The wageworker., 1910-05-27


fine bunch Of men and women, and it
was pleasure to meet and mingle with
them again.
1t has been twenty-four years since
I first entered the newspaper field in
Nebraska. A volume might be written
about the changes in the business dur
ing that quarter of century. And the
changes have all been for the better.
The old-timers who are still in the busi-
ness have learned lot, and the
newspaper men are men Of superior
business and literary ability. 1t is my
pleasure to look at something like $50
Nebraska weekly papers every week,
and I'm here to say that Nebraska has
the best, the brightest and the most
profitable country newspapers of any
state in the union. And after ming
ling with the editorial associations of
five states during the last fifteen years,
I want to state with all emphasis that
the Nebraska newspaper bunch takes
the ribbon for geniality, for iberality
and for good fellowship. And their
wives-God bless 'em---well, I often
wonder how lot of men could have
been so uniformly lucky in selecting
handsome, talented and sweet-tem-
pered wives as the Nebraska editors
A few years ago the newspaper men
rode on editorial mileage and it
took twenty-five years for them TO
learn that passes were the most ex-
pensive form Of transportation known
to mankind. used to ride on "passes,"
and it cost me an average of twenty
five cents mile. Now it costs me two
cents mile. When the newspaper men
themselves took action and demanded
the abolition Of the pass evil, they
builded better than they knew It has
made them money. It has made their
papers better. And the newspaper
men are today as independent as any
other class of business men. Some said
the abolition of editorial mileage would
destroy the Press Association It did
mott made it. Today the attendance
is larger than ever. and those who
come represent the brains and energy
of the profession Go back to the old
system? Not much!
The man most entitled to sympathy
is the man who has an eternal crouch
the man who is always snarling at
his neighbors, impugning the motives
of men who are trying to do things,
or exhibiting his spleen at men who
are achieving success. Some men are
built that way. They can see nothing
good in the efforts Of others. and take
delight in pulling down and feel mis-
cradle at the sight of anybody building
up. Such men can see more evil in an
hour than they can see good in week.
They megaphonc their criticisms, and
if they have to voice commendation
they do it in whisper, and then only
for pay. They exist in every commun-
ity. The only compensating feature Of
their presence is that the community
soon gets on to them and when that
occurs their influence is nil. The only
cure for this disease is death. And too
often that is slow and lingering.
The man who can see nothing but
evil in the community in which he
lives owes it to himself and the COM
munity to get out. If knew of city
I liked better than Lincoln I d go there.
And when can not find good words to
saw of the town in which 7 earn nv
bread and butter, I'll have the decency
to keep still. The bird that fouls its
own nest is no worse than the man who
curses and ISLANDERS the community in
which he earns livelihood.
BILLY MAJOR.