The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-10-01
The Editorial Standpoint.

mating the duties Of those who conduct d
public journal.
Very many outsiders, perhaps the ma
jority Of them. are fully satisfied that ia
manage "a newspaper is just us easy as IL
rake hay, chop wood, or chew tobacco.
1t is II facilc thing they firmly believe,
because they do not see the work. There
is the printed sheet before them, With
everything fitted INTO its place, the lines
all Strengthened, the letters in correct ar
ray, and variety of fresh articles upon
this, that, and the other stbject ranged
neatly side by side. Lie "A pei fectly
symmetrical statue. or perfectly accurate
and lite-ike picture, the whole thing
looks ms natural as though it had grown
where it stands. All the anxious thought,
the perscvcring toll, the operative skill
acquired through long years OF apprentice
ship; the heat, noise, smoke and exlaus
ton of office and workroom; the cost
and soil of paper, ink, coal, grease and
iron; the labor and accidents OF printing,
folding, packing, mailing and distribution
are hidden from the readers gaze.
But these manipuations come in after
the ''cditor" has performed his portion of
the task, AMI that, say the overwise
fault finders, is the pleasant part of the
bu.incss. Let any one who thinks IA
much, honestly try the performance lie
will discover, we opne, within few
hours application, that he never before
completely appreciated the tritc old line
''Whcrc Ignorance i. bliss, 'ts folly to be wise
1t is MT long since, an Ell n'hu.i,stic
young accountant who had done u stroke
of politics. and consequently had some
''innncncc," thought, as he was ON the
successful side ut certain election, that
he woull like to try his ..anl in the Gus
tomhon-e. lie had heard of good fat
bcrths there, with heavy salaries and
nothing to do. After some months uf
delay, his prayer for an appointment was
answered, and he took his place ut one
of the desks connected with the CuIlcc.
tors Office lie was what everybody
terms smart" but had ithcr training
nor heart for this peculiar line of business
To his surprise, instead Of stroll down
town in the morning, - .succucnt lunch.
con, pleasant chat aud an afternoon
drive IN ''thc Park, with roll of green
backs lail On his desk at the end of she
term M found that sharp hours, piles of
work, short commons and "hurry up
were the order of the day. lie did his
best, however, bnt at the eni of week
his visions wee dl.pc!cd, and on the en-
sning Sun lay morn NJ, he quirtly expires.
scd to friend the hope that the Collector
would accept the resignation he had i'm
porin1ly pcnned on Saturday night
Never, he added with sigh, had hc
worked so hard with 80 little satisfaction,
on so small II salary before.
II any one OF the great majority OF
newspaper instructors were to undertake
II tilhc of the labor that they deem 50
iislt, he would, we feel ulc sure, find
himself in Il far worse ease than the party
we have men loncp. An aching head,
crampcd fingers, smartinS eyes and u
"crick" in the back, would convince him
that he had not ''icd' on ''honcy dew,"
or "drank the springs of Paradise"
while engage! on his first leader.
But the cares enumerated in our second
paragraph, arise, it will be seen, after
the editor proper has performed his share
of the toll. Granted but then, they
are, after ail, the more mechanical, and
therefore, more tangible points, and hcncc
are the more readily mastered by inicl:-
gent effort. The editorial writer aud
,nanagrr has the far more trying bccaus,
theoretical and intangible difficulties To
overcome.
To steer safely between cxircmcs-ihe
Scylla and C.arybiS of interest and opin-
iun,-,o meet the many tastes and minds
OF host Of people living in diirtrcn,
parts of the country, engaged in d,ffrcn,
pursuits to BE- lhorouhly posted and up
to the time, and yet steal or borrow from
nobody, although the number of concm-
pcraneous sheets is legion to be frank
without rudcness full without garrulity {;
succincia and practical without drvness
moderate without tamencss sprishily
without frivol'y warm without vehe-
mence ; diguified without pomposi'y {;
learned without pedsntry; in fine, TO b.
enough of every thing AMI not too much of
anything, are bot items among the editor
al REQUESTS. An editor must never lose
his temper he must know cvrything. or
what lIe dent know he must be allie to
pick up ION demand" even while he is
writing his article. lie must he able TO
be in any number of places at one and
the same time, and TO know perfectly
what is going on at each and all Of them t
10 grant numberless audiences and hold
long conversations with all manner of pco-
pie during the whole lapse of his working
hours, and yet turn out the most careful Y
written compositions, with an exhaustlcss
supply of the latest and freshest ''copy"
on hand the while 10 meet the exisencies
Ct the composing room and, there and then
he able to furesec and prevent every blum
der OF the type that may transform his
''lricnds into ''fien'ls" or make the profits
of u trade ,'damnfy" instead of ';inlemify'
its pr jecters.
But when this category Of perlormances
has been goa through, and proprietors,
conpositors, 6remen, folders, posboys,
agents and distributors, have been saiis-
fled, come the whims and wham- of &C.
centric patrons ahd The cayiiings Of secret
Or omen enemies. There ia luu little ol