The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-11-16
THE EDITORS WASTE BASKET.
An Experts Valuation Of Advisory and
Indignant Letters.

Undoubtedly the most entertaining
parts of editorial correspondence are the
indignant and the instructive letters.
Horwiath, Billingsgate and bad grammar
deliberately written out, sealed, stamped,
posted, aud arriving in due course of
mail cool and still, are very ludicrous.
The staleness of champagne that has been
opened for some days is type of the let
ter of wrath and fury when it reaches the
editorial hand. And if anger could ever
be reasonable, the furious gentleman or
lady would count twenty-five with Tatty-
coram before committing 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 in
dignant correspondent.
or course. honest and simple correc-
tions of statement are of the utmost use,
and ere 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, per:
haps, as good an explanation as he could
give of what is really inexplicable. For
an editor apprehends instinctively, by a
tact which is not to be learned, so 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 only because he has counted the
cost. IF the editorial object be to reflect
public opinion, the letters will represent
only the scattering readers who disagree,
and whose approval he expects and has
already discounted" If the object be
to oppose strong public opinion, he
knows equally that there will be vehe-
ment and general protests and that, also,
he has already weighed. If, indeed, the
editor be not an editor, but simply an
occupant of the editorial chair, then he
is utterly at sea. Two letters or twenty
equally confuse and confound him. He
has no idea, and can have none, whether
they represent the crochets of twenty
people of public opinion. The editorial
sagacity is that which assures its posses
sor of action and reaction in public SEN
timent, although he cannot point out to
YOU the detailed sources ofhis knowledge.
In political Campaign" he apprehends
the movement for Or against candidate
or party, and knows that, to-day, the
chances are doubtful which yesterday
were favorable To write little letters of
Indignation to such man is like swear
ing at the north star. 1t is mere waste.
The other kind of remonstrances is the
didactic. This unusually concerns the
character of the feast which the editor
provides for his readers, or consists ofju-
dicious hints as to his management of
his own business. "The Father of a
Family" wishes to know why the editor
admits a story which he is constrained to
say is far from the standard which he
conceives the editor of publication of
such lofty pretentons should constantly
regard; aud he is sorry to say that he,
The parent, is considering whether it be
not his duty to decline to receive the
work any longer. This is unquestiona-
bly, an Interesting consideration to the
paTelG, UuI ue SupuIu louieHiuSi IH"o
editors are very busy men, and should
therefore refrain from troubling them
with bis men.al processes. If the father
of a family would but reflect for mo-
ment, he would perhaps suspect, what is
the precise truth, that for every such
letter of reproof an editor receives an.
other of commendation, and if he should
undertake to govern his conduct by them,
the result would be pitiful. Indeed, the
same disposition must be made of the
didactic letters as of the indignant, and
they must be dropped in the limbo of
entire uselessness. What the individual
A suggests, the individual B ridicules,
and that which arouses the ire of G, re-
ioices the heart of D. The editor, there
fore, is the only person who can intelli:
gently and properly reply, in the tabled
words ofan eminent philanthropist whose
charitable attention was asked in single
case of suffering: II am too busy with
humanity to have time for individuals"
The object Of this brief discourse is to
save the time of worthy people who are
about committing Indignation to paper,
or who kindly design to teach somebody
else how to manage his business. The
text is to be found in an editors waste
basket.-Mr. Curtis in the November Har-