Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-03-28
The Last Register"
IRONTON, March 22d. Is

Ed. Register-I admit / am not a
lenient critic of the average newspa-
per as published to-day in this country.
In its rlvalries, hates. jealousies,. and
struggles for vantage, it seems to me
the press, of the cities especially, is
becoming demoralized. With few ex-
ceptions, now, the daily papers are
unfit to be read by any carefully
trained family of girls and boys. So
when one reads paper from month to
month, and finds not a word in it which
he is not willing to have his wife and his
girls read from A to L, it is worthy of
communication.
1t is delightful relief to turn from
the bedraggled filth with which the
sensational columns of most of the CITY
papers are filed with nowadays, to
the perusal of a quiet, decent paper
like the REGISTER. | do not say this
by way of tlattery, but because | feel
that it is deserved.
After reading this weeks REGISTER,
and looking over its ample, clean, and
beautifully printed pages, l laid it
aside with the mental expression that.
upon the whole, it is the best example
of what a newspaper should be, of
any paper published in the State that
| know of. There are other good
know which exhibit so uniformly the
highest care in the printers art, and
also in keeping out all that is vile and
vulgar. Keep up to this standard.
Now, while | am on the subject, let
me say another word of commentator
and close by word of advice on a
subject know nothing about, of course
how to conduct newspaper.
In reading your editorials, with
which | do not always agree, l have
been impressed for a long time, with
the clear-cut, choice English in which
they are couched.
Every scholar knows how difficult it
is, in the midst of affairs, to set down
and express ones thoughts in ..chaste
and choice" English which Addison
would approve, and the ability to do
it, as it is generally done nowadays
in the editorial columns of the REGIS
TER, is gift, and a blessing-but in
practice. nothing but good taste, care
full study. and-in short ..eternal vigil
lence is the price" of such an accom-
plishment.
Let me suggest one or two ways in
which think the editor is entirely
competent to improve the REGISTER,
however.
There creeps out very often a vein
of humor and facetia which shows the
editor to have a talent in that direc-
ton that could be greatly developed.
1t is, OF course, one of the most agree
able and effectual ways of treating
very many subjects. Enough appears
to show that if the editor would culti-
vate that talent, that style, he would
be quite inimitable in it.
Then, in treating some party, or po-
litical tenets-or personal views of
party duty or policy, the editor has of
late allowed a vein of bitterness, or
rancor, perhaps | might term it, to
creep into his otherwise strong and
we'll written articles.
Where one has a strong conviction
that public men are making fools of
themselves, or acting the knave, or
untrue to their trusts. l admit it is
quite difficult to restrain ones impet-
uosity or temper and discuss matters
in a cool, judicial temper, viewing
both sides and revolving the pros and
the cons in that spirit of fairness
which admits that other honest men
may think differently. But, after all,
| believe that Journal occupying the
position in the county the REGISTER
does. its power would be much enhanc-
ed by its editorial strength developed
on these lines, and the paper gain
vastly in influence. l know it is in
the editor to attain these ideals if he
will. At any rate, the REGISTER Is
good enough now to deserve all have
said of it. Your Friend,
A FIRST SUBSCRIBER.