The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1911-01-12

Some little two by four youngster down in Kan
sas who 'runs' newspaper, recently read paper
before convention of newspapermen, advising
country editors to cut their editorials, and fill
those columns with local gossip He said the aver
age country editor didn't know enough to write live
editorials anyway and seemed to think that the
city dalies could furnish enough editorial comment
for all o. the newspapers. This brot to the editor
OF the Duluth Herald to his feet "instanter' and he
landed the country editor as he never was praised
before. The Duluth editor says that the publisher
OF the country weekly is in better position to feel
the pulse of the masses than is the city editor
He says:
Nobody but country editor would dare charge
that the country editor doesn't know much any
way" and If you will believe U.S. it isn't so. 1t has
been our experience. after fairly long period OF
brushing up against country exchanges, that the
country editor is about wise as the next one, and
can see through a hole in a ladder easily as any
city welder OF pencil and shears. He may not know
mach OF anything about some things, but there
something's he Knows more about than any body
sese, and these the things 1t 10 his business to
knsw and that is for the public good that he should
know. He knows what the people, the plain, ordi-
nary people who in the mass neither ordinary
nor plain,are talking about. He knows what they
think what they want what they need
Generaly, too, the country editor is free man.
paper, on the average, than the city writer's do.
No doubt there country newspapers that are
organs and their influence nulliied by public
knowledge Of the fact that somebody pulls the
strings; but where there is one such country news.
paper there are a dozen suca in the cities.
The peril OF the editor in the city is that unlesa
he studies to do differently he is likely to get away
from the peole Impulses to progress. come often
est up from the people, and he is the best public
servant-an editor, country city, is public serv-
snt-"ho Keeps closest in touch with fundamental
seman realities. The impulses to progress that
seem to come down to the people from higher
realms OF thought usually are simply Impulses that
have come from the people in vague form, and that
have been translated into definite terms by thos.
VITO think they live in those higher realms Of
sought Thecloser the editor is to the people the
sseter equipped he is for his high service: and the
ssantry editor can't get away from the people
Tne editor in the city, the other hand, is con-
ssAntly tempted or misguided away from the people,
Perhaps his paper Is controlled as some papers are
controlled by special interests that are hostile to
~ people Even if it is not controlled his dan
ssr Is that instead of being close to the people he
wa1 be close to some; that instead of studying the
masses and getting his inspiration from them he
VIII find his inspiration in the classes
The country weekly should by all means have an
editorial column and its editor should guard it as
the apple CT Ills eye. We don't mind saying that
some OF the best things we have in print in
Minnesota have been in the editorial columns Of the
country weeklies.