The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-11-21

be laid down as 10 Wnat the Town
should do for the editor. But
think It is safe to say that IL he will
give his town his best efforts, even
though they may not always be brill
liant, just an honest. earnest effort
to serve the people, his town will be
good to him.
The editor must take the people
as he finds them He must take his
town as he finds it. It is not the
editors duty to carry all the burdens
of the town on his own shoulders,
but he will have to carry ten times
as many OF them as any other man.
The editor should not imagine that
he is the dictator. He should not
swell up and become infected with
the notion that he is the big boss
or the one overgrown boy, who is to
do all the talking That won't go
down with lot of people.
The town is full of people who
know what they want done just as
we'll as the editor knows what he
wants done They can give him BUSH
els of points every day in the week.
They can tell him where to back in.
They can tell him when to slow
up. They can tell him when to put
on steam and when throw on the
brakes. That is a right that belongs
to every free American. 1t is his
privilege to show the editor where
he thinks he Is wrong in patches,
bushels and bundles.
In fact some of the people some
times get so excited over their fail
ure to reform the editor that they
are liable to quit taking his paper for
few weeks at least.
II the paper is really worth while,
they soon come back. After that they
do not try to reform the editor all
the time-they begin to stop and eat
once in a while, at least--and they
usually stay longer after an expert
ence of that kind.
For myself, l believe in opening
up the columns of my paper freely
to the people who disagree with my
editorial policy. The public is given
to understand that while ! am COM
PEELED to pay for the privilege of
saying what l please, as we'll as pay
| for the other fellows privilege OF
appearing in print. the public can use
the columns of the Telegram without
money and without price to agree or
disagree with my editorial policy or
utterance just as much as they like
so long as they present their remarks
in a respectful manner.
The real editor it seems to me
should not be afraid to open up his
columns to the kicker. the knocker
or the objector Give these people
space and If they are wrong, they
will hang themselves. If they are
right, the editor certainly has no
reason for keeping their utterances
from the public. After all every
great reform that has ever blessed
mankind has been started by what
in this day and age would be called
a "knocker"
If the editor is the man he ought
to be, he lights the torch of progress
and goes marching up and down the
streets. He asks the populace to
unitedly and earnestly get together
and give the old town boost.
Sometimes in some towns the
people quickly respond. They fol-
low the leader and they do things
for the old town that make the
knockers and the kickers' club wakeD
up and take notice.
Sometimes in some towns, no
amount of coaxing, no amount Of
argument. no matter how well the
story is presented will bring results.
In such a place l can see only one
hope for the real editor, and that is
to sell out and get into some town
where intelligence, hard work apd
enterprise will be- appreciated.
The editor must believe in the
town II he wants the town to believe
in him. 1t seems to me that he
should keep his paper free from en-.
tangling alliances of all kinds.
If an editor is constantly asking
the politicians to favor special ordi-
nances that will give him business,
he gets into position where he natu-
rally is compelled to favor the ordi-
nances the politicians want passed
to give them or some other workers
| opeCidl pIlfISSSo.
don't believe the editor will get
as much from that kind of method
as he will by keeping entirely free.
don't believe he is doing the best he
can for his town. and / don't believe
his town will do the best for him II
he follows that kind of policy.
He should ask only what is fair,
He should be willing to share in the
general prosperity. He should not
insist on cream all the time. He
should get his results by working for
the good of the whole town.
It seems to me that the editor who
does this will have greater prosperity
on the average. He will at least
enjoy the confidence and respect OF
his fellow citizens. He will live "a
life of usefulness for the good of the
old town. He can make a good liv-
; ing for himself and leave an honor
able patrimony for his family.
When at last old Father Time
i. strikes thirty" and the work OF his
life is done, the old town will be a
sincere and honest mourner that SC
good a friend has gone to his re.
ward.
What more can the editor ask oi
the town than appreciation while
: alive and real sorrow when he IL
called to his long rest, we'll earned