The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-09-22
LITTLE FOLKS. WHO "SPITES" The
EDITOR.
The Newspaper Like The Preacher Will
Pronounc This Autograph At The End.

A couple of years ago cranky sort OF an
old man came into this office and stopped
his paper because something in it did not
lust suit his fancy. We have frequently
met him on the street since that time aud
it is amusing to note the look OF surprise
on the old fellows face that we are still In
existence regardless Of the fact that ne e
won't be long either-that old gentleman
will turn up his toes. His heart will be
stiIled forever. Neighbors and friends will
follow his nfeless clay to the silent city and
Law them forest among the flowers. An
obituary will be published in these columns
telling what kind father, a good neighbor
and beloved citizen he waS-which the re-
cording angel will overlook for charity's
sake, and in a very short time he Will be
forgotten. AS he lies out there in the cold
cold graveyard, wrapped in the silent
slumber of death, he will never know th at
the last kind word spoken Of him was by
the editor Of that paper which he so spite
fully stopped" Did you ever pause just
a moment to think that your editor, who
ever he may be, will write your obituary
some day?-King's Mountain Herald.
An interesting little sermon is that. We
like the tone Of it throughout. No man
should do anything for spite, for spite
never pays. OF course, every man has a
TlRuU w Udh6 uCWOpppOA VI iOo 10 4io
likes. No newspaper man should enter
tain any feeling against man who does
not take his newspaper. To entertain such
feeling is absurd. The man, however, who
wants newspaper, and wants it enough
to be willing TO give up the price; but does
not do so in the belief that he Is spiting the
publisher is so small that he Is to be pitied
The same principle, Of course, applies to
all other daily Transactions, with as much
force as it applies to taking newspapers.
OF course, there are no perfect newspaper
newspaper men. Some are as small and
as narrow and as spiteful as any subscriber
who has ever stopped his paper for spite.
This is necessarily the case, and it would
| be absurd to suggest that the small, spite
| full newspaper men are connected only with
smaller papers, But nevertheless, it is q
fact that the average newspaper is bound
to take a broader view Of men and things
| than the average individual. Every reader
| for INSTANCE, knows how he will say things
to one man that he would not say to two
others at the same time, and how he will
say Things to even two or three that he
would not say to crowd. Most men are
broader, more circumspect and more care
full when they are talking to crowd than
when they are talking to an individual
The newspaper man is in the position o.
| palflIlR UO u cTOWu dill Glo WlluS, tllp StuCo
what he says becomes a matter of record
that cannot bo denied, he learns to be more
circumspect even than If he we're talking
verbally to crowd And every one should
know enough to realize that view thus
openly expressed to the world will, If it is
important enough to amount to anything
give offence to somebody even though he
does notintend offense to anybody, There
are few editors who would deliberately
offend anybody though their newspapers
except as matter Of duty to the puplic-
that is there are few editors worthy Of the
name who would do so. And usually the
poor fellow that feels be has been 'spited'
has tho information all to himself. The
editor probably never dreamed Of giving
him personal offense. 1t is so ninety-nine
cases out of hundred. But after all, not
withstanding the admirable way in which
the Herald has put, it the subject is hardly
wort discussing. The poor little fellow
who would stop his paper in order to spite
| the editor, is Incapable of realizing how
far he misses his purpose, and the 'editQl
who would waste his time brooding ovel
things like this, is hardly big enough o.
broad enough for the successful prosecu
tipn Of the profession he pretends to follow
I-Yo orkville Enquirer,