Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1904-10-28
THE AMATEUR EDITOR.


10 become successful newspaper
man, one must begin on the lowest
rung OF the ladder and climb by..pure
force OF resolution and ability through
long days of anxious toll and nights
OF mental pain. Permanent success
comes slowly and only after under
gong regimen that means death to
mental weddings. Unialteying reso-
intIon, talent of no mean order and
intellectual aud physical force are
the qualities that usually meet in the
individual who achieves success in
the great newspaper world OF today.
Notwithstanding this ! fact, the
country appears to be overrun with
amateur journalistic SELF
styled-who. like the megacephalous
ass and the poor. we seem to have al
ways with us. Will Carleton, that
brilliant and talented newspaper man
and author, touched upon the prevail
ing tendency when he pictured the old
farmer who had son who didn't APP
pear to be good far anything on God s
green iootstool. The old man discov-
cred this and concluded he would
make editor osten him.
When man learns BY sorrowful
experience that he hasn't sense
enough to steer pair of long-eared
quadrupeds between two rows OF
corn in blowing time without uproot-
ing half the stocks and winding up
with the mules knee deep in the mud
In Back Creek, he seems to be seized
with yearning and soulful desire to
become an editor, and proceeds to
exchange his gvad for the stylus and
enthusiastically begins moulding
public opinion with one hand aud in
dustriously trading his talent" Tor
Office rent aud beans with the other.
But 1t is from lawyers without
clients, small-fry politicians without
pulls and quack doctors without pa.
tients that the ranks OF journalism
are chiefly recruited. When one oil
these individuals girds up his Ions,
expectorates upon his digits and
star IS to begin, he usually tackles
something easy by reforming our
social system, putting the currency
upon a firm and enduring basis
and bringing about acondition
of UNIVERSAL peace. In the next
issue he instructs trembling
and swe-stricken universe in the
esoteric science Of economics. He may
not be able to successfully negotiate
small loan at the ba..k, but that
doesn't prevent him from writing oil
finance with all the assurance OF
Alexander Hamilton. He may not
know whether Adam Smith or Alex
C'ohan wrote the9 Wealth1of Nations, .
but he doesn't hesitate to contradict
every student of political economy
from Professor Jevons to John Stuart
Mills to utilize his scissors as Col
ossus OF Rhodes and pose as a gigan-
tic Bartholdi statue.
He has probably heard Of the little
Mr.iPope.'' but has always vaguely
associated him withfth throne of ST.,
Peter. He knows Ton Moore wasan'
Irishhan, but is not certain wheth-
er he was sweet singer OF deathless
songs or the foreman of a section gang
Francis Bacon might have been a Chi.
cego pork packer. and Ciucinnatus AN
obscure farm hand. The divine Mem
delsshon was the composer Of march
popular at society weddings. and the
heroic prop of Ilium but the faithful
hound OF Natty Bumppo. The. Moor
who looked with burning. love-mad
eyes upon the beautiful Venitian was
but the bog of the river bottom, and
Marguerite the name of a golden
hearted daisy. The cloud across the
sad face OF Dante never obscured his
vision, and Callahan and Thirsites
were but the names OF S rect urchins.
Tdolus and Crissida We're the un-
certain creations OF an unknown poet,
and Mozart's Twelfth Mass a irm-
BILE OF meaningless sounds. Julius
Caesar betrayed Christ for thirty
American ffty-ceut dollars. and
Joseph sold hims IF into bondage to