The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-01-23

llOHCSt dHu SOuSSlCHlIOuS NACH-l Hc
Position Occupied by the Editor No
Less Important and Responsible than
that of the Preacher.
fRev. N. r. Pittman, in Lumberton Rob :
eSonianJ
The newspaper is policemen, judge,
lawyer, jury, statesman, legislator,
teacher and preacher. 1t must report
correctly on music, agriculture, botany,
poetry, theology, politics and law. 1t
must rightly represent synod, confer
ence, association, Legislature, alliance,
parliament, missionary tea, Christmas
entertainment, card party, circus,
dance, art levee, oratorical contest and
church services.
The newspaper must be library, a
thesaurus and an encyclopedia. Its
utterances must meet the exact and
sensitive demands of world ofspecial-
lists in every department of thinking.
TO successfully manage a first-class
newspaper requires knowledge like the
Wilderness and deepness of the sea.
The newspaper is accessible to every
body. 1t was said of Noah Webster,
the man of the famous "blue back spell
ing book" that he taught millions to
newspaper has not that golden blame
lessness which was claimed for old
Noah Webster; but the newspaper is
the mightest educator on the earth. 1t
teaches monarchs and presidents, SEN
| atOrs and congressman, farmers and
merchants, preachers and professors,
mechanics and musicians, historians
and philosophers, ,mllionalres and pau
pers, bankers and bootblaCks, reformers
and thieves, sailors and pirates, clowns
and gamblers, saints and sinners. 1t
goes everywhere. People speak and
rulers listen 1t utters the wisdom of
all the people for all the people. Nation
hears from nation. Friend hears from
friend. Enemy hears from enemy.
goodness and goodness hears the voice
of folly. The merchant tells his prices,
the preacher his text, the jury its ver-
dict. Here death brings its mourning
and marriage its white and floral glad
ness. Fire and food and famine and
pestilence and war and panic here tell
their story of suffering among men and
beasts. Fortune, wealth, fame, relate
their triumphs and their struggles, their
extravaganza and folly. Tragedy and
comedy ask for your tears and your
laughter.
He who is fraternal to his fellow
men, he who would know the hopes
and fears of the human race, he who
has knowledge and hope and love be-
yond the shadow Of himself cannot be
complete without the newspaper.
| think it was Thomas Jefferson who
said: "If had to choose between a
government without newspapers and
newspapers without government,
would choose the newspapers without
the government" 1t may be that the
voice of Thomas Jefferson, the voice OF
freedom, the voice Of our "Declaratlon
of Independence, will awaken and
refresh appreciation of newspapers.
If religion has had its martyrs, SO
has the newspaper. Freedom of opin-
ion and freed om to utter it may YET
give US book on martyrology. Tc
the editors Of France a French states
man once said: "Suffer yourselves tc
be blamed, imprisoned, condemned,
suffer yourselves to be hanged, bu
publish your opinion. 1t is nota right
1t is duty
In our editorial chairs are men as
patriotic as Patrick Henry, who said ii
the face of frowning England: "Givt
me liberty or give me DEATH AS
true to their country's honor as Leon
idas, who died in the Pass of Their
mopyle; as consecrated to all that
philanthropy means as was John How
ard; as brave as the soldier who nevel
lowered his crest to an enemy. Such
men cannot escape the penalty OF beins
somewhat akin to the apostles.
The newspaper is my friend. The
earlier years Of my manhood were
spent in a newspaper Office. For sever
, years of my mature manhood | was OF
the editorial staff Of one Of the bes
religious newspapers in this country
The newspaper is not the pulpit's riva
1t is the pulpt's ally.
"But," says someone, "there ar
bad and hurtful newspapers which ar
unfit for the shop or the home" Tha
is SO. His brethren sold Joseph TO
twenty pieces of silver. Judas sol
Christ for thirty pieces of silver. Blu
Joseph and Christ have not thereb
lost our esteem. Against the home
Gods first institution, wrong has wage
unwearied war There may be dl:
mantled and hurtful homes, but tn
/. home existed before sin came into tn
world. 1t will continue to exist i
g spite of sin in the world, and to tn
!, end of time true Americans will sin
"Home Sweet Home" Bad newspaper
supply the bad demand of bad peopl,
Our delight in sensationalism must nc
lead up to neglect the clean and health
iul and homeful newspaper. The e,
istence of wicked newspapers ought nc
to be testimony against good new
papers.
Many merchants are we'll aware that the
customers are their best friends and tai
pleasure in supplying them with the be
goods obtainaole. As an instance We mel
q tinn Perry 4 Cameron prOmluent dru0CIS