Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-07-09
COUNTRY EXCHANGES.
What n Veteran Editor Has TO Say
About Them.

About Them.
address read by President G. II. Basketse
before the Tennessee Press Association at
Chattanooga, June Is, lSSl.l
The mute inglorious journalists,
who lack only the opportunity of
startling the world, appear to be
numberless. In every community
there are scores of people who, hav-
ing no conception of the scope and
aims of journalism, and having no
proper notions of the duties, respon-
sibiIities and labors of the journal
ist, seem profoundly impressed
with the belief that they could step
at once into the editorial harness
and conduct newspaper with no.
table ability and success. Certainly
there are not few in every town,
city and county who, however
modest they may be in estimating
! their own abilities, are ready to tell
you how a paper should be man.
aged. Indeed, it is often the case
that men whose Self-cOnceit and as
surance are only exceeded by their
ignorance, are instant and active in
Obtruding their crude and unwel-
come suggestions upon the atten-
tiOn of the painstaking editor who
is endeavOring to supply the de-
mands Of the newsmongers and
cater to the intellectual wants of
| the community. The opinion
seems TO prevail among a certain
class, that all that is necessary for
making Of a newspaper is print
ing press and suitable material, a
! k1s.
cOmpOSitorS, and for an editor-any
man who handles a PAIR or SCISSORS
and writes Il passable paragraph.
Too many forget, or do not know,
that in the profession of journalism,
as in other professions, a special
talent and a special preparation are
required. 1t is generally conceded,
that TO become Il lawyer of worth,
one must not only possess certain
mental endOwments, but must also
understand the principles and be
familiar, to Il degree, with the
myriad precedents of the law. 1t
is agreed that to become physi-
clan, able to heal diseases, and to
invest death with a scientific inter-
est, one must by diligent study ac-
quire knowledge or the several
sciences which make up the science
of medicine, to which knowledge
must be added the wisdom gained
by the intelligent application of
these principles in the practice of
the healing art. 1t is generally adj
mitted that the clergyman, whose |
methods and labOrS, like those of
the editor, are constantly subjected |
to eaptious and carping criticisms,
is, if he be worthy of his high office,
better prepared than the majority |
of his critics to address himself to |
the difficulties of his position and |
deal with the many ponderous and
undemonstrable theorems of his |
theology. Yet, strangely enough, |
it is hard to convince some people !
that the competent journalist knows
more about his own business than
the average reader of a newspaper. |
They cannot understand that the
editor must not only have pecu-
liar talent and aptitude for his
work, but that he must also under
go special training, if not in col
iege of journalism, i'll the dearer
and harder and better school of eX
perience. There may be rare gen.
fuses that have stepped into jour
nali5tic distinction without having
served a severe apprenticeship, but
it must be borne in mind that many
brilliant editorial writer is simply
a writer, and not properly an edi-
tor, and is only a journalist in so far
as he writes for Il journal. There
be men who have we'll deserved
NUrito1.c, 11nnso loaIinCe |
metropolitan dailieS, who, if given
charge of country newspaper,
would, in all probability, make an
utter and inglOrious failure. 1t
must be noted, however, and en-
phasiZed, that many of the ablest
and brillianteSt journalists of our
day have been first educated in the
school of country journalism. Upon
the other hand, it is also true that
many capable and promising
country editor has been hidden out
of sight by the veil of impersOnali-
ty, and lost to the world, and for
got, by being merged into the edi-
torial corps of the city daily.
| am prepared to assert that the
man who ably and properly con-
ducts a country newspaper, keep
ing it at its truest and highest
of excellency, must pos
seSs Il rarer combination and versa
tility of talents, and have a more
varied fund of resources at his COM
mand, than is required in any other
position he may hold in the field of
journalism. The country weekly
should be in every whit the equal
of the best daily paper, 50 far as the
quality of the work is concerned. l
can admit of no lower standard. In
this competition the daily paper
has u decided advantage. By a
well regulated and necessary sys-
tenn of division and subdivision of
labor each separate department of
Il daily paper is entrusted TO special
who have been selected
with regard to their peculiar fitness
and qualification for the work as
signed, and who are responsible
only within their particular
spheres. The country journal, with
all of its departments, is generally
in charge of one editor, who must
perform distracting variety of
work, which does not often admit
of well sustained efforts i'm any
given direction. We often find a