The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1916-09-14
CONFESSED SINS OF OMISSION.

There comes a time in the life of every editor
when it is a genuine relief to be able to confess
his sins of omission-heavy on the omission"
Right now you are preparing to read things
"As the Editor Sees Them" But you won't. And
therein comes our sin OF omission, for by the rule
of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" we
should publish as we see.
For instance
We might mention by name a strong, hearty,
robust man who is well possessed of this worlds
goods, whose every personal want appears to be
satisfied, who seeks the pleasures OF the world
and enjoys them himself. Then re might men,
ton the frail little wife vino patiently tolls at
home day by day, throughout the daylight hours
and far into the night. We might tell the story
of how she seldom has an hour to call her own,
of how the grinding burdens of life are crushing
her into a premature grave, of how the joys of
living have degenerated into the bitterness of
mere existence.
We might tell the st ary "As the Editor Sees
It," and humanity would have but slight sympa-
thy for the man. It void serve as a choice NOR
sci of gossip. and might perchance bring a flush
to the masculine cheek t t appears never to have
known consideration or name.
But through consideration for the little tired
and overburdened woman whose life is being whit
tied away we commit the editorial sin of "omis-
sion" He was once dear to her, and, woman-like,
her heart may still cling to the brute who basks in
the sunshine of life while she Writhes in the mis-
cry Of neglect.
To publish the story in all of its cruel thought
fulness and criminal Indifference would be but an
act Of justice and retribution. But, then, it would
bring shame and degradation to a waning life
whose burdens are already too great for the frail
body to bear. Hence our voice is stilled, our pen
refuses to move, and the details Of the story are
never told.
Every editor commits like sins Of omission,
but he does so after calm and mature reflection
A story comes to him in all of its sordidness and
multiplicity of filthy and disgusting details. He
must decide whether to send it forth to the world.
to speak as he sees and hears" or to enshroud it
with the mantle of human charity for the sake of
the innocent ones who would be unjustly wounded
and Inundated through it's publication. He weighs
both sides, acts as his heart and his conscience
dictates, and is himself the target of criticism
from one side or the other, regardless of what his
decision may be.
If he publishes the story, the innocent suffer-
es and their friends term him heartless and
cruel. If the milk Of human kindness flows in his
veins and he suppresses the story, the scandal
lovers are onto him in force because he has not
smblazoned a choice morsel of gossip to an ex-
pectant world.
We can recall instances wherein we have COM
mitted the sin of omission, and the culprit has
staggered around and conveyed the impression
that we were afraid to tell the truth, when as a
matter of fact we considered only those who would
be uniustly dragged down with them in their
degradation.
But the most pitiful object on earth is thu
cuss who gets caught in his deviltry and then bes
the editor "for the sake of his innocent famiy"
not to print the story.
And perhaps the "sin Of omission is notsuch
a sin after all.