The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-07-24
An EdifOr'S Dream.

Scott Way in Middleto,on (Del) Transcript.
Once upon time village editor sat
in his quiet sanctum industriously peru
sing the political editorials in his daily
city exchanges. At length that which
he read began to have its legitimate ef-
feet; 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
land balanced all, 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 impatience 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 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 l 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
ftariff question. Poetry and stories and
funny paragraphs and local items may
do we'll enough to fill up paper with
in ordinary times, but just now the coun-
try 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
| columns of extracts on the tariff every
issue. That's all I've got to say, and l
hope you'll bear it in mind. By the
way, / owe you for two years subscrip-
ton, and one of these days I'll call in
and pay it. Don't forget to let yourself
loose on the tariff; goodby.'
AS the man who wanted more light
en- the tariff passed out, little nervous
looking person came in and took the
vacant chair.
sAh,' he said, with little 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 ne
Sglecting science. Too much of politics,
too much of politics, my dear man !;
your paper will never grow in circula-
tion while you neglect science for poll
tics. You should devote not less than
four columns week to science. That's
all 1 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 wanted
science had not gone beyond the edi-
tors hearing when third visitor enter
ed and took the vacant chair as if ne
were accustomed to sit in it.
Il am sorry to notice that you are ne
glecting politics just at this important
PERIOD he said, kindly but gravely:
you should strive to keep the vital
principles of our party constantly before
the people. 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. l see it now every
week at Browns office. If you would
i write about five columns of fresh politi
cal editorials every week you'd see your
paper going right up in circulation.
That's what told Brown yesterday, ano
he agreed with me. A story and
scientific article occasionally and lit
tie local matter and some marriage ano
death notices to please the women are
| all we'll enough, but | can tell you tha
country paper to amount to anything
and have any influence, has got to b.
| full on political matters. That's all
want to say now. When you want an!
points on politics I'll be glad to hell
| you out. And, by the way, don't for
| get that I'm a candidate for the legis
| lature; good day.