OCR Text |
Show T call upon the- editor and exult over he fact, that the paper never gets anything right. The editor gets a name wrong that Is mumbled to him ovr the telephone, he'always bungles everything.- If a politician, gets caught In an unpopular Interview, ho declnres that h wan "misquoted." If the paper makes an Immaterial misstatiTuent In an article In which the main tacts ar correct, the editor will find that it Is a "tissue of falsehoods false-hoods from beglnDlDg to end." If In tho hurry of editorial discussion b ncci'pts poor authority, and misstates a fact he Is di-nounced as a willful and be&otti'd liar. Gossips who are utterly without prudence of statement state-ment of charity for tho shortcomings of others see no Inconsistency In brazenly bra-zenly criticising an editor for even the most manifest of errors. The experienced ex-perienced newspaper man has long since learned that newspnperperfec-tlon newspnperperfec-tlon is ottainr-d only by those who have never engaged In the business, and his feeling of resentment at unjust un-just criticism gives away to one of calm and serene contemplation of the foibles of mankind. It Ik the average public to whom the editor must make wis appeal and every editor knows that the average av-erage man is fair, and Just and appreciative. ap-preciative. Uach editor has hundreds of such on his list. Ho is the "Old Subscriber." He is the man who takes the paper through storm and sunshine. If he sees something In the paper he does not like, he does not Inflict capital punishment on tho editor by stopping his paper. He has Ideas of his own, but he Is willing that other men should have theirs. If the ! paper misses the malls, he lakes it good huraoredly. If ho is asked to pay his subscription, he does so with a chuckle and declares that lie ought to have paid it before. If he reads an opinion In his paper with which he differs he writes the editor a letter or discusses the question with him In a friendly way. 'The Old Subscriber' Sub-scriber' tho backbone of a newspaper's news-paper's support One of lilm is worth a dozen of the hysterical and "stop THE "OLD SUBSCRIBER" To attain to Its best a ne-wspnppr fhould be an uccuraie as possible In Its statements. The work of publishing publish-ing a paper is ono of endless detail and eternal vigilance 1st the price which must pay for even partial freedom from errors. No editor here has escaped humiliation and chagrin over the errors which unaccountably but persistently creep Into the paper, and none escapes the visits of the pereDnlal and ublqulioiis boro who will wade through tire and water to my paper" sort who fir Into a rago when they cannot run the whole shop. I here propose a toast to the "Old Subscriber" the mau who stauds without bitching the good old standby stand-by who pays without grumi.ling. differs dif-fers without quarreling, helps without with-out ostentation, gives praise and crlt-islsm crlt-islsm when each falls due, and who Is welcome In every newspaper office In the land whether he wears oioad-cloth oioad-cloth or overalls. God bless the "Old Subscriber" and may he live long and prosper! But with all of its worries and responsibilities re-sponsibilities the work of the craft Is not only agreeable but fascinating. We have a dally chance to grow to grow in wisdom, purse and grace We come In contact with people of all sorts and with Mg and puzzling questions ques-tions of all kinds. We are constantly on the firing line of the world's en- 1 deavor. We are living in an age of marvels and we must partake of Its lofty spirit and its glorious optimism. Messnges flash through the oir witn-out witn-out the aid of wires; boats swim under un-der the water: ships fly through the air. rtillanlhrophy Is putting millions of dollars at the disposal of science lo light disease. The generation Is alert to Its responsibilities and its npeds. II is doing things. Civic righteousness righteous-ness is growing. The bugle call has been sounded for tho welfare of men. Wo are trying to stop tho impoverishment impoverish-ment of the soli, the depletion of the forests, the monopolv of our water powers and the spendthrift treatment of our natural resources- Public sentiment sen-timent is full of red blood and was never more alive. It Is for us to play the man's part and lu realize that we can only keep step with the music of events by the unremitting zeal, which Jn character building and equipment for life is its own glorious and fitting reward. Exchange. |