The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-01-16

yuu CUubluoI tudb Lu6 CUuuGry weekly
Is owned by ITS editor and thai the
man who writes the funny things
about country pa ,ers in the city
journals 10 owned by go rporation
for which he writes, VI 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
tor you know that on one Of the
pages of that same city daily 10 two.
column story IN regRid to the triu
mings on the gowns Of the Duchess q,
Wheelbarrow. And it 10 all the me-
amusing because you know that the
duchess does not even know OF the e9-
ist enoe Of the aforesaid city paper,
while John Jones aud many OF his
neighbors take and pay for the paper
which mentioned bis new barn. Dom t
waste your pity on the opuntry news.
paper worker. He will vet along"
After all, no one man in the com.
Lunity has SO large an opportuni to
| assist the town in rdVancem"ut Hs the
editor. Ii 10 not because hs IL smart
or tnan others, not becHa.s no is
wealthy, but because hs IL tne sp9kes
man of the outer world
He is eager to print all the news in
his own paper. Does he do it? Hard
ly. "Ihis would be very newsy pa
per-" exclaimed flank country edit
or to his subscribers, "were 1t not tor
the fact that each Of the four men
who work on 1t has so many friends
By the time all the Items that might
iniure any of their friends 10 omitted,
very little is left"
81 wish you would print q piece
about our school teacher," eaid a
farmers wife to me one afternoon.
"Ssy That she Is tho best teacher in
the county"
"But | can't DO that-20O other
teachers would to angry. You write
the piece, sign 1T and III print It,"
"What ate you running q newspa
per for II yuu can't please your sub.
scribersS" she demanded aud can
celled her subscription.
So ]he courtiy editor leaves out
certain good Things AMI certain ba
things for the very simple reason that
I the persons most interested are close
at hand and can find the individual
responsible for the statements. lie
becomes wise in bis generation and
avoids cbastisements and libel suits.
He finds that there ia no lasting re-
gaid1in a sDeeI, no satisfaction In
gratifying the impulse to say things
that, bring tears to women's eyes,
nothing to glost over In opening a
wound In man's heart II be does
not lesrn this as be grows older In the
service he is poor country editor.
"The power of the country press in
Washington surprises me-" said q
middle west congressman last winter.
During my two terms | have been
impressed with 1t constantly. l doubt
IL there is q single calm uttel ance In
any paper In the United States that
does not carry some weight In Wash
iagton among the members Of ocn.
gress.
You might think that what some
country editor says does not amount
to anything. but 1t means good deal
more than most people realize. When
the country editor who is looking at.
ter nothing but the county printing
gives expression to some rational idea
about a national question, the man
OF here In congress knows that II
comes from the grass roots. The lob
by, the big railroad lawyers aud that
class of people realize the power oi
the press, but they hate It, have
heard them talk about 1t aud shake
their heads and say, "Too much pow
er there! The presa is more powerful
than money"
This was not said In fiatteiy. but
because be had eeen OIL congressman Z
desks the heaps of country weeklles,
and he knew how closely they wers
read. The snallest editorial paIa.
graph tells the politician OF the con.
diticn In that papers community, TO,
he knows that 1t is put there because
the editor has gathered the idea f. on
: some one whom he trusts "a leader
, and the politio knows apprc ximate
IL who that leader is. So the country
editor often exerts q power Of wbiot
he knows little.
But politics IL only pait OF coun
try editors life. The social affairs o
the community, are nearest to him
I The proud father who brings In Gig
} or with notice OF the seventh baby
arrival (wiy cigars and babies should
he associated In mems minds nevel
uuderstood), the fruit farmer wht
Q presents some 1ne Ben Davis ar pls
Q In the expectations hat he will get |
! notice, are but types. The edito
0 may have some doubts concerning til,
. need Of q seventh child 10 the fsmil!
Of the proud father, and be may no
be particularly fond Of Ben Davis ap
? Piles, but be gives generous notice
9 be- ause he knows that the gifts wer
i prompted by kind hearts and that tn
T givers are bis friends.
When JOY comes o the household !
{ 10 but the working Of the hearts bes
I impulses to desire that all shout
y share It. The news that the princes
, OF the family has, after many year
Q Of waiting welded prosperous N II