Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-02-09
Country Editors.

Jackson Tribune and Sum-
8 The country editor is a peculiar an
imal. He is supposed to belong to
the graminivorous species, because he
lives on his own brains. This conclu-
sion is reached by the popular reason
ing that any man who would attempt
to live at the business is green in the
upper story, therefore his brain must
be vegetable matter, and living upon
it makes him a graminivorous animal.
His tastes and habits arepeculiar. He
spends most Of his days in forging hot
thunderbolts from a cold forge, and
hurting them at other people for
amusement. 1t is the popular belief
that he wa created especially for the
business, and that he sdoing a simple
duty for his own pleasure aud deserves
no compensation. 1t is also some
times supposed that it is an econ
mediation to him for the reader to
take his paper off his hands alter it is
printed aud read his triAing produc-
tions, True, he must always be on
the alert day and night, gather up all
the news; promote all public enter
prises Of merit; help everybody to get
Office, or 10 make money in business;
buy his own paper; pay his own
printers; pay the postage on his pa
pers; submit to the abuse Of every
man who chooses TO sit down and
SANDER him at a safe distance; write
editorials aud be denounced because
he don't write better ones; pay all his
debts promptly or be suspected of the
proclivities of a dead beat; use his
columns without stint 10 promoting
the growth of towns and cities. build
ing railroads, and sustaining correct
principles Of government through DO
%litical parties; he must be the patient
as for everybody to ride, and must
not kick when he is spurred, or run
away, or fight when tn boys throw
rocks at him for fun. 1t is a plo-
rious privilege to be a country edi-
tor in = free country, where any man
who chooses can shoot the editor
when the editorials don't please him.
and create a vacancy to be filed by a
man who understands his business
better, fortunately country editors
are DIT non nascitur, which may be
Literally construed to mean that Prov.
idenee had no hand in the work OF
making them. Fortunately there are
but few who believe that we belong to
that class aud they are the fellows
who get the benefit of our labors and
then raise Cain because we make them
pay for it. What a blessing il would
be to the country editor If he could
bring himself down to a simple water
and air diet, and sleep on the fence
with the drapery of night carefully
drawn about him to protect him from
The wrath of the elements.
Only one thing more would be
needed to complete his earthly happi-
and that would be a full corps Of
priateTs who could subsist on the
strength of bis editorials and roost
on the ease at night. No, we arc too
hasty; he would need y press that
would run by perpetual notion, with.
out friction, a free postal system, and
a small forest Of trees regulated 80 a.
70 produce weekly crops Of newspa-
pers Of the exact size needed. He
could get Iepg without it, but il
would be better IL be had a coat OF
Aail that would turn 9 six-pound
saaROR,ball, and a skin like a rhiaoc.
erous, sepabslifes as acute as a croco.
ollie. As for bis ever getting to heayy.
en-, he is kGrdly expected 10 do that,
and if he does he will be chargea
with getting in on a free pass, howeyl
e. large the balance in kig favor on
che account, Truly the country cd.
itor who banners his living out o
his braius has 2 bsYd time getting Il
"accordin TO tho s~tat0cte.
Lcndonors are to have sea pipe