Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-07-09

/ cJnglOnerat, the able editor cOnSt
tutes d large part of his own sui
scription list. Many country ed
tors, in order to keep the wolf froI
the door, are compelled to engag
in other employments, which tax
much of their time and attention
from their journals. These fact
may serve to explain in a measur
why a greater number of weekl,
newspapers do not attain to a hig
standard. Anyone familiar witt
newspaper work can readily appre
ciate the difficulties to which hav
barely alluded. If an embryo iouI
nalist is inclined to be skeptical h,
can have his doubts efTectually re
moved by trial. Let him under
take some day to indite a few
thoughtful articles on grave ant
important subjects, turn a numbe
of pungent paragraphs, pencil off {
column of local news items, con
dense another column of telegraph
ic news, boil down several badly
written and fearfully constructed
contributions from rural cores
pondents, write a stylish marriage
notice, and fearful obituary of {
prominent citizen, furnish report
of court proceedings and detailed
account of commencement eXer
cises, make personal mention o
distinguished arrivals, correct the
market quotations, dash off a lot O
notices of new advertisements
answer the numerous vexatious
<aeaI II ,lanT1n l. fo.,
teemed subscribers who come tC
complain or congratulate, read his
letters and papers, keep his eye on
the exchange fiend, and be in and
out of office, anywhere and every
where at the same moment of time;
let our skeptical friend attempt
this, and if, at the close of the day
he is not conscious of a heavy drain
upon his nervous energies, he may
consider himself engaged. He is
wanted.
Even when relieved of the busi-
ness management of the paper, the
time of the editor can be fully oc-
cupied, if he be painstaking, and
thorough. OF course I refer to
journals that are edited. The edi-
tOrial work on some weekly eX-
changes could be done in an hour.
When paper has several editors,
the labor is divided, and we have a
right to expect better results,
although we do not always find
them. We are all disposed at times
to slight our work, especially when
we see that best efforts are not prop
erly appreciated. 1t is easy to get
into a careless habit, and in no de-
partment of activity is carelessness
more sensibly felt. Idleness in a
newspaper Office is absolutely mex
cusable. Incapacity is even more
tolerable. Either or both will
make newspaper of no account.
As in other professions, there are
many incompetent men in ours.
There are lawyers who aspire to be
ornaments at the bar, who would
better adorn hoe handle. There
are doctors who would make better
pile drivers than pill drivers.
Many a preacher has mistaken
call to the cotton-field or the brick
yard for a call to the ministry. So
it is that there are men connected
with the press who would better
fill their mission in life if they were
pegging shoes, measuring tape or
in some other equally hon
Orable employment which makes
fewer demands upon the brain.
The proportion of really incompe-
tent journalists, however, is not as
great as many might suppose, and
in Tennessee it may be said with
pride and pleasure that there is a
wealth of journalistic talent, and
that there are very many excellent
journals that would do honor to any
state or any country. No pleasant
9r duty devolves upon the editor
Than that of looking through his
OF course the daily
papers with their well filled col
lmns of telegraphic news, and their
generally well considered editorial
comment upon current events,
stand first in his estimation. These
ire absolutely Indispensable. Thro'
hem the country editor keeps him
elf informed of what is going on in
he world, and it is the first duty of
he journalist TO keep informed.
Yet his country exchanges are no
ess acceptable and necessary. Aside
rom the information he CLEANS
rom them and the practical help
hey afford him, he enjoys a pecu-
lar personal satisfaction in receiv-
ng these weekly visits from his es-
eenned rural contemporaries. AS
hey are laid upon his table, a new
interest is given to his labors, and |
he monotOny of the sanctum is |
proken for a time. They are famil-
ar and constant visitors and he can
lame each one of them at a glance |
'efOre the wrappers are removed. |
IF course he has his faVOriteS. !
these he opens with pleasurable
that are rarely disap-
Others he glances over
nore hastily, and few, it must be
onfessed, he sometimes allows to
emain unopened.
It would be difficult to properly
lassify and discuss our country
xchanges within the limits of this
aper. j can therefore only refer
riehy to few characteristics
which attract my attention at
asual glance, one or more of which
lay apply in greater or less de-
rec to this or that esteemed con-
Here, for instance, is valued ex-
hange, whose able editor exalts
nd magnifies his editorial page,
lmost to the exclusion of other
natter. His ponderous leaders
Lretch from column to column,
reary lengths of logic, cherries
eserts of dialectics. He grapples
nth great problems, wrestIes with
nightly mysteries. He goes deep
1tO the PHILOSOPHY of things, and
ettles questions for all time to
ONE. The slightest political move
lent draws from his pen an eX-
austive dissertation upon the pol
lies of parties. He even writes his
ditOrials as serials, ITO be contin-
ed in our next. I"
They are well written and con-
lin world of Information. What
pity that they are not read
Here is Il Journal which furnishes
5 an illustration of the other eX-
'eme. The editor is paragrapher.
lie eschews long articles. If he
,as to write history of the late
ar, he would put it in a ten or
paragraph. He changes
is subject as often as dictionary.
matters not what the topic may
e, it is never too ipomentous nor
20 trivial for him. Indeed, the
lisOn d'etre of some of his para
raDhs iSsgAmetimes too obscure for