The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1889-11-27
NO54
MiscOnceptlOn of Journalistic
Duty.
Ashegllle citizen.

AsheViue Citizen, e..
The Durham Globe, a handsome
ly printed and enterprlsing daily, in
its issue Of the 18th, announced its
suspension. The cause which led to
tins result twas a lack Of substsn-
iial patronage;;" and the editor adds,
''tne existence Of the paper might
have been prolonged by lowering
its standard z
In this we are sure the editor does
his patrons wrong. No class of
readers is Aattered by a concession
to their assured deficiencies, none of
them cemplimented by the effort to
reduce a paper to the level of their
supposed tastes or comprehenslons.
1t is gross ignorance of human
nature when an editor presumes to
look down from his lofty perch and
condescends to come down into the
lower arena helmagines to exist, and
consent to play the buffoon or the
ignoramus or the charlatan that he
may tickle the self-love Of the herd
with whom he chooses for the time
to make himself the equal. That
is the mistake editors sometimes
make. They assume the people
to be fools to be treated according
to their folly. lie such editors re-
gard the masses as their interiors,
they would do well to measure the
force and wisdom of the old pro-
verb, "truth lies at the bottom of a
well;" and in the profundlty of the
depths to which such editors have
assigned the great masses Of his
readers. he will find as much sound
wisdom and iudicious reflection as
he had experienced in the elevated
atmosphere from which, for the
time being, he had SO gracieusly
lowered himself. The aspiration Of
all people is to rise higher in the
scale of life and intelligence; they
gladly welcome all helps tcthatend,
and they repel as insult all impli-
Icstion Of inferoitY. The mind Of
the most thoughtless or unlearned
reader is as accessible to higher
truths and pure sentiment as that
of the most cultivated. They well
come them as cordially and as ap-
preciatiEely. If they arein any way
efficient, they are keenly conscious
of it.
They fully understand what is
the proper standard Of newspaper.
Ii that standard is lofty one, they
rally to it rather than turn away
from it. They accept it as a guide,
and expect that it be borne loftily.
The very suggestion Of the Globe
that its existence might have been
prolonged By lowering its standard
proves the depths of the miscoucep-
ton of the editor. Apart from the
business management Of the paper,
of which we know nothing, we
would venture the opinion that the
failure of the enterprise was due
largely to the raising Of a false
standard d-that Of sensationalrsm,
which is foreign to the tastes and
habits af a quiet conservative people.
They look to their paper for truth,
for information, for advice, not sem
sation, and while stald steady going
journals may bear unfayorable con-
trast with the dash and brilliancy of
more vivacious rivals, they will re-
main to guide with their more
steady light, while the pyroteehnic
displays Of the sensational school
quickly sputters out its flasy glories,
and dies in ignOminious darkness.
But the editor Of the Globe man.
fully would not accept the alterna-
tive Of lowering his standard and
want down with h,s nauy lviny