, 1881-12-17


editorial exfcriencu and it 'sugnt me
/ (.e as,LaI Lessons Ii taught mt thill
s9jtars IN srue!al are not as wise as Sol =
s,an. set Solomon had oiten u e1clalm
u asoay of spirit that ''~ile and lovely
woman were his rum
To con over all the poetry and prose
forSardsd for publication iy \ Con
slant Reader 10 satisfy the regular ply
sie:ans that you have no belief IN the
auacks or their nostrums, to keep the
ne &c all around and at the same tine
mauage never to express an opinion
worth a ours. or a cent on any sahject,
all this combines To make the life rf a
country fditur somewhat monUt0DOus.
Perhaps he writes With much ability but
the nuaiher of bis readers Is small and
few recognize his taleat; his articles are
not much copied, because they come trt m
an obscure Walla Walla source. and 50 he
IS left 10 struggle on, while others, with
half his brains, are reaping rich harvests
ID more productive fields.
The great metropolitan editor h,s a
y-gy different experience. HIS char is a
sort oi pontihcal throne, and even the
,,aiice dust, a. it is lighted mp by the sun
beams, seems 10 form an sureo!a of power
aud glory about his head When he
peaks, It IS with authority and he gene
II tone Of infallibility. He has III his
hanis The keys of the political fold whicn
many. would prefer even TO the keys OF
tie Kingdom of heaven Men bow down
o.forr hrn :.nd d. him reverence. Al
he details of his administration are com
nttci to subprdinatez. He neve: hunts
after au al or an item. He has his staff
nf Ue!i.paid secretaries. who watch the
lHgLways aud by-ways, who watch the
lnarEars and stock operations, who attend
The churches and theatres. lie has his
foreign and domestic correspondents,
t.le-raph.rs, small paragraph men, and
frw pnur. gifted scholars, who know
every hing except how 10 tlke care Of
riernse!yes, to write up the real solid
I'M .yr and .iye philosophical c'icring
{, she concern.
There IS surt OF ilaternal feeling ex-
i,t.ug between editors. They watch one
ano,her as carefully rs ever did deacons
IN an old New England Church Two
gentleman who, in the ordinary inter
c-urse "f society, would be certain to
treat each other with the greatest defer
euce. no SOONER moant the editorial throne
than thes seem 10 be inspired with new
spirit and handle each ether with a degree
Of freedom. fidelity, fgrocity, slang and
B.l.ns~sa worthy Of ihe contestants in
prize rug. They do mo- spare, however
trying il may he to their tender natures,
but this only shows what sacrifices they
are wiilagto make IN the cause If truth
for III, peoples good and the sale Of their
paper. 1t mus, be gerry embarrassing to
an editor wh=n yve-ybody expects him to
express a clear AMI positive opinion on
some exciting t"p.c, and hedoes not know
jus; what 70 say. II ne tries To make
thiuss pleasant all round and twists and
turns aud erades the point ut issue, in
du'gllg N 'sllterIug seneraItIes express
ilt regret for this and sti more profound
regret at tlat, and hopin. that things
VII me right ,meh"w, he IS only
hJ.neG at Ii he takes SIDES either way
rc Is sure to offend somebody whom 1t is
very desirable to conciliate What Is
The uress has deuce uf time of it,
What an internal racket" To have to lis
ten t. every thica headed boohy or baby
Il the press were really Independent IN all
respects, Independent OF party trammels
whenever they bind the conscience, ready
t. denounce the wrong and uphold the
light AT all times. able To stand erect and
rrfusr to bend down when the multidude
boS down before the great Diana of the
Epheslans what blessing it would be to
the United States.
Editors are regarded as public properly
mo.e than any other class Of men. Every
body feel al liberty TO approach them and
on all s,I's of subjects They must live,
ca, drink and almost sleep IN lublic
They are expected to Patronize everything
from vine to turkeys and even pumpkins.
iGivs me potatoes and salt rather than
such an existence Tn,y are expected to
have an opiaion about everything. They
are called upon for geographical, typo
graphical. homeopathical and every other
"aPhical lore as ii they were an atlas
or an encyclopedia. They mnst be mp
early and late. wide awake all day. attend
haAquets at night, make speeches, get jo-
wal, and after all make nonsense into
sense. Great Jehovah.