Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1886-06-24
Ala Editors Dream.
BY SCOTT WAY.

Once upon time a village editor gu
; in his quiet sanctum industriously ly pc
rusing the political editorials in hi
daily city exchanges. At length tina
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 nervelcss fingers, ,anC
three flies lit upon his bowed bale
head and balanced all, and swung cor
ners, and crossed over, and promen
AIDED all arouLd, to the music of the
rhymical editorial snore. The village
editor was asleep; and sleeping, the
village editor dreamed
He sat at his desk with weary fin
gers and aching head. The last local
item had gone into type, the last inside
reading notice had been set up, and the
youngest apprentice stood grimly by,
with lines of impaticnce upon his brow
and daub of ink under his left eye,
waiting for more copy. Suddenly
there was step without, the door
opened, a man entered, and taking the
vacant chair in front of the editor S
desk, to which the eltor had politely
called his attention. he said
MY dear sir, my name is John W,
Smith. | am Il subscriber to your pa
per, as you very well know, and being
in town today thought | would take
the opportunity to call and tell you
that 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 a
paper with in ordinary 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 sub
scribers light on the tariff. You should
not have les. than three columns Of ed
itolial and five columns Of extracts on
the tariff every issue. That all I've
got to say, and | hope YOU I'll bear it in
mind. BY the way, | owe YOU for two
years subscription, and one of thest
days III call in and pay it. Don't for,
g, to let yourself loose on the tariff
good-hy.'
As the man who wanted more light
on the tariff passed out, a littIe nervous
looking person came in and took the
vacant chair.
'Ah,' he said, with a little smile that
lidn' look strong enough to be out
'ah, my dear man, see yon are abb
sorbel in thought, as an editor a lwayS
should be. And that reminds me that
You are ncgectng-almost totally neg,
Iecting science. Too much Of politics
too mucA Of politics, my dear man:
Your paper will never grow in clrcula-
ton white You neglect science for poll
ties. You should devote not less than
four columns IL week to science. That
all came in to say. Be in some day
and pay you my subscription. Good
day: but don't forget to give us plenty
Of science
The footsteps Of the man who want
Ell science had not gone beyond the ed
itor's hearing when third visitor en-
tered and took the vacant chair rs il
lie were accustomed to sit in it.
i am sorry to notice that You arc
neglcctins politics just at this import
ant pcnol,' he sall, kindly but grave
". You should strive to keep the Vi
tai principles of or party constantly
before the people. l like your paper
in all but its lack in this respect, and
some day, perhaps at the beginning Of
next year, | will subscribe for it. | see
it now every week at Brown $ office. ii
YOU would write about five columns OF
fresh political editorials every week
you'd see your papers gong right up IN
circulation. That's what ! told Brown
Yesterday, and he agreed with me, A
story and a scientific article OCCASION
ally and a little local matter and some
marriage and death notices to please
the women are all we'll enough, but
can tell You that a country paper tt
amount to anything, and have any in
! lluence, has GOT to be full on polltlca
matters. That's all | want to say now
When You want any points on polluc
l'lY,be glad to help you out. And, by
the way, don t forget that I'm Il can
,lidate for the legislature; good-day.
The next visitor who took the vacan
char that sat in front of the village ed
/ itnr'c 1nsl; enoka as fo1lOWS.