West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-11-09

| oo spurncd with loathing. IL all do
ponds whether he is viewed with the
rosy spoctacles OF SNUG complacency
or the baleful vision OF one who rises
from his couch suffering with live,
troubles and with bad taste In his
mouth The fate of the newspaper
man Is that of the neutral nation or
the private poacemaker. In tho one
case he is buffoted on all his border,
and In the other he Is kicked I'm the
Stats by both husband and wife. saws
Eugene Brown in the Los Angeles
Times.
The frailities or eXcesses OF the edI-
tor are given TO the whole world in
black ink on white paper. His short
comings and long-golngs are public
property. More often he is abused for
what he does not rather than for what
he does.
The favorltc passion OF the irro-
sponsible layman is to own n nowa-
paper long enough to rip somebody up
the back. Yet IL tho editor doea han
pen TO tread on the tail of n coat tho
result Is either n libel suit, n fight or
lost subscriber. Editorial praise ia
seldom fully appreciated, but editorial
criticism Is always strongly and hot
ly resented. Speak kind words about
smith for whole life timo and ho
VIII contontedly accept them as his
Just due, but let dlnky little item
creep In that places him In an un-
pleasant light and all tho good things
that have gone before are forgotten.
lie never tried TO do the paper any
good before, but now he takes up the
club aud ax and does all the damage
possible. He raves and RACES like n
wildcat.
III through friendship or sympathy
the editor withholds the publication OF
some unhappy bit OF news concerning
hitherto respected citizen, that per-
son VIII carelessly express graft
tude he hardly feels. But II the pub
lie learns OF the suppression the roar
may be heard for miles. To tho ordi-
nary reader the greatest newspaper
crime in the world is the suppression
OF news. And yet the paper is merely
the EDITORS show window I'm which he
may rightfully place such OF his wares
as he elects.
In time when there is a great war,
a political campaign, prohibition, suf-
frage, baseball, taxation, dancing,
Mexico, Japan, tunnel boring and a
few other disturbing factors I'm the
public mind the editor who can keep
his bark from the shoals is some pilot.
In mental makeup he would be mix
ture of MachiaYelll and Sir Galahad.
If the newspaper contains unusual
reports Of German victories, IL there is
criticism OF British methods or IL the
editor surreptitlously nibbles a pret-
eel he is promptly accused of being a
SPY of the kaiser and one OF the right
bowers OF the German chancellor. II
the paper puts glaring headlines over
dispatch about the German lines be-
ing swept back at Verdun or the editor
takes TO playing cricket instead OF pc
nuchle Karl Hofmeister will call him
up on the phone and accuse him OF
making shells for the allies.
II the newspaper prints the state
ment OF grape grower that the pro-
hibition amendment would destroy his
vineyard Rev. Dr. Lastly will write
the editor "A letter telling how Il
grievos him sorely to have TO denounce
him from the pulpit as a hlrellng OF
the saloon. If the paper gives an in
teryiew with a celebrated scientist
showing that II three fingers of alco-
hol arc shot into the hind leg OF a
grown man his stepchildren will 90
mad the bartender at The Blue Moon
will pause In bic death dealing work
long enough 10 order his paper stop
ped and declare that the editor is n
narrow minded Puritan
In politics nobody can be pleased
n you sing a little song for a protec-
tive tariff other partisans will want
TO know why an American cannot
stand by our noble president. II the
paper does happen TO chip ln a good
word for or praise some official act
Of our noble president the Old Guard
throws out open hints OF treachory.
Presently a sharp featured person
with an impatient step and palpable
crouch comes in lie IS Hannibal J.
DE Soto "How about this7" he OK
claims. Here we had the greatest
meeting ever held in the Nincty-nin,h
precinct Aka hall was full That
great statesman. o. -. Gosh, was the
principal orator, and his speech was a
masterful one. and yet you give us
only twenty lines / was chairman Of
the meeting. and you don't even men
tion my name But when Ham lewis
or Beveridge is here Yen give him n
column. That's = -- Of a way 10
treat hogQ industriosi You can stop
my paper, and Gosh wants to stop
his"
The ladies God bless 'em!-aiso
have their poevish moments. There
are lot Of 'em who don't want to vote
and they register anger when tho suf-
fragettes get All the publicity n the
editor has something about state tax
alton or suggests an excess Of COM
mission ershipa ne IS declared 10 bes