The Newtown bee., 1908-02-07


 alternating with sneers, ridicule and
 deprecaticns, long have been the lot
 of the country editor. Pictured in the
 comic papers as an egotistic clown,
 exalted by the politicians as mighty
 "moulder of public opinion," occa-
 sionally chastised by angry patrons and
 sometimes remembered by delighted
 subscribers, he has put his error s
 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 desk
 and dictates able articles for the eigh-
 teen-page daily, instead of writing To-
 cal items at a pine table in the office
 of four-page weekly. Thus did one
 voice his protest: "When you consid-
 CT 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, 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 because you know 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 news paper worker. He will get along"
 After all, no one man in the commu- nity has so large an opportunity to as- sist the town in advancement as the editor. It is not because he is smart CT than others, not because he is veal thy-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? Hardly. I This would be very newsy paper" explained frank country editor to his subscribers, "were it not for the fact that each of the four men who work on it has many friends. By the time all the items that might injure some of their friends are omitted very little is left"
 .'I wish you would print piece about our school teacher" said farm er's wife to me one afternoon. "Say that she is the best teacher in the coun- ;y."
 But can't do that-tWo hundred 'ther teachers would be angry. You write the piece, sign it and I'll print t."
 What are you running a newspaper or if you can't please your subscrib- { rs?" she demanded -and cancelled her ubscription. : So the country editor leaves out cer- t ain good things and certain bad things r or the very simple reason that the per Ons most interested are close at hand : nd can find the individual responsible Q or the statements. He becomes wlse n his generation and avoids chastise- a lents and libel suits. He finds that . here is no lasting regard in sheer, 0 satisfaction in gratifying the im- V ulse to say things that bring tears to 2 7omen's eyes, nothing to gloat over in t pening wound in mans heart. If a e does not learn this as he grows old :, r in the service he is poor country tc ditor. z z "The power of the country press in :. 'ashington surprises me-" said a Mid st le West Congressman last winter. z, During my two terms, I have been in npressed with it constantly. doubt n there is single calm utterance in ?, ny paper Tn the United States that fc pes not carry some weight in Washing a 'n among the members of Congress. di You might think that what some sl tile country editor says does not in mount to anything, but it means a al reat deal more than most people req m sa ze. When the country editor who is tf oking after nothing but the county i Si 'inting gives expression to some rat |. nal idea about a national question, si Ie man off here in Congress knows lat it comes from the grassroots. :, he lobby, the big railroad lawyers n Id that class of people realize the C S 'wer of the press. but they hate it. " i've heard them talk about it and ake their heads. and say, "Too much .. 'wer there!" The press is more r., 'werful than money" st This was not said in fiattery, but be- w