The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-08-26
TICKET.
As The Editor Sees It


There comes a time in the life of
every editor when it is a genuine re-
lief to be able to confess his sins of
omission-heavy on the Omission"
Right now you are preparing to
read things GAS the Editor Sees
Them" But you won't. And therein
comes our sin of omission, for by the
rule of ian 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 we might mention the frail little
wife who 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 grin
ding 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 story Gas the
Editor Sees It," and humanity would
have but slight sympathy for the a
1t would serve as a choice morsel of
gossip, and might perchance bring a
flush to the masculine cheek that ap-
pears never to have known considera-
ton or shame.
But through consideration for the
little tired and overburdened woman
whose life is being whitfield away we
commit the editorial sin of ''omis-
sion." He was once dear to her, and,
~womanlike, her heart may still cling
to the brute who basks in the sun
shine of life while she writhes in the
misery of neglect.
To publish the story in all of it's
cruel thoughtlessness and criminal in
difference would be but an act of JUS
tice and retribution. But, then, it
would bring shame and degradation to
a waning life whose burdens are al
ready too great for the frail body to
bear. Hence our voice is stilled, u
pen refuses to move, and the details
of the story are never told.
E.xox-, oI.Lou aoNoxo;41 ILL., c,-1 ~
omission, but he does so after calm
and mature reflection. A story comes
to him in all of it's sordidness and null
tiplicity of filthy and disgusting de-
tails. 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 mes who
would be unjustly wounded and hu-
inflated through its publication. He
weighs both sides, acts as his heart
and his conscience dictates, and is him
self the target of criticism from M
side or the other, regardless of what
his decision may be.
If he publishes the story, the inno-
cent sufferers and their friends term
him he~artless and cruel. II the milk
of human kindness flows in his veins
and he suppresses the story, the scan
dial lovers are onto him in force be-
cause he has not emblazoned a choice
morsel of gossip to an expentant
world.
We can recall instances wherein we
have committed 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 unjustly dragged
down with them in their degradation.
But the most pitiful object on earth
is the cuss who gets caught in his
deviltry and then begs the editor "for
the sake of his innocent family" not
TO print the story.
And perhaps the "sin of omission"
is not such a sin after all.
Subscribe for The Pleasant&ille Press.