The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-08
SOUR Managing Editor'-The Fuslis
Opinion or tho Exchanges.

Opinion OF the Exchanges.
The HERAID has always kept its relations
with Its country cousins, the exchanges, in q
fresh and afEectionate condition. We are far
from approving the views of those of our
lusty metropolitan contemporaries who look
upon the country editor as a natural but
necessary evil, more especially as the HERALD
seems to be an inexhaustible topic to our
cousins. Like the Schleswig- Holstein ques-
ton, Napoleon I'LL and the illness Of Prince
Bismarck, there seems to be no end to the
interest which it excites. We think 1t is
Charles Lamb who tells the story of the
London editor who. whenever topics failed
him. wrote about the origin of the three balls
over the pawnbroker's shop. In like man
ner our country cousins, when the general
variety Of topics becomes barren, when Bis
marck RECEIVERS and peace is settled in
Schleswig- Holstein and Napoleon Ill is
really dead, always fall back upon the HERALD
Something Of this is due, perhaps, to the
communications addressed to our rural cous-
ms by worthy and inter ssting class of gen.
tlemen who are called "New York correspond
ents, and who earn, we fear rather preca-
rious subsistence in ''the gathering of news"
The amount of information they convey, how
ever, astonishes us To be sure, this infor-
nation is not always accurate and has
sometimes berry favor. We find no fault
on this account. If information must always
be accurate what will become of our calling
and the beautiful gift of imagination2 Any
plain man can tell true story. 1t requires
men of genius to tell stories that should be
true-that amuse, if they do not INSTRUCT
We are constantly interested in these efforts
of genius in regard to the HERALD. Our rev.
enues are known to all the world, and not
only our revenues, but our expenditures. 1t
would seem that the New York correspond
ents begin their duties by studying the
HERALDs ledgers. Their most agreeable
duty is to take part in its administration.
Our readers will never know the amount
of labor thus saved to u.s. When we
are in doubt what to do or whom to
appoint we look into the "New York CORE
spondence" We then know whom the neigh.
boring taverns would appoint and the exact
public opinion of the curbstones But this
information lacks unity and consistency.
Take the case Of that mysterious and be-
wildering shade, the managing editor"
Every few weeks we see floating through the
air, like summer evening light this phantom
of managing editor" whose business is to
regulate, manage, tone, instruct, edify and i'm
prove the HERALD-a kind of supernatural in
fluence, like the Witch of Endor, or the ghost
of Caesar, or the apparition which warned
Don Juan, or that most admirable dramatic
critic and special correspondent, Mephistophe-
les. For the forty years Of our existence he
has been lowering over Us, taking always
new name and new shape
Il was only recently that he came to us as
Mr.. Kinsella, the jealous editor of the Eagle
We were, it seems, to be purchased for
million of dollars by Mr.. Demas Barnes, the
intrepid founder of the Brooklyn Argus, and
Mr.. Kinsella was to be the phantom influence
behind Mr.. Barnes. He was to be paid
twenty thousand dollars o year-a beggarly
sum, we confess, when we consider the variety,
the gravity and the perplexing novelty of his
duties. We are not surprised that Mr.. Barnes
carried his money to the Argus and that Mr..
Kinsella preserves his talents to the Eagle.
Mr.. Kinsella had scarcely faded away when
the phantom again came in the person of the
philosophical and celebrating editor Of the
Sun, Mr.. Dana, who was to pursue rings and
administrations with 'fhe mysterious infu-
ence' of the HERALD. Before the negotiations
with Mr.. Dana were concluded however, it
was suddenly discovered by painstaking and
truthful correspondent that Mr.. Oakley Hall
had for years been really managing the paper,
showing an unusual capacity for labor by
writing all of our editorial articles. But
we were not long permitted to enjoy the felicity
of Mr. Halls genius, on account OF the arrival
of DR.. George w. Hosmer. DR.. Hosmer
is one of the best informed, most
experienced and iavorably known of our Ameri-
can journalists long our agent in London,
where he was the triumphant rival of the ac-
complished George w. Smalley, of the 1rib-
une-a man of research and scholarship, a
student Of affairs at home and abroad. We
have sent him for this reason to represent us
in the Associated Press, where, in combination
with Mr.. George Jones and Mr.. Erastus
Brooks, he forms the Executive Committee.
This is a position, we are happy to say, second
to none in the country for this committee
moulds the opinion of the nation individually
holds the thought of America in its hands.
We have delegated our share Of this vast and
sacred power to DR.. Hosmer because of our
friendship for the Associated Press and our
desire that American public opinion should be
wisely moulded. We do not know what
changes the Doctor would have made
in the HERALD as managing editor,
in addition to his duties in the As
ISOLATED Press, for Mr.. Douglas A. Levien,
long and favorably known as the