty, one Of whom speaks thus:
"The truth is, an editor cannot steI
without lreading on somebody's toes. l
he expresses his opinion fearlessly aut
frankly, he is arrogant and presumptuous
II he states facts without comment, ht
dares not express his sentiments. II HI
conscisnticusly refuses to advocate th'
claims Of an individual Tor office. be Is ae
cussd Of hostility. A jackapape. viii
measures off his words into verse as clorl
does tape--by the yard--bsnds him par
eel of stuff that jingles like handful Q
rusty nails and gimlets, and if the edito
is not fool enough to print the nonsense
stop my paper; | Won't patronize a mal
that's nc better Judge Of poetry; as if
were patronage to buy paper at abou
one-half more than so much waste pape
would cost. One murmurs because hi
paper is not literary another because il i
literary--snoiher because it is not iiterar
enough. One grumbles because the ad
tisements engross too much room--anothe
complains that the paper is too large--w
can't find time to read il all. One wan,
type so small that microscope would b
Indispensable in every family--anotbe
threatens 10 discontinue the paper unles
the letters are half an inch long--an oil
lady actually offered an additional pric
for paper that should be printed in typ
ss large as is used for hand bills. Ever
subscriber has plan OF his own for cor
Quoting q Journal.