The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-09-23
AN INFINITE DOMAIN:
TIE Address OF P. W. MORRIS
Before the West Virginia Press Association,
st Charleston = Some Philosophical
Thoughts About the Editor, and the
Manner of Living Properly.

Adttrep Of Hon. P. ". NOrriS, 6dtsOr Of Hts RhehI
6ds,tte. before he Weat Virginia tress Association
nop IL sesSioH al ChGriestOn, ". Va.
What is an editor? That he is human
beingcan not be questioned. In fact, il
may as well be admitted at once that he il
entirely human. He could not very vel
be anything else and get along. He il
human; prone to error. He is also prom
to some things else. He likes oysters OF
the half shell, tender beef stake, biscui
aud honey, chicken harvested in midsum
mer, and fried in youthful butter, straw
berry short cake, roast turkey with Gran
berry sauce, squirrel pot pie, and many
other similar articles, as the auction bill
SAY. He has a weakness for the circus
and minstrel shows, like any ordinary
sinner. He loves his wifs and baby with
the same fervor that has existed in the
human soul since the world began to be
peopled. He is iustas graceful when he
prances around at night with bis he'll
filed with sour milk, collie and screams
In his arms, as any other fellow. Some
times he is a red headed person, with
tongue that runs like windmill,
and again he possesses the biu-
nette style Of beauty, like the one who
stands before you this evening. Little az
he Ia in the minds Of the readers Of this
paper, much as that ia thought OF as an
Influence, power, he Is a creature ol
pretty much the same warm heart, red
blood and physical shape as others OF his
genus. II IL not generally known, per-
haps, but he is born, and lives and loves,
aud dies, like all his kind. He has the
same faults, the same virtues, the same
affections and dislikes, the same hopes
and fears, like temptations and expert.
ences, in greater or less degree, as all his
fellow beings. People in thinking about
him, as the great man which he is, take il
for granted that he is eight or ten feet
high, with The dome Of his brain over
Swallowing his cheek, but this is mis-
take. Distance lends enchantmGnt 10 the
view, too, just rs it does in that OF other
men possessing giant intellects. We all
expect when we first see our President
OF the United States--Senators and Cover
nora, statesmen, orators, historians, novel;
lists and poets, to behold something strange
and startling, but We find them, in most
all that goes TO make up their characters
and their lives, the same as ourselves
People afar of spe k OF our great men
with reverence; on the streets OF
their own cities they are known as Grover
aud "Chet," Jim Blaine and Conkling.
Some Of the greatest men known In his.
tory have not weighed ahundred pounds
that is each-1 do not mean the bunch.
The American Congress isarot any more
intelligent looking than the West Virginia
Press Association, NJ. E. Conference, or
any body OF thinking people. In each,
some men OF comparatively cold nature,
some OF warm, some strong and some
weak, some with the collar awry and with
dust on the lapel OF the coat, some scru-
puously neat in attire, yet all alike in
common characteristics, may be found.
1t may be true that no two leaves Of the
forest are exactly alike, but man is much
the same wherever you find him. Nature
has either not stamped genius or nobility
on the brow OF one, or placed it on all. A
statesman may tower above his fellows as
an orator and constitutional lawyer, and
have weakness for eating with knife,
or for blowing his nose with terrible
effect in red bandana handkerchief,
but only on the rare occasions when he
exhibits his talent, do you detect that he
is different from the majority Of his fel-
lows.
The editor differs in some minor par.
ticulars from other prominent members Of
society. For instance, he has constitu-
tionalinbofn antipathy to paying money
for fare on railroads. He also, as rule,
has lack OF cash. II the railroads were
to conspire together, they could certainly
annihilate all the Press Associations from
the Atlantic TO the Pacific. II they were
resolved to have filthy lucrefor their paste
boards, instead OF about ten dollars in ad-
yertising for one in transportation, the as
sociations would lie down with their faces
to the stars and pass peacefully away.
Last year when railroad offered to carry
the West Virginia Press Association, as
far as it chose, for q cent mile, and no
favors asked, the Association promptly re-
solved that while it did not care for the
cent, it would not break over it's regula.
tions, and declined the offer with scorn.
The editor differs from thesturdy genius
who comes in from the rural regions, and
talks business, with mouth full Of cheeee
and crackers, unconscious Of violating any
rule OF etiquette or code Of manners. He
differs in the fact that the sturdy citizen
may be found to possess broad acres OF pas.
ture and OF yellow grain, and only take
the humble diet when he visits the coun-
try town, while the editor takes 1t pretty
regularly behind the door OF his domicile.
1t may be asked, why Is the editor in
troduced at this lengthP Because this is
his day In the year; because an acquaint-
ance with him by others is necessary to
him and to them, and for people OF differ
ent localities even, to know each other is
good, and those OF US who came down
into this beautiful Kanawha valley, are
gamers; but principally because he Is
such being as other men. Although 1t
has long been said to man Know thy
sell" and that "The proper study Of man
kind is man.. yet he displays surprising
dislike to this acquaintance. Science has
made mighty progress, mechanisms that
are wonderful have been discovered-or
invented Y0f 0fmAking books there is no
end. Earth is traversed, the ocean ex-
plored and the heavens surveyed. No
element, no metal, no device, no jewel
has escaped the eye or power OF man.
Steam is an emblem Of his travel and the
lightning is his speech. He carries time
in his pocket, multlplies good or bad
things with a swift flying wheel, and
drives away darkness with q thousand
midnight suns. Has maa as being kept
pace with all this progress in science 2
What has he done for himself morally and
Henry Ward Beecher once said that
some ministers simply use text as a
platform from which TO survey all crea-
lion. have taken the editor, and made
him prominent "a thing which he dislikes
10 enable me TO present q practical view
Of some Of the problems Of the age-things
which you may smile to hear called prob
lens; yet judging from what may be seen
on every hand the. .frst elements Of which
have not been gtaSped by even the lead