Simply because we are foolish enough to think that commonplaces
passed through our commonplace minds acquire some new value. We
start off with a wrong notion. We think that we are going to
lead, that we are going to remedy, that we are going to DO THE
PUBLIC THINKING FOR THE PUBLIC.
Sad nonsense. The best that the best editorial writer can
achieve is to make the reader think for himself. At this point
we ask our fellow editorial men--our superiors, of course--to
adopt Ruskin's idea of a useful writer.
In a letter to Mrs. Carlyle, written when he was a young man, he
outlined the purpose which he carried out, and which explains his
usefulness to his fellow-men:
"I have a great hope of disturbing the public peace in various
directions."
This was his way of saying that he hoped to stir up
dissatisfaction, to provoke irritation, impatience and a
determination to do better among the unfortunate. He did good,
because he awoke thought in thousands of others, in millions of
others.
Editorial writers, don't you know that stirring up
dissatisfaction is the greatest work you can do?
Tell the poor man ten thousand times:
"There is no reason why you should be overworked. There is no
reason why your children should be half-fed and half-educated.
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