The Cordova daily times., 1920-04-10
SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 1920
INSIDE AND OUT

 journalism and newspaper making about which persons outside Of 1t know so little The man who has at one time or another sent "a piece" to the papers or owned share of stock in a newspaper is to be met on every corner, and ninety-n1ne per- sons out of a hundred are quite sure they know better how to edit, to write for, to prepare generally, and to pub fish a newspaper than any editor, or journalist or publisher who ever lived. And so they do, each of them, know how to put out just the right sort of newspaper-for them. It would not be for anyone else. If they were will ing to pay the price they could, any of them, publish a newspaper that would exactly please each one of them, individually. The perfection of their product would not be apparent to another mortal soul on earth. To the rest of the world, their news papers would be uninteresting, silly, useless botches, Newspapers deal in ideas and the ideas of no two persons in the world are identical,
 Not all, by any means, of those en- gagged in journalism OF newspaper making understand what might be called the science of it. Those who have dabbled in it know little about it, and those outside Of it know noth- ing at all. Its shades and facets, it's psychology, and it's relations to poli- tical, sociological and commercial con- ditions comprise world into which men outside the profession have never peeked, though most of them are quite convinced that they have seen 1t all. They are quite sure, at least, that common rules, applicable else where, with which they are more or less familiar, may be applied here as well.
 The really competent newspaper man realizes he does not know it all, and that is great part of his wis., dom. He is no quidnunc. That is one of the dynamic forces behind the real journalist that impels ever on- ward, to learn and to do He does know that those outside know noth- ing of it. He knows that just as cer. tatnly as he apprehends that while some fathers may not know the true and really finer sense of fatherhood, no. childless man can understand any thing of what fatherhood means.
 There are degrees in the qualifica- tion even of men in the profession. of course. Nearly every one of them has limitations that are obvious enough, though he be talented within certain scope.
 The story is told, and it is quite true, of newspaper man, we'll up on the staff of the paper on which he is employed, who approached the editor and owner of the paper in some inn patience one day, and putting aside conventional decorum, proceeded to lecture the responsible head for not doing and saying certain things through the paper He reminded the editor and owner of his radical per- sonal convictions upon certain public questions, and the complete indepen- sence of his position, and urged him to certain departures.
 The chief took the scolding good hpmoredly, and then said: "Now, don't anwer this question for three minutes. Think the matter over care fully, then tell me this: how long do you think this newspaper would last if I followed your advice?"
 At the end of the first minute, the critic, himself capable man, said with crestfallen air. Probably six months"
 You have put it at least five months too long," replied the editor, who knows what he is doing, knows the intricacies and the pitfalls, and knows he is dealing with all sorts of people, of every shade of idea and personal viewpoint, and with complex