, 1876-12-23
The Editors Waste Basket.
From Turner's .KdqL.ipe.


Undoubtedly the most entertaining
parts of editorial correspondence are the
indignant and the instructive letters.
Hot wrath, bIlingsgatc and bad gram.
mar, deliberately written out sealed,
stamped, posted, and arriving in due
course OF mail, cool and still, are very
ludicrous. The staleness of champagne
that has been opened for some days is a
type OF the letter Of wrath and fury
when it reaches the editorial hand. And
it anger could ever he reasonable, the
furious gentleman or lady would count
twenty-five with Tattycoram before COM
mitting Indignation to ink and paper
He does not mean to be ridiculous, but
he makes himself SO: and no peals of
laughter in the busy sanctum are ever
more sincere and ringing than those
which greet the missive OF the indignant
correspondent
Of course honest and simple correc-
tons of state nent are of the utmost use,
and are in the highest degree valued by
every sensible editor. When the con-
ductOr of the London Times was asked
how he knew the movement of public
opinion, which his paper so accurately
represented, he answered that he knew
it by his correspondence. That was,
perhaps, as good 0n explanation as he
could give OF what is really incXplicable.
For an editor apprehends instinctively,
by tact which is not to be learned, 80
that, like the poet, he is born, not made.
Great volleys of epistolary censure are,
therefore, not necessary to teach him that
he has done something which displeases.
He knows that he will do so before he
begins, and be begins only because he
has counted the cost. If the editorial
object he to reflect public opinion, the
letters will represent only the scattering
readers who disagree, and whose disnp,
proval he expects and has already dis
counted. If the object be to oppose
strong public opinion, he knows equally
that there will be vehement and general
protest; and that also, he has already
weighed. If, indeed, the editor be not
IN editor, but simply an occupant of the
editorial chair, he is utterly at sea. Two
letters or twenty equally confuse and
Contound him. He has no idea, and can
have none, whether they represent the
crotchets of twenty people or public
opinion. The editorial sagacity is that
which assures its possessor OF action and
reaction in public sentiment, although
he cannot point out to you the detailed
sources Of his knowledge. In political
campaign he apprehends the movements
for or against a candidate or party, and
knows that to day the chances are doubt
ful which yesterday were favorable. To
write little letters of Indignation to such
man is like swearing at the north star.
1t is mere waste.
The othe kind of remOnstrance is the
didactic. This usually concerns the char
acter of the feast which the editor pro-
vides for his readers, or consists Of judi
cious hints as to his management of his
own business. "The Father of Fam
lily" wishes to know why the editor adj
mitted a story which he is constrained
to say is far from the standard which he
conceiyes the editor of publication of
such lofty pretentious should constantly
regurd and he is sorry to say that he,
the parent, is considering whether it be
not bis duty to decline to receive the