The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-09-05
Something About the Worn of the
Rural Scribe
WHEREIN III EXCELS
Good and Sufficient Reasons Why
Some Happenings Are Not Pub
liShed-A TireIeSS Worker

depreciations, 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 "moulder 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 by
all men and has modestly sought a
fair credit for all 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
desk and dictates able articles for the
eighteen page daily, instead of crit.
ing local items at pine table in the
Office of four page weekly. Thus
did 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 corporation for which he
writes, it doesn't seem so sad. When
you see an item in the city papers
poking fun at the country editor 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 trimmings on the
gowns of the Duchess of Wheelbarrow.
And it is all the more amusing be-
cause 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.'
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" exclaimed a frank country
editor to his subscribers, "were it not
| for the fact that each of the four men
who work on it has so many friends.
By the time all the items that might
injure any of their friends is omitted,
very little is left"
81 wish you would print a piece
about our schoolteacher," said a
farmers wife to me one afternoon.
''Say that she is the best teacher in
the county"
"But l can't do that-20O other
teachers would be angry. You write
the piece, sign it and I'll print it,
"What are you running a news
paper for if you can't please your
subscribers?" she demanded-and
cancelled 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 libel
suits. He finds that there is no last.
ing regard in sneer, no satisfaction
in gratifying the impulse to say things
that bring tears to women's eyes,
nothing to gloat over in opening q
wound in mans heart. If he does
not learn this as he grows older in the
service he is poor country editor.
"The power of the country press in
Washington surprises me-" said s
Middle West congressman last winter.
During my two terms l have been
impressed with it constantly. ]
doubt if there is single calm utter.
ance in any paper in the United
States that does not carry some
weight in Washington among the
members OF Congress-"
But politics is only part of a
country EDITORS life. The social
affairs of the community are nearest
to him. The proud father who brings
in cigar with a notice of the seventh
baby's arrival (why cigars and babies
should be associated in mems minds
1 never understood), the fruit farmer
who presents some fine Ben Davis