The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-09-19

to be annihilated, ruined, sued for libel,
blown up, killed outright by "a piece of
somebody's mind, y or bank-rupted by the
loss of a subscriber so many times that it
has had a hardening effect, and the irate
individual and anonymous letter are alike
too familiar any longer to answer even the
purpose Of scare-crow
1t is common belief thai it is an intel
lectual vocation to be an editor, to write
about fifty short essays every week en-
bracing the astounding fact that a half
dozen of our reputable families have had
visitor from somewhere; that another
six have been out of town; that two or
three more have had the cholera morbus,
or cold; that the whooping cough is
marching across the continent; that hay
fever has a grip upon a retreating victim;
and that Esq. A. has painted his barn and
Hon. B. has been forced to patch his side
walk; or something equally important.
That editors are not the demented idiots
they are often fondly and courteously
described to be, is only a proof
of the extra toughness and elasticity
of their rmental and spiritual fibre. 1t
takes more grace and more hard-bought
discipline for any high minded man or
woman to hold themselves down to turn
that sort of grindstone than anyone out
side heaven or printing office ever
dream of. 1t is belittling, monotonous,u ,un-
inspiring and menial service; but il has
to be done just as steps have to be scrub
bed, and waste pipes kept open, and fool
ish nursery songs to be sung because they
please the children better than hymns.
The local page interests the people more
than any other. That is what they pay
for, and what they read. The editor finds
that out in many ways, and if he does not
fall into slothful habits of mind, it will be,
because he works himself out of country
office and into the better divided duties on
city paper. siry.-
The College graduate who imagines the
ordinary editorial harness calculated to
stimulate easy Intellectual growth would
be surprised to find what beast of burden
and driven hard, he is sure to be. If he
could sit in quiet place and write out the
noble thoughts he is supposed to have,
and find public opinion the plastic mater
ial that idealists imagine it, he would be
knave not to shape it correctly But it
is the grittiest, knottiest, most capricious,
exacting and unyielding element in the
universe. 1t is conglomerate of all the
tastes, prejudices, ignorance and mental
malformations of every grade of civiliza-
ton. You can only hope to make the i'm
press of your touch upon it here and there.
1t is the sure outcome of a successful bus
mess that the head of it can not command
leisure and solitude. The numbers who
must see him become steady procession
He must be accessible, accommodating,
versatile, industrious; and he ought TO be
the best-natured creature in existence. The
demands upon him in the way of simple
justice," -" compliments" !" things to be just
mentioned or written over or written
up" I" just 10 help the cause" (every cause
you understand) keeps him on the verge
of being bowling maniac, and weary
enough to long for a place where there
was not any cause" as his ideal of a
saints rest, and yet he need not be excep-
tionally wicked to do that.
We do not underestimate the privileges
of journalism, that of voicing the public
grief or joy, giving the gracious message
host OF tongues, and forming the COM
mon bridge between the learned and un-
learned" As often a running footman
as an ambassador" /" read by hasty multi.
tude who care not how we do it, but what
we do, it is our aim neither to tire their
patience or mislead their sense, but to link
our written thoughts with the everlasting
wants of humankind, and besides giving
the news, the peoples rights maintain, and
help 10 make them moral, good, and wise
NJ. H.H.