The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1899-11-22
THE COUNTRY EDITOR
a hsnsa Newspaper Eells How to
Grow Great and Powerful in Poll

a kansas Newspaper TELLS How to
Grow Great and Powerful in Poll
tics.
The real power, political and educa-
tionai, in the United States lies in the
country prcSs-but it is rot The country
editor whoeXerciscs it. You may think
that funny, but | have been there and
know whereof [ speak. | pulled the le-
yer on an old Washington hand-press
for many years, WAS printer, devil, edi-
tor, solicitor just what the large ma
jority OF them are today. I said ! edit
cd the paper thought did, but the
fellows who controlled the city daiiies
really edited my paper. The positions
they took on all public questions found
a reflex in my paper. They did nv
thinking in that way. | had the read
ers in the county but they really con-
trolled them by controlling my mind
or lack Of nina. More people read the
country press today than read the me-
tropo!itan press, but because tho cOun-
try pumpkin never reads books, never
Investigates for himself has, no cOnvic.
tions that he is afraid will hurt the
party, ne is merely a tool In the hands
OF the cunning few who control the city
press. The country editor has the pow
er and in the local field docs the work
that makes the President, Senators,
Congressman, Legislators and county
officers, and then he is afraid OF those
creatures he has made Hc works
harder than most anybody for all he
ever gets out of The public crib, while
tn"so he pushes into power gobble
thousands and even millions. He is
AFRAID that II he takes q position not in
harmony with these neecers, thew win
take away q little work from him that
be earns in the public service The
country editor seldom reads books. All
his ideas come from the apers he
reads. and rs every one Of these, like
himself has an ak to gcind, they are
continually d~eceiving them. Here and
there you Will limo one who is more of
u power Than the others. They are the
men VINO 40 not crouch TO the official
creatures they have made. The mn
read fellow does not know that The
other gets his power from book studv
but recognizes the superior influence.
Inc difference between men is the
diiiereLCe mostly in what The mind
reads. The country editor will humble
himself before the Congressman or
49, NIci luF OelDB hoping To get
q little Office. Were ne wise be would
make the officer humble himself, for
the editor really has in his hands the
political power Amy editor with ordi.
nary natural ability, by reading books
on political economy, both sides, can
maxi himself felt all over his State,
even with &smaIt county paper. Those
who have never read such books as
wealth against ealth." "A
Co operative Common wealth" PRO
gress and Poverty" Equality" MA.
nicipal M~Onop0lies," aud Others re-
ferred to In these works, are not tit
mentally to edit a paper ana are never
heard OF outside the narrow circles Of
their county If you are editing d pa.
per, Il you are posing AS q public teach
err, and want TO be something, you can
1t by Investigating all sides Of ali
public questions and the knowledge
will also give you the power to
use II. Why be a nothing when you
can be something? Do you suppose
Greeley, or Bowle5, or Franklin
or any OF the other names Llat have
helped to mould the world would have
ever been heard Of had they only READ
papers and not the best books2