Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-02-16
The Editor and His Dream.


Read Before the Maine Press Association a
Augusta, Jan, FL. 1898, by Mr.. Z. II. Elwel
of Portland.
He muttered low between his teeth
As DER the crcling sea
OF printed page that girt him round
He gazed despairingly.
Again he tore his towsled hair.
This man OF paste and pen
His scissors lost, his copy short,
While typos haunt his Gem
And yet he must inhabit still,
Like Others of his kind,
Newspaperdom chaotic, there
The worlds events to find.
He had been struggling there for years
With journalistic lies,
(For what one sheet asseytrates
Another sheet denies
And his had been the grinding task
OF sitting chat from grain,
ignoring headline clamor DER
A II vice and crime and pain.
Resisting all the recklessness,
The malice and the greed
That emphasize catastrophe,
The god of gold 10 feed
Clear was his thought and strong his will
To bring the sunshine out.
And brighten up all evil ways
OF storm and stress and doubt.
And so be tore his towsled hair,
This man OF paste and pen,
But how to set the world Alright,
Was still beyond bis ken.
But soon his eyes began 10 close.
His weary head 10 sink.
His waking mind 10 gain repose,
His sleeping mind TO think.
II was wondrous dream that came,
And yet could scarce be called dream.
The phantom OF y waking thought
But more, consciousness, self-born,
Thai holding every sense in thrall
Sent heralding it, great approach,
A vague idea OF pending II.
Then earth and stars were swept away.
The dresmer's clay existence lost
And nsught was left but hi- bare soul
And space iilimitable space.
But soon, this awful solitude.
This loneliness. unspeaksble,
Seemed As lost and cherished friend.
Compared TO that which advent made.
A sw Il and sudden adSe made,
In manner lnconceivable.
OF nature Undesirable.
But matter. vast and measureless.
OF infinite variety,
Was whirling. twirling eyerywh here
With fierce, relentless energy.
And usughi OF order vas therein:
But " lid disorder reigned supreme.
on. think We. men who live by law
bose every thought and every deed
Restricted i by natures greed.
hat must have been that SOUS distress.
Alone with utter lawe>snes.,
Alone within an anarchy
\ chaos u ungoVerned force.
But darkest midnight ever Yields
To glory OF the dawn.
Sertuely on >taguAnl pool
The sweetest blooms are born.
And out OF all transgression comes
Forgiveness OF the sin,
So out OF torment into peace
That soul was ushered in.
For all the warning elements
Surrounding ii grew still
And suddenly together fused
With 10 di.cordant thrill
And To- there stretched away plain
Like summers CLASSY >ea,
A. smoothly perfect aud stilI more
Il touched infinity.
! # never sea 20 tranquil lay,
so beautiful and bright.
SOFT flooded with a radiance
A. Of eternal light.
Tie dreamer woke hi mind abaze
He knew from whence the vision came
He dared believe he had been called
To institute Vas; reform.
And 80 behold preacher, strong
And eloquent and earnest goes
Forth into all the hAunts OF men
And ever tell ihi, ,elf-,Hme tale
And never Lacks for listeners.
on. hear my dream. my wondrcus dream
II burns my brain. mpel> my tongue
saw the real Significance
ot tbi- great iurbid tide Of news,
That floods the land with truth and lies
And knows no law but enterprise.
81 saw man. universal soul
1o:menled n II now must be
BY journalistic anarchy.
And then saw the sweet reposc
The pathway. limitles, and smooth.
That viii extend before iha; soul
hen men together not apart.
Control The current Of The news
Control the pulsing life blood OF
The progress OF humanity"
And thus be told his wondrou, dream
And never lacked for listeners.
Long year, he aborcd till at lat
The great news bill both house, passed.
And be. though crowned with " hitened hail
Was chosen first to nil the chair
OF edHor-in-chef OF all
Who gather news both great and small.
Where'er the L. : mail could 20.
|. :. news agents went also.
They sought. and all men helped them fins
The news Of value 10 mankind.
As foul blood to the heart inflows,
l. purified, then outward goes.
SO streams of news. both foul and fair.
To great news centers eyerywb here
Flowed in. were purified by men
Who could discriminate. and then
Flowed out 10 every WASTING mind
Great streams OF truth, condensed. refined.
But was this freedom OF the press?
All. yes, my friends. answer yes.
No law controlled opinions act;
Law simply said. II state the fact.
The truth immutable. Let men
Denounce, approve, with voice or pen
Discuss from every point OF view
But let the peoples news be true"
Thi. happened when. you ask Of me: