The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-10-12
Editorial Ljfe...A True Picture.

LlLt~esh AhuC AStuACs
Did it ever occur 30 you, most agreeable
reader, that editorial lifo 10 not an unrutliod
sea d: Did you ever pause in looking over
u newspaper to think Of tho ccascICss toll
that is necessary to provide for you the
columns anG paragraphs you 50 easily scau
This editorial wrIting--whnt u coasclcss
tapping of tho brain il isi No matter how
ho fecls--the paper must DO out ut tho up.
pointed timO, and his usual contributions
must fill tho nccust toned niche.
Tho limited space of u newspaper column
docs not allow tho Uditor to treat any sub.
jcct ut largo. llo must not attempt Hn ex-
tended discussion, no matter what he writes
about; but no is expected to touch on a
variety Of them every week aud just touch
thcm- nothing moro; so that his readers
may not DO woariod with long articles. To
write a long ossuy or tories would sometimes
be u great relief. But if he does either. ton
chances he will hcaI oft. Once or twico in
u long editorial service, NO have vonturod TO
do this dangerous thing. Fortunately, We
heard no complaints. though we have no
doubt many weie uttered Now and then,
however, We have been complimontcd by a
brother saying to US: THAT was very
good article of yours, in last weeks pnpor,
as far as read but it was so long | was
called off before | had time to finish it"
Editorial writing is pleasant enough and
! casy enough, to man accustomed to It
when ho has once determined what he shall
write about. But this selection CT topics IL
! not easy. For single paper or two, any
,nan will find subjects at hand hut when IL
comes to writing Tor tho Same readers year
in aud year out--when one calls tho sub jrcts
already presented, somc briefly, some more
clahoratoly. either by himself or by cor
respondents. tho difficulty of selecting 81 ms
TO avoid sclf,rcpetition is embarrassing. A.
! to waiting ill something suggests itsclf-,il
i, comes to you-that is out of the question
! Tho RESP eclablr bu, ill-namcd boy is at your
door already. Hc is calling for copy. You
must sit down and write mt once. Wnut II
| half dozon persons arc in the Ctce dis
cussing church matters or politics What
if some irrelevant interrogatory is urged
with singular indications OF obliviousncss o
what YOU arc about or not : You must fee
your way through like a man walking in q
| narrow pass during dark night, aud, hav
! ing reached tho end Of your sheet, you ina,
take q long brcarl aud turn away in searci
of some other subject. And there is no ont
to this, for as soon as you bayo succeeded IL
arranging for ono number. tho burden o
another is upon you, from tho first woek il
January till the last in December.
But to the writing of editorials is to b.
added tho nggrt gate of Othur duties. icr'
is correspondence we'll meant aud full o
sensible things. But it is badly written per
haps badly spelled, perhaps poorly put TO
gclhcr. You must go over it. You mus
dash out an unnecessary word yondcr.-
You must DO u gramnarian for tho writoI
who has never loarnod grammar, or permit
tod himself TO write without revision. Yo,
must in short. prepare his irregular compo
si,iUn for the pr~sa, where ynn 'n"nni max
out precisely what ho Ihtonded to writ,
guess at it, aud lot your readers have til
benefit of your guessing
To read newspapers for pastimo is a vcr
inviting employment. But hero nro twcnt
received by tho mornings mail. You tax
tho scissors in hand and glance over then
What treat would ;h;s DO to some peopl
.-peopio who have leisure to read thor
through! But your work is to scissorizc,-
you AFRO lookitg for scraps. lIore is ono, bl
it was in your paper last wcok. Hore is al
other, but It is 100 sectarian. Hero is
K third, but it is of last years creation, tn,
6 has lodged awhile on tho shores Of forge
fulncss, and is now swept again on the tic
? of news, to float until il can find anOth'
s standing placu. After an hour or two
s search you gather up tho result. 1t is yo'
u column of clippings from the exchanges
r What search for so moagre reward =
:, Well, have YOU done Soc there is poo
j Tho typo is set. and the foreman wants
0 make up tho form. Hero is a letter upsi,
+" down-lhcrc is word you never saw befo
-hore is u sentonco without moaning
What are you to do: Look at every lott
d read every linc-mark every intended co
d recticn, and send it back to be printed ntt
y your alterations shall have boon made
d Delays are dangerous" You must II
n tuke half day for it. Drop everything L
o foro you, and road tho proof. Tho pre-
It will be waiting for you, and unless you a
O. in tino your place will bo taken by anotht
>; and your issue delayed. Happy tho edit
'r who, whom his sheet is out, docs not find
dozen errors that he did not see, still glaril
d upon him in ali their dciormiry aud provi'
}; carelessness despite of oil his carc.-Bat
= more u. s. Journal.