Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-09-03
From the PrintlngGazetto.
THE ExACT1ONs o. EBITORE.
AZ WORK.


b. AZ WORK
The address beforethe Michiga
t Publishers Association at its las
r meeting, was delivered by R. Z
: Bingham, Esq, Of the Detroit Ad
vertiser and Tribuae, and wa
= chiefly devoted to a careful consid
! Grafton of relations OF "The Pres
and People" We append an ex
tract, bearing upon a point that i
} too little understood and appre
/ ciated both by the public and tn
most Of publishers-the cxaction
of editorial work, which are as 1
+ rule greater than those of any
other profession, and which bring
less reward, to the great majority
of those in the editorial employ.
ment, than any other class of in.
tellectual labor. We quote from
the address:
"As a profession there is none
who have more work TO perform
or do it better than the editor
Those who have followed it, buI
are now engaged in other and
more congenial labors, will agree
with Us in tcsti(ying that for weal
and tear of body and mind for
its constant demand upon
the brain and nervous sys.
TEN; for its often unsea-
sonablc as well as unreason-
able hours; for its thousand an.
noyanccs and responsibilities, il
cannot fail to intensity life and
therefore shorten it. Few there
are who at the threshold of man
hood took the pen in hand in this
field, either as editor or reporter,
that pass over the valley of mid
die life, and reach the hills where
the golden sunlight makes bright
the childish happiness of age.
Bryant, Greedy, Bennett and Weed
are left. But Raymond, Prem.
tice, Halpinc, Demers, all of whom
but one laid down the pen for the
shroud when the sun was in mid
die heaven, and ten thousand 9TH
crs that could be named, proved it
a short.lived profession. Nor is
this fact surprising. The most
excellent labor of the editor still
does not reach the possible, and,
like Oliver Twist, soup-bowl in
hand, the eXpectant public stand
ever wishing for more. And us
there is no beadle to rcprove or
punish the culprit, there is moth
ing to do but comply with the de.
mand at the sacrifice of life itself.
And not alone the public but the
publisher also is to blame for the
loss, in the prime Of their inlu-
cncc, for many Of the most bril-
liant writer's of the age. The
young man seeks this profession as
the field for exercise of IN honora-
bic ambition, but its ranks are nev-
er 50 full that he does not find
competition on every hand. As q
student he has written essays flash.
ing with the brilliancy Of wit, and
proved his skill in the use OF logic
and argument. lie seeks to fill
the place Of one whose influence
has spread far and wide both rep.
utation and livelihood are ut stake.
He may think the task an easy one,
but learns ut the outset the large
measure Of its duties as well as the
responsibilities. On n mctropoli-
tan daily he may be required to
write from three to five columns
and usually the salary If.
lords u living but not Il compe-
tcncc. lthc objects to the amount
Of labor required, as well as the
unreasonable hours when it may
he called for, he is told that there
are Il dozen applicants who will
undertake the work for the same
pay. They prefer his qualihca-
ton, and he undertakes the task.
and vigorous for a time, he
performs aIi that is required. and
tally doc, thrice what ht, physical
nd mental stamina can endure.
Then comes the reaction. The
lr.!Iianry, wit aad pungcncy are
c-- amt ic's apparent IN the tread.
mill where there is no rest for tn q
weary, The man who might have
,tOob in the front rank of the pro-.
r~,ion, had the measures of his
abpr not been beyond his ability
. accomplish, is showed aside, az
cr 4 year or two to make room
another victim, who, ten to one
the same fate. Or, if he
emaia. It IS at the cost Of the act
We buorant step; and the red tide
5 no longer the fountain Of health
nd y-9r. Without time for ex.
he takes none, and soon the
brain or hectic flush marks
lin .Or the hand Of death. This
: not an oycldrawn picture. And
n connection with this point,
ompare for moment the writers