A Plea for Editors.

Cromwell Argus, Volume 2, Issue 92, 15 August 1871, Page 6

A Plea for Editors.

The London " Jewish Chronicle" of the 31st of March, 1871, writes in a leading article of "the great difficulties of a journalist's position," and goes on to say : " For instance, one supposition seems to he entertained, —that an editor, instead of having a deliberate and responsible public duty to perform, has to, and ought to, fight the battles of a clicpie ; and our community is divided into numerous clkpies. There is another suppositon that no question can he ventilated without indulgence in acrimonious rebuke and personal remarks. A third supposition is that the duty of censor and critic devolves on every reader when an editor is in the case, —a supposition duo to the fact that persons are unaware that editorial duty, like other duty, can only be learnt by train- I ing and experience ; and that a man can no more guide a public journal unless he shall have learnt how to do it, than he can steer a ship through the English Channel without,* learning the sailing master's code of sh J} | reefs, and signals. There are many si... 's and reefs to avoid, many signals to observe, when one holds the editorial helm ; and it is by appreciating this fact, and by estimating [ the journalist's mission as one of great im- \- portanoo and responsibilily,ycs,—and by en- ; deavouring to fulfil that mission by a con- [ scientious sense of such importance and re- I sponsibility,—that one can alono hope to t carry out a task which may, under Provi- I rlcncc, he very fruitful for good." 1