The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1904-01-19
RAMON THOUGHTS
Will, II. Mxxhs


L. is proving of interest or help to
any considerable number Of readers.
1t is my desire to write each week
about such ttpics az MAY occur to
me as worth the thought of the peo-
pie. i do not pose as teacher, but
there are some things of which you
have no doubt, thought, but which
you have not perhaps seen In print
in the way you have thought Of
them. My purpose islargely to bring
out your ideas and set them forth in
way that will help you. l want to
be of some help to everyone and L
know of no better way than to get
people to thinking. ! claim no su-
periority along this line at all but
thinking is a regular business with
me and at least once a week l get
off by myself and work my mind.
| The results are often far from sat
isfactory to me and must be to a
great many readers. [ hope, how
ever, in the course of the year you
will find something to pay you even
little for the time you spend with
me.
&149a
| begin this article, though, to say
something about the relation Of the
newspaper to the public, especially
the country newspaper. There has
been a remarkable change in the
newspaper business in the past
twenty years. 1t has become bus
mess that takes rank with any other
in the country. Not many years
arc TIE business man leaked nn"r
publishing as a kind Of literary
crank, or as fellow too lazy to
work for u living. Row the news
paper man is regarded as about IS
enterprising a fellow as can be
found. He is usually a hustler, he
creates business, he works a great
incidentally for himself; in short he
is an example of success. If he
does not becomeI rich in worldly
goods, be gets enough together TO
live comfortably. He has hundreds
of opportunities for aiding others
and usually feels glad that he can.
There should be the closest rela-
tionship between the editor Of pa
per and the readers. They should
be made TO feel that in a certain
sense the paper is their paper, pup
lished in their interest. Not that
they should be allowed or should de-
sire to control it's editorial columns
or dictate its policies, but that they
should be made to feel that whatever
the paper does is done in an honest
effort TO be Of assistance TO the peo-
pie. Whatever helps the people
does help the paper, and places 1t in
position to be OF still further benefit.
Editors make mistakes like other
people, but on account of their pc
culiar relationship strive harder to
avoid such mistakes. If you should
find anything in the paper that does
not suit you, do not get mad about
il, but, if of sufficient Importance,
write the editor about II or go to
see him and talk to him. You will
be surprised at the good that II will
do both Of you. 1t is easy TO criti-
else. It's encouragement and not
criticism that the world most needs.
Yet friendly criticism given ia the
RICH; spirit often does good. Criti-
cism Of a person seldom does good,
its the criticism 10 him that counts.
Do not look for the faults In your
editor, look for his good trai's and
II you find any 20 to him occasion
ally and commend them. never
knew one Killed by praise, but |
have known them discouraged, dis
heartened and often Disguised Dy
the constant knocks they get. |
have been an editor sixteen years.
Once In that time 1 received "a nice
little note 81 thanks through the
mail for a wedding notice l had writ
ten. II made me feel good and de-
termiEed TO strive harder than ever
TO make my paper helpful. nat /
urally expected another one of the
kind from somebody else sometime,
bat be- never came. stu / often
think of that one oasis in the desert
of editorial pulls and It helps To re-
uewed energy. / am looking for
another before my lahoTs end,
Bat seriously though the newspa-
per man sdees not work to receive
iuu, pubic pTaiss. 30 IS entitled &
last little commentator nov and
then, instead Of the criticism he
often gets.
TITO new papeF that comes o. your
home week after week, that Is read
ftO ala tsaur family wear after wear