The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-12-27

tue pEAukcl. 4 hD JOuA hoAAoN Ae'o ~ 1
time for extra work. He does his
own task, grinds out his copy with
machine-like regularity, and his task
is done. He specializes, and with the
keen zest of the specialist, develops
the highest efficiency. Not SO with
the country editor. His task covers
a multitude OF things,
When lecture course bureau
man comes to the small town, why
does he hunt up the editor among
the first? Because the editor Is not
in business. He is in a profession on
level with that OF the teacher and
preacher, he is doing what he can in
an educational way uplifting line. He
gets no direct pay for doing this, il
any at all When there is civic
improvement project to be started,
why do the leaders go to the coun-
try editor to get him to boost III
Because he is not in business. He's in
| q profession, that of boosting. When.
there is moral cleaning up to be
! done, why is the editor supposed to
| be leader in trying to down booze?
Why is the editor almost invariably
one of the hardest workers for
| Commercial Club? Why does h.
send out favorable publicity for his
Town? Why does he write editorials
exhortlng people to exert Their efforts
to make the town better morally,
.rging scientific farming, advocating
sood roads, pounding away at things
ne conscientiously believes for the
oest of the community? He is ex-
ected to do these things because h
$ not In business. He is in peculiar
and mauy-sided profession.
The great majority of country ed
ors are poor business men, and why?
simply because It is practically I'M
ossibie for them to specialize on
nything. From purely bus mes
,tandpoint, specialization is neces
airy to sue, ess. Mhen a country
\ .ditor is young, he Is active in boost
ng and like NOV ements. When NJ
rows old he is held to be sort o.
a philosopher, an authority on many
things, and he is appealed to in ev'
cry conceivable way. His daily wori
consists OF gathering locals. solicit
ing advertising, keeping books, set
ing straight matter, feeding presses
i, setting jobs, attending to customers
i, writing ads, washing rollers, writing
, letters, reporting club or counc,
meetings, giving information as t
the number of bushels OF ear corr
| raised in the county last year, etc,
talking politics, religion or any con
ceivable subject, writing editorials
q making up forms, collecting, CLEAN
ing from Is or 100 exchanges, tigur
. ing on job work, throwing in type
n mailing out papers, going on booste
- trips, besides a hundred side lines
~ such as acting as judge in school de
g aates, reporting ball games, gettin
I'D lecture course, entertaining othC
Al visitors, designing fancy jobs, writ
!, ing I'D real estate booklets for GU
:. toners. hundreds of little jobs whic
:, the layman would not think o
nd all OF which take time. 1t is yer
! we'll for the business man in his o
nee, who sits down with pen and ru
err and clean hands. posts his ledg'
10 and balances his cash, but with Il
,s country editor it Is different pro
a. ositIon. Perhaps he is washing
70 ink roller or making up form ar
= some one comes in to pay subscri
"a lion or advertising accounts.
n beautiful white pages or neat &C
umns OF figures for him. He is fore
by the nature OF his occupation
lie continually jumping from one Xii
"a of work to another, each Of entire
y different nature. Can one wond
90 that he is not specialist?
al At present, the occupation
-. country editor Is a profession, not
- business or trade. He works hand
Al hand with the local preacher a
'no teacher, all three being in simil
.or work. The value of a country edit
- to a community therefore resolN
so itself into the same proposition
~ that of a teacher or preacher. If
is given opportunity, he can be a W
o. valuable man. A handy man OF t
,na kind Is needed in every eommuni
fbe He can put his town on the M
Who ever hears OF Sedgwick, Kans
10 except as the name Is given In quo
the lions from the Sedgwick PantagraI
les. IL he is forced to fight for his 0r'
all and butter, hagglipg over job w
the and advertising, wondering ev
lin week whera the next weeks
ug- roll Is coming from, he Will lose
to cheney like the oyercrowded preac
,es- or teacher. Paraphrasing DR.. Sa
,nts ers, he will want to get into jour-
and istic work. The Jacksonian.