The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-04-04
A Word About Newspapers.

The Gainesville, (Ga.,) Eagle is the last to let
fy few sharp pointed and well-aimed arrows at
borcs and dcad-beats who are always TO be found
wherever IL newspaper is published. The fol-
lowing is to the point, and we move its unani-
nous adoption 10y the press of the country:
There is not perhaps in the whole range of
business professions or callings, one that is so
little understood, and about which there are as
many erroneous ideas that of the conduct,
privileges, purposes and rights of II newspaper
From il people expect more, and propose to pay
less for it, than they would dare to ask from any
other business in the world.
great many very good people seem to forget
that newspapers arc business enterprises. They
ignore the fact that L newspaper man is flesh
and blood, that hc must cat, drink, wear, live,
move and have n being any other human
bipcd. They seem to forget that ho has like
passions, like necessities, like cares, troubles
and nnxictics with other men, Hence, when Ire
differs with them, when he expresses an opinion
I'm opposition to their own, with warmth and Wig
or, they are ready to dcnouncc him, and seem
SIS much astonished as if an angel had flown
down frOui the out-posts of heaven and peted
them with Il brick. bat. lie is expected to be
above and beyond the Splrll weaknesses of hu-
manity, and soar around in the eysian fields Of
grandiloquent genius o. Lisurcly browse in the
vernal pastures of pure wisdom, and see every
thing as everybody else sees it, and reconcile the
vast differences Of opinion IL ipperious thou
sands
But it is not in this alone that the world mis-
takes US. Very many, very good people, good
honest souls, who would never think OF asking
their grocer to give them q dime s worth of
cheese, will ask newspaper man To sacrifice his
space, pay his printers TO set up his type, and
wear ont his material to do them service. AMI
expect him to acquiesce, as matter of course
1t Is astonishing how many people have axes to
grind which from their standpoint are "matters
Of public interest" and woe TO the poor editor
who cannot see it in that light.
There are two or three things wiIich many
good honest people need to be educated to um-
dersta2d. One is that editors are human They
are liable to be mistaken, and are entitled TO the
same charity as other people who may do like
wise. Second, that they cannot live on wind
and sleep on fences, and must be pail for their
stock in trade, the sane as n merchant or any
other business man. Third. that newspaper
does not belong To the world at large but TO its
owners and conductors, and that il cannot be
made n sluicc box through which 10 flow all the
surplus bile of n community or the trashy OIL
sloughings Of the brain of every nincompoop
who itchcs to see his namo in print When
these wholesale truths are thoroughly imbcddcd
III the teachings of our civilization, then will
the editors millennium begin to draw nigh and
the war dance Of delight will swing corners and
chasscA around the editorial tripod. the scissors
will cut the double shuttle, and the paste pot
weep great tears Of uncliOus joy.