Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-04-23
Observation-Disclosures.


While we are free to admit that there are
fascinating interests surrounding theeditor
|of local paper, yet there is very much to
perplex,. try and chagrin. Zone of the
bright features OF the business, is the fact
that he has access To, and is. surrounded
with the news and intelligence of the
world. We are tod that ito the making
OF books there is no end" and this may be
very aptly applied to newspapers. While
our large cities have their scores, almost
every county K the Northern States has
its one or more papers. The editor of @
paper Of any notorieiy, can, and does have
acce SIS toscoree, and, If necessary, hundreds
of these of al shades, conditions aud isma
These contain theAdiversifed talents. of
hundreds, and, perhaps, thousands of
minds, OF al hues, from The Brilliant down
20 the dull and insipid. I'VE feel as though
we were hszarding nothing by saying, that
our American Newspapers OF the day, ex-
hibit more real brilliant. ploddipg talent,
than Is to be found IN our American books
As Greeley CORRECTLY :, remarked years
ago, in speaking of editing a newspaper,
that what is worth doing az all is worth
doing well, and that he would. bestow as
much labor and talent upon small paper,
if it was ali he could publish, according TO
its demanGs'u upon him, as one published in
the metropolis. This is doubtless the cor
rect idea > and IL is encouraging to ST e
how much improvement has been made
upon eur local papers within twenty years
past. To merely publish paper is lot
enough; but to make it success is the
highest aim. This is truly honoring to q
great nation like America, and is an uu-
mistakable token of national and individ-
! ual prosperity. To enjoy the luxury Of
this talent, prosperity and progress, is the
bright feature Of an editors life but there
is dark side to the picture, which saps the
swest from this honey side.
|. The editor rises from his conch in the
morning, after a sleepless and thinking
night to 20 forth to hisdsily toll, as the OK
goes 10 the pillow. ave PR sumo there are
hundreds of persons who are ready to say,
| if could have as easy times as the
editor OF such and-such papers, would
J give the world. If the editors referred 10
fully discharge their duties to their pa
irons, their tolls and perplexities are equal
to those of any other class of persons on
/ earth, We care not what their calling il,
Look for moment: take the paper with
one thousand or five thousand subscribers
and the editor must, In order to be success
full, consult their feelings and eschew hi;
own. He knows better than another can
know, how exceedingly hard it is to suit
the tastes, desires, and whims Of all these
One says, you have too much politics an.
other, you have too many stories another
you do not publish poetry enough anoth
or, you publish too much poetry another
you don't tell us enough about the fash
| ions; another, yoii say too much about
fashions another, you don't write enough
another, you write too much, We would
rather have more selected matter and not
so much original; another, your CORES
pondence is too long and dry; another
I you have too much or too little to say
about the liquor question. and on the use
of tobacco anotner,you have too many
advertisements in your paper tnevel
stopping ITO Think that this y ii
where the. bread. and butter comes
frOm). &c, &c. We might multiply such
objections almost indefinitely; but these
will suffice 10 illustrate our point Wha
other business is there, that requires any
thing like the same amount of patiencs
and perseverance to prosecute its W.
unhesitatingly answer, none; yet thcr,
are persons who, because it is impossib',
for an editor TO please every one, throw
themselves hack upon, their dignity ant
say, "well l won't take his paper an,
way" thinking that by their dropping oil
the paper ,a,usf stop. There are scores 0
just such persons; a Single subscribe
dropping off does not, usually, stop tt,
publication Of the paper
We have thus portrayed a very few 0
the difficulties surrounding an editors life
but space acmonishes us TO stop. We hsv
not been led 10 these reflections from an.
personal consideration but simply from
general workings of the system, after
twenty-five years experience. Can any
brother of the quill, truthfully except I
anything we have said? If so, pitch in
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