His duties and training as an editor
especially fit him to represent the peo
ple in these critical times. Vance
was once an editor, and no doubt his
natural straightforwardness and hon
esty were strengthened and confirmed
by that experience. When, for example,
the ordinary politician starts on his
canvass of a couple of months, once in
two or four years, his whole case is
made up. Every debateable subject
of public concern has been threshed
out by the editors and the result
embodied in his party's platform. He
has little more to do than to interpret
this with such skill as his natural gifts
impart to him. With the editor, on
the other hand, he must take sides
every day, in every month of all the
years, upon every important public
question, as it arises, and stand or fall
by the wisdom or unwisdom of his
utterances. During all that time, the
politician remained dumb and non
committal, ducking his head until the
storm passes. As a gentleman of this
city recently remarked, the editor of
a leading newspaper should be a
statesman. To be that, he must of
course look ahead. He must not
consider whether his attitude on a
public question renders him personally
unpopular for the moment. He must
consider the people's interest, trusting
for their approbation when time srjall
have revealed the tricks by which
demagogues obscured the truth. A
notable example of this occurred in
the attitude of sundry North Carolina
newspapers when the repudiation of
the party law and rebellion against
party organization were attempted in
this State two years ago. Except for
the stand taken by those papers then,
resulting in the breaking up of that
attempt, our members of Congress
would not have a leg to stand on in
tteir present demand that the party
law be adhered to in legislation.
