The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-01-10
AN. EDITORS DREAM.
BY scott WAY.

-<r---------
AN.,EDITOR'S DREAM.
BY,sCorr Way
Tread by the author before the Peninsula
Press Association during the literary ,exer-
cises of the Annual Convention on steamer
Breakwater.l y" =
Once upon time village editor sat
in his quiet sanctnm industriously pc
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 get up, and the
youngest apprentice stood grimly by,
with lines of impatience upon his
brow and daub of ink under his left
eye, waiting for more copy. Suddenly
there was step without, the door
opened, man entered, and taking the
vacant chair in front of the editors
desk, to which the editor had politely
called bis attention. he said: ~
'sMy dear sir; my name is John w.
Smith. am subscriber to your pa
per, as you very we'll know, and being
in town to-day thought would take
the opportunity to call and tellyou that
l 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 s61l-up a 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 l
hope you'll bear it in mind. Blythe way,
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; goodbye ~
AS the man who wanted more light
on the tariff passed out, little nerv-
ous-looking person came in and took
the vacant chair. Vet
"Ahp' he said, with a smile that
didn't look strong enough to be out,
''ah, my dear man, l see you are abb
sorbed in thought, as an editor always
should be. And that reminds me that
you are neglecting almost totally neg
lecting science. Too much of poll
tics, too much of politics, my dear
man; your paper will never grow in
while yon neglect science
for politics, You should devote not
less than four columns a week to sci
ence. That is all l came in to saw. Be
In some day and pay you for my SUBJ
scriptlon.. Good day; don't forget to |
give us plenty of SCIENCE"
The footsteps of the man who wanted |
science had not gone beyond the edi-
tors hearing, when a third visitor en-
tered and took the vacant chair as If |
be were accustomed to sit in it.
~ am sorry to note that you are neg
letting politics just at this important
period, = he said, kindly, but gravely. |
you should strive to keep the vital
principles of our party constantly be-
'ore the people.
II like your paper in all but its lack in
ms respect and some day, perhaps at
ne beginning of next year, I will sub
'cribe for il. see it now eyery week
It Browns Office. If you would write
lpout I'VE columns of fresh political
editorials every week, you'd see your
,aper going right up in circulation.
That's what | told Brown yesterday.
md he agreed with me. A story and
n article on science occasionally.
With little local matter and a few
marriage and death notices to please
ne women are all well enough, but I Il
an tell you that q country paper to
mount to anything and nave influence.
as got to be full of political matters.
hat is all want to say. When Won
rant any points on politics, I'll be clad
help you out. And, by the Way:
ont forget that am candidate for
ne Legislature. Good day.n II
Inc next visitor that took the va ,
mt chair which sat in front of the
lllage editors desk spoke as follows: {
Il stopped in to-day, sir, to tell Won | /
at 1 do not want your paper any I
niger. In some respects it is a good !
lper, but you do not print enough | !
Tvs matter. You should print at least !
full page of news. don't care any, :
ing about your protective tariff and 3
rih for revenue only, or anything of
At sort l want the news when '
ke q paper. want q full account of =