The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-07-02
GheIemorrat-S Sta,
COUNTRY EDITORS

81. Louis Globe Democrat.
81. Louis had the pleasure the nae,
week OF Il visit from two State assaris'
tions OF editors, those OF Missouri ana
Mississippi. In a State associa,ior
the rural editors take the lead Nv
weight Of numbers, and the stats q,
city dailies discover that there ,s
great newspaper world Of which ,ha
general pubic c little because 10
representatives are distributed
throughout the counties. The ci,v
daily is largely the creation OF tho
electric current and lightning trains
1t is in touch by wire with every uews
center on earth, and with its elaborate
system OF correspondence, mechanical
facilities and rapid distribution
minutes are opportunities, and tho
keenest concentration of brain and
hand a necessity. A country editor
represents a different phase Of N.
newspaper business. He is not con.
tinually be grit with streams A.,
electricity, and the small hours OF tho
morning usually find him at resi-.
His immediate field is not the world.
but his own town, county, congress.
sional district and State, with some
attention to national affairs. He
writes for a local and personal section.
and not for the shifting multitudes Of
the metropolis that are never the same
two days in succession.
In methods the newspaper work Of
the city and OF the country is full Of
contrasts, yet the country feeds the
city with newspaper men as it does
with merchants, and most OF the noted
editors Of the cities took their first les.
sons ut the country printers case. In
the city q young newspaper worker
will learn one department., while in
the country he will usually master all
branches, typesetting, press work,
bookkeeping, collecting, reporting and
editorializing. The country editor is
in contact with his constituency he
is a person Of note, n who is expect.
ed to take the initiative, "a leading
man in the community" His in.
dividuality IS well known within his
field OF labor, and often in State move.
ments and it Is pleasant to find from
the passing discussions OF our visitors
last week that the rewards Of the
country editor are by no means con.
fined to the immaterial or the mere
abstract sense of laboring In behalf Of
the civic virtues.
Some who have looked with interest
upon the country press as a great in.
stitution Of the American people have
feared that the 'patent inside" idea
was separating the country editor too
much from the conduct OF his own
business, but he may be relied upon to
check this tendency at the proper
limit. In fact, the country editors
strong point is to stand up for his own
ncighborhood, his own functions as
its spokesman, and his own PERSONAL.
ty as a public man. Moreover, lie
represents the big end of newspaper
work. In 1896 the number Of newspa.
pcrs published In the United States
was 1877, of which more than $4,000
were weekly, with less than 1900 daily,
and the majority Of the dailies are
known as Country dailies." II news
papers had existed in Shakespeare
time he would not have called actors
"the abstract and brief chronicles OF
the times" but would have used the
phrase to a convention Of country
editors, and perhaps have added the
rest for the benefit OF outsiders that
latter your death you were better TO
have u bad epitaph than their III re-
port while you live" st. Louis has
given a hearty welcome to the conven'
tions of the country editors, and hopes
to see them again, and like gatherings
OF the fraternity from other States.
Country editor is a name Of honor OF
dignity, and OF lifelong usefulness
and it will be u serious day when the
ranks OF city dailies can no longer os
recruited from the manly strenH'n
and many-sided course Of framing
that are a feature Of the rural press