The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-08-08
THE NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
ASSOCIATION.
Seventeenth Annual Meeting in
i.enolr.

Seventeenth Annual Meeting in
l.enoir.
Mr.. Josephus Daniels writes TO his
paper, the Ralesgh STATE Chronicle, as
follows concerning the Press conyen-
ton at Lenoir: -.s------
i.ENoIR. n. c.. July 26. 1850
The general public is not interested in
the full proceedings of the annual
meetings of the North Carolina Press
Association. But it is interested in
the result of the proceedings II that re-
suit is manifested in an improvement
of the papers which they read. Mutual
help and interchange of opinion are
the objects aimed at in these yearly
meetings of the editors, and those who
attend usually get new ideas from their
fellow workers which are of lasting
value to them ant, also Of interest to
their readers.
Every good citizen OF the State
ought to be deeply interested in every
endeavor to make the newspapers bet
ter and to elevate the tone of journal
ism. There can be no great improve
ment which is not preceded by in
creased support. The people must
give this increase and then they must
require better and brighter papers from
the editors. No close observer has
failed to note the great improvement
in North Carolina newspapers during
the past decade. The improvement
has been especially notable in the past
year. Never before in the history Of
the State we're there SO many brainy
and promising young men at the head
of North Carolina newspapers as now.
There has been a change in the way
editors are made. A quarter of a cen
tury ago most editors were men who
had tried law, medicine or school
! teaching and failed signally. Then,
when they had nothing else to do and
were not capable of doing any first
class work, they went into journalism
"to live by it, There were bright
exceptions, but, in the main, this was
the way journalists were trained. Of
course men who were editors merely
| because by it they could exc out mis-
erable existence had no love for their
profession and they did not command
the high respect of the people which
their calling entitled them to receive.
Now it is becoming more general that
editors are learning journalism like
lawyers and doctors learn medicine.
1t IS a profession and to become sue
Cessful in it one must fit himself tor it
by, first, obtaining the best education
he can secure. Of all men an editor
ought to be the most many sided man
in his information. No knowledge is
unimportant to him. The broadest
course of study is essential to the high
est career of usefulness. SeCond-he
must fit himself for it by mastering the
details, by unremitting labor, by great
industry, and by knowing all about it
from writing an editorial on scien-
tific subject up to setting type quickly
and accurately. He may succeed
without knowing all this, but this is
true: The more he knows and the
more industrious he is, the larger will
be the measure of success.
The difference between a journals,
who is trained and who loves his work
and one who goes into it because he
has nothing else to do, can always be
ascertained by applying this test
| Does he use it mechanically to live by
or does he live in it and love it? |
the former, he has no place in journal
ism and he degrades the profession
If the latter, he has an engine of power
and of usefulness which contribute:
daily to the betterment of the people
their enlightenment and elevation
The true editor is leader, and'a bole
leader He is no time-server. HI
cannot be, but he raises above all petty
notions and prejudices and leads th'
people to a higher life and broade
field.
liz III tJul "a
North Carolina IS very small. Th'
people would be surprised If every ed
itor in the State would give him
, statement of the net yearly profit Oh
, his business. 1t affords only the mos
economical living for nine-tenths O
. the editors. The financial induce
ment is very poor. Blu. poor as it i
. there is some improvement. Har'
| work tells better than ever before ant
. no man who is industrious will wan
: ; for bread Mos: any man can III <
, . 4 living running a country newspaper
, but it takes d live man who under
stands the business tQ make anything
| over The most economical living. Bu
money is not the chief consderatio
with the true editor 1t is secondar,
He loves hi, calling and is wrapped II
> in his work. He must have enoug
money to live on but beyond that h
usually cares little. The appropriat
> epitaph of most of them would read