The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-09-28
SKETCH or TWO EDITORS.

Atchison Champion: Within the last
two weeks two gentlemen for many
years connected with Kansas journal
ism have been put on the retired dist
T. Dwight Thacher, of the Lawrence
Journal, and Edmund G. Ross, of the
Leavenworth Standard. 1t is possible
that both gentlemen will resppear in the
journalistic arena, but at present they
are off the active roll.
Both men began very early in Kan
sas. On the 9th of April, 1856. Edmund
G. Ross, then foreman Of the Milwaukee
Sentinel job office, was presented with a
rifle by his fellow printers, with their
good wishes for himself and freedom in
Kansas. In December, 1856, Mr.. Ross
succeeded John Speer in the manage
ment of the Lawrence Tribune. In the
years since we doubt if any Karsan has
passed through such a series of re-
markablc Vicissitudes. He went
from foreman to United States sena-
tor and back again to type sticking.
He has known everything of good or
evil fortune that can occur TO q mas In
Kansas; and politically has passed from
a high position in the councils of a
powerful and victorious party to a
humble and uncertain position in the
ranks of hopeless minority.
Throughout ali he has mainiaiaed his
composure and courtesy. Probably no
man has been more bitterly denounced
for his political course and yet retained
more thoroughly the personal liking of
his opponents.
Mr.. Th4cher's career has been less
broken by changes of fortune than that
of Major Ross, and has been marked by
this difference, that which he in
less youth could never haYe
dreamed Mr.. Thacher has never
filed the place in public life for
which his abilities and faithful ser
vice TO his party would seem to have
entitled him. He graduated from
Union college with the highest honors
OF the honorable President Mott; he
came to Kansas early, and brought a
wealth of talent and scholarship to the
cause of freedom. He built up news
paper, at one time equaling if not sur
passing in size any other in Kansas, and
remarkable for the ability of its editorials.
In every general election his voice has
been heard, and no more polished off
hand taIker has ever been on a Kansas
platform, yet we believe his official re
ward has been one term in the Kansas
house, and his election TO the office OF
state printer, which he now holds. II is
needless to say that, in the mean time,
quite number of gentlemen have been
elected to both houses of congress mo-
where near his equal in anything.
The case of these two gentlemen
would indicate that Kansas journalism
is not the road either to wealth or per
manent power. Major Ross would be
better off to-day had be taken q home
stead when he first came to Kansas and
followed the pillow ever since, and Mr..
Thatcher, had he designed TO rise in
politics. had better have followed the
law, profession for which he once fit
ted himself. - - .s.r.s
Major Ross misfOrtunes were the re-
suit of uncomfortable circumstances.
Mr.. TEACHERS failure TO achieve sue.
cess as Journalist, 10 the extent of re-.
naming at the head of an influential
and paying paper TO the end Of his days,
arose from his unfortunate selection
of location. II was writ
ten in the book long ago that daily
paper should not prosper in Lawrence
Tho little there is there Is too much d.
vided- The town, uRtil violence ex-
hausted itself, was divided into factions,
each bound TO start, though not to sup
port, "organs.' Editors have been sub
jected to hateful dictation and domi-
nation unparalleled elsewhere; the bust
ness men for years have not understood
the first rudiments Of the art of adver-
Using Hence, Mr. Thatcher, after years
of labor, throws up the sponge and turns
the fght oyer to others. Talent, indus
try and all that, are we'll, but the seed
sown on stony ground Si4I not make q
crop, saith the ancient parable.