The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-03-27
AN ERlT0R'S
farewell
john u MA SON n e I Res FROM
p EDITORIAL cliAlF M VERY
Graceful FASHION.

most unenviahle and delicate position.
vet We leave the work with a feeling
OF regret. for the guidance of the pa
per's destiny has been a labor Of
love. yet we tried to do our duty to
our patrons and friends. so far as cir
cumstances would admit. How far
we have succeeded we leave that to
the patrons and those most directly
interested. we are content that they
shall pass judgment upon our mer-
its and not ourselves. We have la
bored under many disadvantages, at
times, and II we failed 1t was not be-
cause of any lack Of goodwill or earn
est, honest intention, and, regarding
the EDITORS position as a high public
privilege. I have not knowingly pros.
tituted 1t for the qualification of petty
malice. or private revenge. We could
not hope to please everybody.
IT may we'll be, that in the exer-
else Of my official duties have made
some enemies. If SO. it is to me a
matter of sincere regret. trust that
/ have made some friends as we'll
In parting, let me fling to both the
gage of fellowship. Roses are falrer
than thistles; good viii is better than
hatred: charity the most blessed gift
of the gods. If have in my protes.
sional capacity caused pain and heart.
burnlngs. or at any time wrought in.
justice, cry forgiveness. and pray
you may forget. 1t was not done in
malice.
The editor learns to love his con-
gregation of readers. They become a
part Of his life. They are to him a
source of strength and inspiration.
on the wings of sympathy he jour
neys with them in life and death. And
so has it been with me. 1 have Jour-
neyed with you my friends. and reioic-
ed with you in your joys. have
heard the laughter of your children
as 1t rippIed down the yearsLand |
have danced with you at the wedding
Of your beloved. have stood with
you by the windowless palace, and
my heart has mourned with yours as
we hid away from the sunshine and
the flowers some well-loved form. In
the simple story OF your lives have
read my own.
To the laity 1t may seem strange
hut / have the highest personal re-
gard for my esteemed contemporaries
in the local newspaper field. We have
understood each other always-you
thought us ready to ply the scalping
knife and tomahawk; but we weren't
It is Just way editors have. It is
al right. otherwise Brother Ad Hall,
OF the Weston Independent, would long
ago have been sleeping peacefully
beneath the silent daisies. He knew
I loved him and continued to live and
fire hot shots at Buckhannon at every
favorable opportunity. I shall con-
tinue to love him, and will leave the
lambasting he so richly deserves to
more competent hands and may the
Lord have mercy upon his soul.
There's another. not stranger"
who in the pleasant days gone by was
foeman worthy of any mans steel;
but like the Wars Of the Roses, the
political battles between Col, Thomas
McCreery. OF the Buckhannon Ban
ner and myself are now ended. Col
McCreery is a Democrat and does his
level best to cover up the defects Of
his party, but I shall remember him
as consistent, courageous, pugna-
cious, hard-to-be licked man and
mighty good fellow when one comes to
know him well.
The webster Republican, too. has
been my friend. John B. Hilleary Is
young man, but he Is like Buds bull
pup, "when once he takes aholt, heav.
en- an yiarth kaint make him leave
CO." John has been in several news.
paper ventures and has already en-
joyed some bumps bumps are a part
of the editors education, and pre-.
pares him against the day when he is
compelled to admit to himself. Ito
no other) that he is not the whole
thing. Some editors fortunately, get
bumped hard enough early We did.
/ wrote that eve" from force of habit,
and will let 1t stand It really seems
singular to have become singular
again.
Capt w. H. Hilleary. the gentle.
manly and courteous editor and gem
eral manager of the Upshur Republi.
can. is one of our old, tried and true
friends, and we shall remember him
pleasantly to and beyond the mystic
crossing. May be able to say:
when the Death Angel
Goes around this world to join
Earth and Heavenly spirits together,
I hope it will go a long. long way
Before 1t goes to the Captain,
But, II It should and lay his body
In some dark graveyard hole,