The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-10-06

CATS Why, ladies and gentlemen,
Tabby, on the plush before the anthra-
cite fire of the rich, sleek, fat and COM
Portable, lazy and good natured, whose
soul would be vexed by even the hint of
an impropriety. There is black Tom.
on the other hand, the young rascal
lie has Sneaked into the house at an
early hour, from disreputable nocturnal
orgies on the back fence, to rub his
soOt-begrimed, electric sides against his
masters new lavender trOwsers. There
is meek-eyed Pussy, so tenderly petted,
until she has a fit. and sends the ladies.
with gathered skirts and frantic shrleks,
to chairs and tables. There is the
Maltese, the Angora, the Chartreuse,
the Tortoise shell, and numerous other
| breeds you wot of.
And last, but by no means least, there
is the office cat The Office cat, and
what of himp Why, he is the most
wonderful of all the feline tribe. 1t is
| to him that we are to look for the mil
lennium in the press. Like many other
good things. the Office cat is the creation
of Mr.. Charles A. Dana. Upon GER
tain occasion, this great editor was
ridiculed for having failed to print an
editorial article which had been prepared
by him for publication. His reply was
that the manuscript had been eaten by
the Office cat. The discussion which
| followed was participated in by the
press from ocean to ocean, and pointed
the moral that it requires more brains
and heart, more sentiment and justice,
more Judgment, to decide what to leave
out of a newspaper than it does to
determine what should appear in its
columns; and il resulted in the elevation
of the Office cat to the highest dignity of
| the profession. No cat of history OF
romance. no cat of fable or fancy, has
ever yet occupied SO exalted a station.
| When such man as Dana requires his
cafe and caution, relies upon his good
offices, and would not attempt to con-
duct II newspaper without him, may we
not all feel the necessity of his intuition
and his genius? You need not expect
me here TO treat this subject as It's
importance demands. IL is one rather
for Il book than for short address. Ii
can briefly emphasize upon 1t one ol
two points, and incidentally apotheoSizt
the Office cat, | shall feel that l have
discharged my duty.
| Mr.. President, mex. to the minister OF
the gospel, 1 believe the editor fills the
position of greatest dignity among men
His opportunities are even better than
are those of the preacher, for where The
latter reaches scores the former is reac
and studied by thousands. His power
is formidable. Napoleon |. frequentl,
said that he would rather fight three
regiments of soldiers than one news
paper. Few men realize the influence
, of a printed word. A trifle written fol
any of your journals may be read IL
places as remote as are the shores OF IN,
seas. A correct sentiment echoes ant
re-echoes times without number, and /
vicious thought may instil its poison
, into Thousand hearts, and work 9
degree of evil difficult to reckon. Die
, we thoroughly appreciate the influence
exerted by our newspaper expressions
how careful would we he. Could w
follow our journals as they go into th'
hands OF the young, and see with VIVA
avidity careless word or Il loose senti
|, ment is seized upon as a justification TO
, evil; could we behold the frown of dis
approval brought by erroneous statemen
, to the brow of the reflective and tn
wise. our personal vanity would be oftel
; rebuked, and the responsibility of on
work more fully impressed upon us.
fl What a power there is in the press
: How much of good or evil may b
cOmpassed by the smallest newspape
q once knew an Old schoolmaster, VIII
: had at different times been the teache
of John G. breckenridge, Il. Grat
. Brown. Frank Blair, and other grea
Kentuckians of their day. lie was
gentleman in every instinct of his life
} The was a ripe and cultured scholar; II
5 taught these boys i'll rude log structure
I perhaps of single room, but tn
/ chances are that he impressed hU1Sel
more upon their minds than did any O
/ the professors in college who afterwar'
. conducted their studies. The effective
E ness of schools Is not to be measured b
!. corridors and minarets !; neither Is tn
; influence of newspapers to be fnuged b
f the number of their columns, and the
s location in great centerS or population
J. | After all, 1t is the master Wlpd col
n trolling which tells. sps~
!. With all of the advantHxes possesse
by our able and enterpriStnR metropol
n tan Journals, it is not u bl0[H that "
r look in Missouri for historical statisiic
d or newspaper Information. The mel
o mention of the suhject suggests Il
o familiar pages to whiohwe turn. Their
v fore, brethren of the pr0SS, we Shoul
S rise TO the full digfl<y of our prou
i estate, weigh our uttereHees with car
o and consecrate our typ9 ~ the elevatio
! and advancement OF W0ukfuQ.
n The New York HeriId Tor sever
t, years kept standing at the. head OF |
m editorial columns sentiment tax,
" from an address to editors delivered !
t' Mr.. Dana, the substance OF which W
y the advice never To permit an Rdyerti;'
Is ment To masquerade as an editorial OPT
~ ion. This tribute to IA brother editor
" view, so conspicuously made, ennph
ID sizes its importance better than l ci
ID do. If there is any one thing that 9;
5. break down the power of the press,
er Will be the conviction in the epublicm
r that its opinions are turned into mt
I chandise. The weakness of the metr
vi politan press to-day is the feeling IN
id 1t represents speculation, linanciai !
10 stitutions and aggregated wealth. rlttl
20 than the interests of the great body.
st the people. The advertiser Is, no doui
entitled to his place in newspaper-
ne paws for it-and within proper reStrl
ID lions can use it az he sees iii; but Y
pf editorial columns should be above infi
w ence hv money. The readers of Y
lt paper are entitled there 10 honest al
no unbiased opinions. Ii you at any tr
Sc are tempted To depart from this ru
he and have the manuscript ready, reiiet
at retract and feed it 10 the Office C;
he Even if YOU have turned down the
,p Ia tLi,E uhout thp matter, rememl