The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1907-06-27


any paper in the United States that
does not carry some weight in Wash
ington among the members of Con-
gress.
You might think that what some
country editor says does not amount
to anything, but it means good deal
more than most people realize. When
the country editor who is looking af-
ter nothing but the country printing
gives expression to some rational idea
about a national question, the man off
here in congress knows that it comes
from the grassroots. The lobby, the
big railroad lawyers and that class of
people realize the power of the press,
but they hate it. I have heard them
talk about it and shake their heads
and say, "Too much power there! The
press is more powerful than money"
This was not said in Aattery, because
he had seen on Congressmen's desks
the heaps of country weeklies, and he
knew how closely they were read. The
smallest editorial paragraph tells the
politician of the condition in that pa
per's community, for he knows that it
is put there because the editor has
gathered the idea from some one whom
he trusts as a leader, and the politi-
clans knows approximately who that
leader is. So the country editor often
exerts power of which he knows lit
tie.
But politics is only part of country
editors life. The social affairs of the
community are nearest to him. The
proud father who brings in cigar
with notice of the seventh babys arri-
val (why cigars and babies chould be
accoclated in mems minds never un-
derstood), the fruit farmer who pre-
sents some fine Ben Davis apples in
the expectations that he will get no.
tice, are but types. The editor may
have some doubts concerning the need
of seventh child in the family Of the
proud father, and he may not be par
ticularly fond OF Ben Davis apples, but
!: he gives generous notice because be
. knows that the gifts were prompted by
kind hearts and that the givers are his
friends.
When JOY comes to the household il
is but the working of the hearts best
: impulse to desire that all should share
. it. The news that the princess of the
. family has, after many years Of wait
ing, welded prosperous merchant o.
? the neighboring county brings the fam
Z lily into prominence in the home paper
Seldom in these busy times does th'
!. editor get piece of wedding cake, bu
:. nevertheless he fails not to say tina
z the bride is zone of our lovelies younI
! ladies and the groom is worthy of th
: prize he has won." The city pape
+ does not do that. Here and there
: country editor tries to put on city air
= and give the bare facts Of "social funC
ID tions" without a personal touch to th
lines. But unfrequently does he suC
r ceed in reaching the hearts of his read
5s ers and somehow he finds that his cor
1e temporary across the street, Dadl
at printed, sprinkled with typographict
E. errors and halting in its grammer, br
3 profuse in its lauditations, is gettin
a. an unusual number of new subscriber
lie even you, thought you may pretend
IN be unmindful, are not displeased whe
1g on the day after your party you rea
gs that the guests ''went home feelin
to that a good time had been had
And when sorrow comesl Into IL
us home of a city friend Of mine, deaf
Is entered, taking wife and mother. I'll
family had been prominent in soci
in circles, and columns Of cold, biograpl
a ical facts-born, married, died. b
sr. the news went back to the small coui
en- try town where, in their early marri,
bt life, man and wife had spent many hs
in py years, aud in the little count