The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1885-09-18
BILL ARP
On the Privileges of Editors and
Others.

Atlanta Constitution.
1t isa good thing to take back
hard words, but it is better not to
saw them. A man always feels u
little mean after he has abused any
body. | do. The temptation is
very great sOmeti mes. Sidney
Smith said that a little mOrscl Of
slander was the sweetest thing IN
the world. 1t is just splendid to
abuse folks who are getting ahead
of MS IN the world. 1t is one of the
comforts of human nature. 1t is u
case OF privilege. 1t don't mean as
much as it pretendS to. Tue sol.
,liers used to abuse their officers all
lbe time but they wouldent let any
body else do 1t. Our people abuse
our members of the legislature, but
a man from another State bad bet
ter dry mp if he don't want to catch
hail Columbia. Folks had better
not interfere with O,her folks quar-
rels. The other day Old Father
Ellison, who peddles fruit aud gar.
den truck around Rome, got block
AIDED by some teams IN front OF him
and nigger drove mp behind hl II
and let his mule eat cahhages ont
of The hind end Of Old Father Ell
Iison's wagon. "Get back, boy get
hack" said the old man. "DJn't
Won see your mule is eaten my cab
bage. Get back, | say" But the
daIkey thonght it was "a good joke,
and he grinned and tue other dar-
kips grinned and the mule kept on
with his dinner. About that time
young engineer who had survey
ed II railroad few years ago
through old Father EllISOn's land,
stepped up aud said, "Why dOu't
YOU get down aud knock that mig
ger off his wagon. I'll do it for
YOU if you say so.' The old man
looked at him through his specta
cies aud said: "Why, you are
mighty clever, and thank you,
sir. Who are you, anyhow Why,
bless my soul, if it amt that young
Smith who run a survey through
my land without any permission
and camped OH the corner OF my
field aud burnt two panels OF my
fence. Well, bless my SOull l was
10 hopes Id never see sou agin aud
here you are right here. You just
20 leug of, now, and let me and the
nigger alone. / don't want to have
any thug to do with yOn."
A common man has some excuse
for abusing folks, for what he says
don't 90 lar and don't amount 10
much, but editors aud lawyers
ought 10 be very careful about wha
they say or publish. have known
lawyers TO say things about a mau
in the courthouse that would be the
worst kind of slander II he said il
outside. He calls it a case of priv
ilege, and writhes under it and takes
it. 1t is wonder to me they don'l
get whipping, and the reason is |
reckon that they know pretty well
who will take it and who won't.
have heard them abuse clever men
who were witnesses aud tried to
tell the truth until I was ashamed
of them, but lawyers are of the
small pattern aud are public nuis
ance aud stir up about half the
small litigation that crowds the
courts. don't blame the people
for having a prejudice against the
lawyers. | see that the Knights OF
Labor will not let a lawyer nor a
politician join their fraternity.
But an editor has a more respOn-
sible position. He Is looked up TO
Ms authority by thousands Of peo'
pie Who read his paper. he shapes
opinions and morals and gives tOne
to public sentiment. 1t Is astonish-
ing how much influence they exert
over the minds of their readers.
The masses of readers generally
indOrse the sentiments OF the pa
per they take. II n man takes tue
Rome Courier aud no other paper
he follows old Father Martin right
along and becomes a free trader
aud Is down on the protective tariff
aud be wants the capitol built OF
Georgia marble, aud he wants the
railroad commission to staDd With
all its powers, for the truth is Faith.
er Martin is solid aud true TO bus
convictions, aud l always read what
l., .,r-c s,ffh raIaasurn and nrofif