Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-12-22
The Editorial ssWe..
Oil City Derrick,

'OoAAN PSoPAS dlC uuICCSUudD1y
and curious, especially about matters which
do not concern them in the least For ex-
ample, here is a correspondent who makes
the startling revelation that he is constant
reader of our valuable and influential paper, "
and would like to be informed why it is an
editor or newspaper writer, when speaking of
himself in his writings invariably uses the
plural pronOun eve" instead of the singular
/ Il"
| There are several reasons Self-preserya-
ton is the first law of human nature 1t be-
gins at home, Like old Mother Charity
Ihere is some human nature about an editor
public opinion to the contrary notwithstand-
ing An editor thinks too much of his as"
10 wear them in mourning, and therefore
when speaking Of some slab-sided six-foOter
, as miserable, red-nosed, pusillanimous,
Wlfe-beatlng snOOzer, he considers it the bet
ter part of valor to drop in an occasional
we" This creates in the mind of the six
footer the impression that the editorial force
consists OF standing army, armed with
deadly "we"-apons.
Furthermore, in cases where the victim
comes around to the Office to kill the writer
OF any particular item, it is so pleasant to
have the guilty mans identity buried in the
obscurity of the plural "we." The
editor-in-chief, the commercial editor, the
city editor, the local editor, the report
ers the bookkeepers, compositors, book
binders, jobbers, pressmen, devil and all the
delivery boys are thus placed ON common
footing by the little pronoun 1--WE, and when
the enraged person looks about him and finds
how many homes he would make desolate,
how many wives he would make widows
and children orphans, by killing off all in
n1nIa1 in al foll
he sickens at the sanguinary undertaking,
turns sadly away, goes to some barrOOm,
takes drink, condemns the paper, prophe-
sizes that it is being run in the ground, and
declares that he will henceforth exert his
political influence to squelch the sheet.
And again, having tackled this subject, we
feel called upon to correct an erroneous inn
preston, which has gone forth through the
Vaccinations and manipulations of the ma
chine. A few years ago the fiends of the op-
position, for whom we have but feelings of
contempt and loathing, and for whom we can
find in our book Of synonyms no sufficiently
OpprObrious or condemnatOry title, caused to
be published in certain sheets which we will
not mention, q story. to the effect that the
use of the pronoun I'VE" by the newspapers
originated in this wise: "In England the
King Lords and Commons constituted the
three estates uii the realm, The King spoke
of himself as we" the Lords of themselves
as "we, and the Commons in the same man
ner. '.... ~"
The scurrilous article referred to above en-
deavored to convey the impression that the
editors tried to ape the custom of the King
and the Lords, and, by considering the news !
papers in the fourth estate, they acquired the |
habit of using the pronoun I'VE" This is a
most ridiculous assumption, as the intelli- |
gent readers of the Derrick, and the story
was gotten up merely to detract something.
from the popularity of the newspapers. The
facts in the case are these The editors COM
menced using the word "we' long before the |
Kings and Lords ever thought Of such a
thing; but, after while, the Kings, Lords, |
ct ais, adopted the style under the impression
that they could deadhead their way into
some of the female minstrel shows. But it |
didn't work, and, after being kicked out a
few times, they tried to make folks believe
the use Of the plural pranun. originated with
them. r- .l, -...--.I.;....,.
There are other reasons When noticing
marriage or a birth ave" implies that Box
of cigars will be required to 60 around. fr.
An editor says i've when advising the
President how to conduct his Administra- |
UlOn, because tnc TreSlucllU IHlSnU Hol stcI vi
his suggestioniif itiwas written plain .I.p3 E1
When telling q minister how to preach
the editor uses we, to induce the belief he
has just held conference with all the eX--
ministers about the establishments. Aj R@'
,.tWe" is sometimes used because of theI
writer's modesty. Most writers, are troubled
in this respect.
In short we use "wen because no one man
could survive the trials, Itriblations and tatfy
found about print shop. ,f- l5fgs- ,s-afI