The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-03-28

Eulogies and laudatory paragraphs,
alternating with sneers, ridicule and
deprec-%tions, long have been the lot
OF the country editor. Pictured in
the comic papers as an egotistic |
clown, exalted by the politicians as a |
mighty "molder of public opinion"
occasionally chastised by angry pa |
irons and sometimes remembered by |
delighted subscribers, he has put his |
errors where they could be read of all
men and has modestly sought fair
credit for his merits.
At times he has rebelled-not at |
treatment from his constituency, but
at patronizing remarks of the city
journalist who sits at a mahogany
iesk and dictates able articles for the
eighteen-page daily, instead OF writ
Ing local items at pine table in the
office OF four-page weekly. Thus
lid one voice his protest: when you
consider that the country weekly is
owned by its editor and that the man
who writes the funny things about
country papers in the city journals is
owned by the corporation for which
he writes, 1t doesn't seem so sad
When you see an item in the city
papers poking fun at the country ed
ltor for printing news about John
Jones new barn you laugh and laugh
for you know that on one of the
pages of that same city daily is two
column story in regard to the trim
mlngs on the gowns of the Duchess
of Wheelbarrow. And it is all the
more amusing because you know that
| the duchess does not even know of
the existence of the aforesaid city
paper, while John Jones and many of
his neighbors take and pay for the
paper which mentioned his new barn
Don't waste your pity on the country
newspaper worker. He will get
along"
After all, no one man in the COM
munity has so large an opportunity
to assist the town In advancement as
the editor. It is not because he is
smarter than others, not because he
is wealthy-but because he is the
| spokesman to the outside world.
He is eager to print all the news in
his own paper. Does he do it? Hard
! ly. This would be a very newsy
paper" explained frank country ed
itor to his subscribers, were 1t not
for the fact that each of the four men
who work on 1t has many friends. BY
the time all the items that might in
jure some of their friends are omitted
very little is left"
81 wish you would print a piece
about our schoolteacher," said far
mer's wife to me one afternoon. "Say
that she is the best teacher in the
county"
but I can't do that-200 other
teachers would be angry. You write
the piece, sign 1t and I'll print it."
What are you running a newspa-
per for II you can't please your sub
scribers?" she demanded-and can
celled her subscription.
So the country editor leaves Out
certain good things and certain bad
things for the very simple reason
that the persons most interested are
close at hand and can find the indi
vidual responsible for the statements
He becomes wise in his generation
and avoids chastisements and libe
suits. He finds that there is no last
ing regard in a sneer, no satisfaction
in gratifying the impulse to say
things that bring tears to women'S
eyes, nothing to gloat over in opening
a wound in a mans heart. If he does
not learn this as he grows older II
the service he is a poor country edi
tor.
"The power of the country press II
Washington surprises me-" said ;
Middle West Congressman last win
ter. During my two terms l hav'
been impressed with 1t constantly.
doubt If there is single calm utter
ance in any paperin the United States
that does not carry some weight IL
Washington among the members o
Congress. You might think tina
what some little country editor say
does not amount to anything, but
means a great deal more than mos
people realize. When the country ed
itor who is looking after nothing bu
the county printing gives expression
to some rationalidea about a nationa
question, the man off here In Con
gress knows that 1t comes from tn
grass-roots. The lobby, the big rail
road lawyers and that class of people
realize the power of the press, bu
they hate It, have heard them tall
about it and shake their heads, anC
say, Too much power there! Th'
press is more powerful than money"
This was not said in flattery, bu
because he had seen on Congress
mems desks the heaps of countr!
weeklies, and he knew how closel.
they were read. The smallest edito
rial paragraph tells the politician O
the condition in that papers commu
nifty, for he knows that 1t is put ther,
because the editor has gathered the
idea from some one whom he trust,
as leader, and the politician knows
approximately who that leader is, 81
the country editor often exerts a pow
er of which he knows little.
But politics is only part of tn,
country editors life The social af
fairs OF the community are nearest t,
him. The proud father who bring
in cigar with notice of the seventh
baby's arrival (why cigars and babiel
should be associated in mems minds
l never understood), the fruit farme
who presents some fine Ben Davis an