The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-06-01
A FAMILIAR PICTURE.
THE CITY EDIToR-rHE COUNTRY ED1ro

THE CITY EDIT0R-THE COUNTRY EDITOR
The editor of city and country
journal are two different and distinct
species of individuals. In the city the
editors identity is merged into the
journal. Every department has its
corps of editors. The men who write
the leading editorials are trained to
that particular branch of work. The
city or local editor works up the local
field, and haslfes up painful suicides
and drunken rows or mobs so that the
greedy public swallow The news with
rapacions appetite, and cry "more!
InOrep'
The selected miscellany and COM
plication of news items are presided
over by men who are adapted and
trained to that particular department
also. Then every city journal has IFS
corps of reporters, who are really
anxiliaries to aften;i and report the
proceedings of all public meetings,
conventions. and are often dispatched
at evening church meetings or Sabbath
services. Then, also the advertising
department is presided over by men
who give their attention, exclusively.
to working up patronage and prepar-
ing advertisements for the paper.
The finances of the city journal are
in charge of another separate head.
and perplex not the editors, who, when
he is writing for the public interests,
are not at the same time distressed by
other considerations. The publishing
of the paper is also independently
managed. In fact, each department
of city journal is entirely separate
from the others, and none of the men
employed are. ever liable to get a fam
ing leader that is calculated to excite
the public mind to "concert pitch
mixed up with delinquent subscribers
failure to pay his $500 in advance.
The men in charge of a city paper
are unknown personally, and are
therefore, not obliged to shoulder
curses long and loud and impregnated
with sulphur enough to start a second
edition of the Internal regions.
Let us now pen a picture of the
country editor, to be seen in every
country village of any pretensions
whatever.
The. country editor is obliged to
prepare his own editorials on all the
leading questions of the day. To do
this he must "read up" constantly, and
unless his editorial rakes into some
one, or tears up some interest he is
not able to hide under cover of his
journal, but must take q shower of
Oaths for being stale. If he rakes into
parties or measures he of course re-
ceives the shower. of all the same.
He is expected to blow the horn of
every aspirant for political favor in
his party, and at the same time if he
asks such aspirants to help him ''raise
the wind with which to "toot his
horn," he is told that some individual
who has swung his hat, three or four
times over his head, must be taken
care of, and he must stand aside.
The country editor must take inter-
est in all local matters. lie must adj
vocate all public improvements and
thereby win the hate and lasting ell
nifty of taxpayers, who are opposed
10 public improvements. If he does
not advocate improvements, then the
masses call him the paid tool of rich
taxpayers. lie must attend all meet
ings and conventions, and if he fails
10 report the same in full, he is said
TO he behind all live journals. lie
must write mp spicy local matter, and
il he notices. an Important improve
meni made by Mr.. A. he fails under
the lash OF Mr.. b, because he did
not happen 10 be aware that Mr.. Il.
had made improvements also which
were twice as great, on his property.
If the country editor obtains adver-
tising he must go for it personally.
Every time he turns around he must |
turn over q sixpence, or tie sixpence
will turn him oyer. lie is personally
held accountable for all typographical
errors in his journal, and must over
see the "make up" and printing of his
paper, and if he has job office con-
nected with the establishment, he
must look after stock. drum up work,
and personally attend TO the details of
the jobbing. He must select all mis-
cellany, compile all news items, write |
obituaries, and take a hand at proyid- |
ing nonsense for such of his readers
as like it. Besides all this he is at the
financial head of an institution that
would perplex even banker and his
score of assistants. His subscription
list must be worked up, and kept up
too, and he must see to it that all sub
scribers ''pay up" in course of time.
He must collect pay for his advertise
ments and job work, and unless he
has a large stock Of patience aud for
bearance, he will occasionally get mad
when told to "go to the devil with his !
little picayuue bill" He must have
the soul of an angel. the vigor of a |
steam engine, the cheek of the evil |
one, the patience of Job, eyes as nu.
merous as the stars OF heaven, dispo- /
sition az smooth as oil, be able to dis.
pense with all tender feelings, and be
impurturable to blows from every
jackass's heels in his journalistic dio-
cese. Who can edit country journal
and be happy ?-WhieehaH (N. "
Times.