The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1903-02-26
Editors and Ministers.


The Methodist conference at Benton,
Ark, is good news maker. The
charges against the characters arrested
for investigation are almost as sensa-
tional as if made against newspaper ed
itors. Charges of plagiarism, attend
ing the theater, malicious attacks on
ministerial brethren, conduct towards
females which involves ministerial
character, are sensational enough; but
If made against an editor they would
be shocking and could never be sus.
tanned unless in the ranks was discov-
cred the phosphorescent glimmer of a
decadent The church conference will
attend to its own business in its own
way and it is right in looking with
scrutiny into the characters of its min
listers. Whether they are guilty or in
nocent we know not, but of some things
we are assured: No editor ever pl6glar-
lied. He uses words and ideas because
they are common property which he
who has the power may take but which
no one can keep. He does not put up
quotation marks; having worked at the
case, he knows how difficult it is to lift
the thin bits of lead. He does not go
to the theater. So many dead beats
"bum" him for requests for passes that
he is ashamed to show his face at the
box Office. He makes no malicious at
tacks on ministerial brethren. The
business Office would charge him up
with the advertisement, and that mon
ster locust Of Egypt, the cashier, would
despoil him OF his substance and devour
his salary. His conduct toward fe-
males is most exemplary. No female
hos ever been known to 60 away dis
satisfied. Whatever she wants she
gets with the utmost alacrity consistent
with characteristic dignity. An editor
in Thebes once refused female re-
quest. One of the shepherds of Poly.
bus had arrived from Corinth. The
mystery of Oedipus had been cleared
up. The glory which encircled him
for having solved the riddle of the
Sphynx was gone. He was as unpopu
lar as Cyclone Davis. He he'd killed
his father, King Laius, in the narrow
pass; married his own mother, Jocasta
She had killed herself and he hat
punched out his eyes when the terrible
discovery was made. Antigone hat
led her blind and game footed fathel
away and William Shakespeare, wht
J was keeping a toll gate on the big road
J stole the incident and, in later incar
nation, exploited the pair as King Lea
: and Codelia. The "devil" was howl
ing like one possessed for copy. Th'
foreman was threatening to throw in
, dead patent medicine advertisement
) and close up the forms. The printer
demanded the Father of the Chapel Il
l give them "time." All was confusion
8 and haste and the editor was writing
powerful leader ON "Whither Are W
t Drifting?" which he had to get in tina
: issue or lose his job, and he had pawn
t ed his sandals an could not walk t
Q another town. He was making hi
: stylus travel over the waxen plate O
e fast as he could when Phyrgian VIC
It man with changeable silk coffee iacl
ct asked him to tell her at what age
baby should be weaned, and he ignol
ed her. The previous issue was th
last issue of his paper and his fate ha
!; !; been warning to editors ever since
e. And ever since an editors conduct Il
!. ward females has been exemplary
/, Whatever she wants she gets and
2 asked to have more. This condu,
: : never involves ministerial charact'
,f unless the minister has been doin
10 wrong. II never involves editori
,. character. Editors know each other
% % we'll that they are never suspicious, c.
" rious or jealous. They never NAL
: charges or raise questions. What
pity that all men are not equally Writ
GUS and good. Commercial