The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1876-06-29
THE EDITORIAL PROFESSION.
Address of Col. Marsh T. Polk, of
Bolivar, before the Tennessee
Press Association, at
Columbia, June Is.

Brothers of the Association, Ladies
and Gentlemen-Twelve months since
the honor of making an Grafton before
you was conferred On me 1t is with
feelings Of great pride l find myself in
the presence of so refined and intelli-
gent an audience This feeling Of pride
is heightened when | know that l am
addressing an assemblage, some of whom
will remember the time when it was my
fortune to call Columbia my home. Y es,
many yoars have passed since l sported
on the hills and played in tho valleys Of
this beautiful country, gay and joyous
boy with others equally gay and JOY.
Gus.
Some of the loved companions of those
days have risen to fame and fortune, and
now live, silver haired men, filling with
dignity the places once filed by their
honored fathers. Others, tired of the
battle of life or borne down in the struggle,
have laid down their arms and the beau
tifui wild flowers bloom over their graves
whilst their spirits, reYiVifed by the
light of the Blessed Saviours face, are
dwelling in the home Of the Heavenly
Father.
Another feeling, of pleasure mingled
with regret, comes over me when l find
myself speaking in tn is hall. l remem-
Der a man who by his magnetic nature
and vigorous mind, did more than any
other to train our noble women in
a course of high culture; one who has
gone to his rest after leaving his impress
on more minds than any of his contempt
raries; whose greatest pleasure was to
shape Uniformed intellect into thinking
machine, to all the minds of his scholars
with store of knowledge upon which
endless drafts could be drawn. l
remember also one, beautiful alike IN
mind and person, a woman of great in
telligence and graceful manners, who
walked by the side of her husband his
"crown Of glory" model for all her
pupils and guide for the lnatrOns of the
land. l feel it to be presumptuous in
me to raise my feeble voice in the hall
once filed by his manly tones, or
attempt to discourse in the place where
she showered the bright scintillations Of
her mind. Yet it is but the course of
nature; the bending willow remains after
the mighty oak is torn up, and the glow
worm sheds its mild light after the
brilliant meteor is quenched in dark
ness.
heart, | am moved to say something
about the lovely women who grace our
union with their presence, to assure
them we appreciate their kindness in
honoring us From first entering on
this earthly pilgrimage, woman has been
my souls delight, my greatest privilege
to be with her, my greatest pleasure to
honor her. l am asian ed that men are
so depraved as to fling the apple of dis
cord in her face, when feel that l would
eat whole orchard of crab apples to
please her in the least. This feeling Is
so strong in me that nothing can shake
it, no amout of ''pull-backs,' no quantity
of chIgnon can overcome tiff she bases
| her whole dress, she is charming; If she
makes her head into a hurrah's nest, she
is lovely No eccentricity of fuss and
| feathers can move her from the pedestal
of my affection, where she will sit for
ever, the empress of my thoughts. Why,
every good act of my life has sprung
from her influence, from the time my
mother bifurcated my garments as
mark of distinction down to this present
moment of crippled manhood, she has
| reigned the queen Of my lite. Since the
day when, as boy, l hidsi the shadow
| of friendly gate post in this town, and
watched the long line of purple clad
angels passing from the Institute to
church, my heart has been like the hub
of a wheel with the rays of bright eyes
| for spOkes, and it never has been tired at
all. l believe these premature gray
| hairs are due to the intense study given
! in former times as to how to evade that
| abominable law, allowing only one wo-
man to a man for a wife, but l am free
to say l was young and green, for now
know the law to be a good one, and have
that one pair of gray eyes are amply suf-
| icient to fill a mans whole life with
gladness. OF course other men find
| their Joy In eyes of different hues, and
| I'm glad of it; but l must cease or to-
morrowss sun will find me praising
woman and the subject not be exhaust
ed; let it suffice to say that woman re.
sembles the father Of his country, as
the nature of the case admits Of, for
she is
| First in war to alleviate its sufferiugs;
First in peace-tO appreciate its bless.
ings;
And always "first in the hearts of he1
cOuntrymen."
To be in accord with you, it is neces-
sary that my subject matter should be
of interest to our profession, but in look
ing around one finds the field of journ al
ism so vast that one Is embarrassed to
select one point from which to start
There is no business you can touch bu
there is a close connection between i
and the newspapers of the day; you will
find no class of interest, however, great
or small but you also discover the inter
est of journalism nearly allied thereto
there being so many ties, so intrieately
binding the Press to all other classes Of
men, and its welfare being so intim ately
connected with the blessings of others
we should look carefully to the relation
ship so existing and define what arc the
duties of those who conduct aud control
the different individuali'ies that go tC
make up this great and powerful class
called the Press.
In conducting paper one cannot look
solely to the pecuniary and literary sue
! cess of the editor, but should always bear
in mind the fact that in the position o
editor one is but placed as sentinel Il
guard the true interest OF the people rep
resented by the paper. 1t Is the duty o.
the editor to so control his columns as
to prevent any matter detrimental to the
purity Of his readers from appearing
therein, to see that nothing injurious &