The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-11-27
AN EDITORS DREAM.
BY SCOTT WAY.


Tread by the author before the PeninsuIar
Press Association during the literary exer-
eises of the Annual Convention on steamer
Breakwater.l
Once upon time village editor sat
in his quiet sanctnm industriously pe-
rusing the political editorials in his
daily city exchanges. At length that
which he read began to have its legiti-
mate effect; the editor nodded once,
twice, thrice; his eyes closed, the city
daily fell from his nerveless fingers,
and three flies lit upon his bowed bald
head and balanced all, and swung cor
ners, and swung corners and crossed
over, and promenaded all around. to
the music of the rythmical editorial
snore. The village editor was asleep;
and sleeping. the village editor
dreamed:
He sat at his desk with weary fingers
and aching head. The last local item
had gone into type, the last inside read
ing notice had been set up, and the
youngest apprentice stood grimly by,
with lines of Impotence upon his
brow and q daub of ink under his left
eye, waiting for more copy. Suddenly
Nteo q obOR NlLHOAb, 5bu0 uOOr
opened, a man entered, and taking the
vacant chair in front of the editors
desk, to which the editor had politely
called his attention, he said:
''My dear sir; my name is John w.
Smith. l am subscriber to your pa
per, as you very well know, and being
IN town to-day | thought would take
the opportunity to call and tell you'll
like your paper, all but one thing; you
don't print enough matter on the tariff
question. Poetry and stories and funny
paragraphs and local items may do well
enough to fill up paper with in ordi-
nary times, but just now the country is
awake to the tariff question, and if you
want to keep your paper alive you've
got to give your subscribers light on
the tariff. You should not have less than
three columns of editorial and five col
umns of extracts on the tariff every is
sue. That's all I've got to say, and /
hope you Il bear it in mind. BY the wav,
owe you for two years subscription,
and one of these days I'll call in and
pay it. Don't forget to. let yourself
loose on the tariff; good bye. p
AS the man who wanted more light
on the tariff passed out, little nerv-.
ous-iooklng person came in and took
the vacant chair. e
"Ah!" he said, with a smile that
didn't look strong enough to be out.
''ah, my dear man, / see you are al.
soroed In thought. as an editor always
should 90. And that reminds me that
you are neglecting- almost totally neg
lectlng science. Too much of pofi-
ucs, too much of politics, nv dear
man; your paper will never grow in
circulation while yon neglect science
Ior politics. You should devote moi
less than four columns a week to sci
ence. That is all came in to saw. Be
N some day and pay you for my sub
scriptlon. Good day; don't forget to
give Us plenty of science"
The footsteps of the man who wanted
SCIENCE had not gone % eud the edi-
.ors hearing, when Il ID visitor en-
.ered and took the vacant chair as if
ne were accustomed to sit in it.
am sorry to note that you are neg
aectlng politics just at this important
period, he said, kindly, but gravely.
You should strive to keep the vital
principles of our party constantly be, |
fore the people.
:, like your paper in all but its lack in
snls respect, aud some day, perhaps at
sne beginning of next year, / viii sub |
scrloe for ii. / see it now every week |
~ Browns office. If you would write |
a9ent i've columns of fresh political
sultorlals every week. you'd see your
Rpaper going right up in circulation. t
ma. what | told Brown Yesterday. I
ana ne agreed with me. A story and
~ article on science occasionally. |
w.tn little local matter and few
y marriage and death notices to please
sas women are all well enough. but I
saa 1ell you that country paper to
sa ssa,ount to anything and nave influence. +
as got to be full of political matters.
g. : all ! want to say. When Won
y sans L,y any points on politics. I'll be Glad
Sorssp neap you out And, by the Way:
aoa ssa ! forget that I am candidate for
- ~ g.siature. Good day."
~ next visitor that took the va