Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-02-18
From Round.' prin,ers' cabinciJ

tFrOm Rounds Primers Cabtnct.)
Editorial Power, Influence and Duty.
Any thinking man who stands outside oi
the turmoil and excitement Of editorial
life, aud looks calmly upon the matter, can
not but have noticed with regret the often
prostitution Of the pen and in a wide
measure, also, the carplessncss with which
IL il uacd--the slip-shod method Of giving
items that will be Of the greatest import
nnce in making history" for future gen.
erations, and constitute the glory or the
shame Ct the present age.
The pen Of the editor il not only n more
subtle but powerful instrument than the
unrcfecting conceive. lie should remem-
Der that he writes " not for day but for |
all timo :" that 1t is his to make or To mar:
his to hand down to pOsteriiy fair or foul !
record and stamp indelibly upon the cur
rent pages of the ngc, the ever shifting pam
Drama Of the present, IN the glorious colors
of truth or the bots Of falschood.
The throne may he u power but there is |
one behind it still more mighty. The /
Press OF the old world has made and un-
made kings at pleasure; and that OF France /
in particular has toyed as plaything with 1,
the crowns Of empe ors, quickened the de-
sirOying demons Of the volatile populace,
erected barriers, raised proud monuments
and columns, and caused the cutters to run
to ovcrllowing with rel blood. In our own
! land, though less given to volcanic erup
! tions, it In not one whit behind in influence
in lifting up or dragging down, making or
destroying man aud his pet schemes Of poll
itics or finance, and in great aud holy
| hour ringing, as with invisible hands, the
hell Of universal human liberty, and by It's
talisnanic touch causing shockles and
| chains aud gives To cTumble into dust.
1t ia we'll, therefore, to pause and reflect
upon these things. They are we'll known,
il is true, but in the whirl of every day
life, the struggle for position and the mad
race for wealth, we are too apt to overlook
them--to ignore entirely il they happen to
stand in the way OF our personal in
tereSts. And there is far too much of ef,tc
writing; something that will catch the eye
and produce monicntary ripple OF laugh
ter and bc forgotten with the next breath
In fact, the cage Is prone to run after
some "gildrd nonsense, and pander to
extravagant hypcrbole and ridiculous and
miserable orihography, that can not but
make the jndicious grlcye."
That this is radically wrong, no one will
have the hardhood To question. The
abuse has crept in by degrees; the plague
spot, small at first, enlarged until disease is
the rule and health the exception. And
for this the editor aud publisher is in u
great measure 10 blame and the fact "Ilat
it pays" argues i'll for their moral honesty
: rs we'll as the taste Of their readers. The
l balderdash" of many Of the writer's ol
d. the day, who have made their names and
pseudonyme infamous, should have re
! ceived no mercy at their hands; the en-
D tire brood of (so-called) "humorists beer
: strangled with the first attempt, and theiI
. influence for evil baitled without quarter
. Humor, we take it, is something NOR,
Il than incorrect spelling and the torturing -
/, incidents into the ultra marvellous and i'm
r possible; something more than the mcr'
Il perversion of language to false aud gro
n tesquo meanings, aud causing the checks o
d betuty to blush with shame and the man o
> principle to turn away in disgust. 1t i
;! something more than twisting the most sol
e emn things into burlesque, and making
!. grotesque and clownish sections even up
e pear Mt the grave. 1t is something NOR
It than vulgar lampoons something NOR
y and brighter and better than n ghoul at
t, feast, or placing grinning deaths hea,
10 upon the marriage table; something NOR
than gbe and jeer and sneer; and vet, t
shame be it said, these are the Thing,
=, falsely called "humor," originated by tn
u" class foremost in print, and who bespatte
many newspapers with thcir-we fJrbea
ID writing the word-with trash
Mt But there is one consolation in the mat
rs ter. Their puerile efforts at wit are, as
rule, short lived; and even those dignilie
by publication in books soon run their rae
re and are forgotten; for the vitia,ed t;,ste
nd the reader soon pals with such nauseou
rv compounds, miscalled sweets.
cs with this little spasm of virtuous il
r- dignation passed (for while we love an
H. relish the spice OF true hlImor and wit "
he have 10 patience with abortivc attempt,
cv We return 10 Uur mutton
nd The position of the editor 10 not unly
&C. high but most honorable one. lie bclon:
. to q guild that is dwarfed by none in an
no land and he should look we'll to it th
Id his birthright is not shamed or bartcrcd I,
to mess of pottagc. Every wor,l write
~ down by his pen is as the stroke OF be
,sc that reSounds over valley and mountai
Ior prairia and woodland, river and ocean, in
Dr. the cars of every living man, at least eve
IA reading one. When his fingers manipnla
in and combination Of letters il formed,
ar touches telegrarhic key and makes n re
he ord in every heart. The lips OF the Pre-
wn may but whisper ever so softly, and vet
hio will sound in thunder tones to some ear
wake up some 81 ,eper-calise some warri
for truth to grid ON his shining armor
strike heavy blow at some fcstcri
wrong-brenk bolt and bar and fctier
n. some prisoner-be as the keen edged swo
Ie suspended over the couch Of guilty royal
be the pean OF plenty to poverty
prayer OF fOrgivcness-the stroke Of t
sh- axe of doom-the white winged angel
Ia. peace, or the one with pini0ns dabbled
blood-the ultima Mu,e OF what has been
use will be.
OF With such porer and influence the Dr
Ine vf ,i'~ s,IisVI 80 I'IDi., .I.~. ----:I,
,I,- who runs may read" Ii needs no setti
- in great type-ncerls not to he blazon
'he with brillinncy of coloring lie can II
As il he would, but sec it, and knowing shor
We. perform; should be a MAN, irresDectiye
,,s all selfish ends Society has given mu
to him and demands much in retu
" Against corruption and rings" in hi
be- places, far more even than lurking in
the slums, he should raise his voice and let
red he heard trumpet -tongued throughout {
We land The furnace and the brand are l
vas and he should heat them to u white h,
am and burn the letters of shame and guilt
zoe. deep that nothing can efFace. lie ho
md also the mntrix of public opinion, and {
nly mould il also as he Wills. The present
nto his hour of strength, but he can leave G,
and upon the future the impress of his wo
nry The page he prints to-day fades not W
ilie the geing down of the sun. The fitIy 81
he'd ken words of the hour will resuu
of through the halls of time, long after
rate footsteps have ceased to awaken the echo
un. Thought never dies, any more than Tru
be- The same "eternal wears Of god are hei