Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-10-19
Newspaper Editors and Their WORK.

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with whom, in the mind Of the public
at large, there has always been asso-
ciated certain degree of mystery.
There is no class Of men whose work
passes SO directly and so constantly be-
fore the public eye; yet there are few
with regard to whose real position and
functions more vague, confused or er-
roneous notions are entertained, even
on the part of persons otherwise well
informed. This il no doubt largely due
to the anonymity which is preserved
m the newspaper press Of this country.
Readers come to identify the opinions
Of particular organ more with the
sheet Of printed paper, and with its
distinctive name and features, than
with the individual or individuals BY
whom it is directed, and of whom, it
may be, they know nothing.
The power and influence. with their
attendant responsibility, exercised by
the editors Of our great newspapers are
enormous. Thomas Carlyle once de-
scribed journalists as the true kings
and priests of the nation. The Office
SO described is a most attractive one
for young men in search of a career,
especially if they be fairly educated
and believe they are imbued with the
fire of genius. The commonest mis-
take of such aspirants to the editorial
chair is that they greatly under-esti-
mate the attainments requisite for such
position. They speak Of " taking TO
journalism as if it were very simple
matter, to be accomplished without
much personal trouble or inconyen-
ience, and never thinking Of the long
years Of patient work and varied ex-
perience which will have to be under
gone before they can reach the
point they have in view. Journal
ism is now, and is becoming more SO
every year, a profession for which a
special training is required. There
have been instances in which men of
brilliant parts and profound .erudition
have proved signal failures in the edi-
torial chair; while men Of inferior
education and meaner intellectual
powers, but with those indispensable
qualifcations-tact judgment and ex-
perience-have succeeded admirably
under the same conditions. 1t is.
therefore, quite erroneous for a young
man to suppose because he has the adj
vantage of a good education, writes
with facility, and has notion of such
work, he can " take to journalism and
surmount all difficulties, as it were,
with q pair Of seven-league boots.
Some years ago a young man wrote
to an American paper that he wanted
to be an editor; and the reply which he
received is well worth producing here.
: Canst thou, asked the editor. e draw
up leviathan with hook thou lettest
DOWN. Caust thou hook up great ideas
from the depths of thine intellect. and
clean, scale and fry them at five min
utes' notice Canst thouwrite editori-
ais to measure? Canst thou write an
editorial to fit in three-quarter column
of the paper, which shall be in length
just twenty-five inches, having three
inches Of fine sentiment, four inches
for the beginning, and nine inches Of
humor in the middle, and an outburst
Of maxim and precept, six inches long,
at the close ?''
This will, of course, be regarded as
q bit Of facetious exaggeration on the
part Of the editor, and no doubt it was;
but it really reflects certain necessary
phases in the work of a journalist. I'm
portant intelligence frequently arrives
at the newspaper Office within short
time Of the paper going to press, and
If the editor wishes to be up sides or
ahead of his contemporaries, as most
editors do, he must have a leading ar
ticle on the subject in the same issue
as that in which the news appears.
There is not q moment to be lost; in
deed, there may be scarcely time to
perform the mere mechanical opera
tion Of writing what has to be said, not
to speak Of hunting about for an idea.
or appropriate quotation, or a choice
form Of expression. These must all,
in the language Of the American edi-
tor, be hooked up, cleaned, scaled and
fried without delay.-C Chambers Journal.