CHAPTER X. EDITORS AND LEADING ARTICLES. The true Church of England at this moment, lies in the editors of its newspapers. These preach to the people weekly, daily ; admonishing Kings themselves ; advising peace or war, with an authority which only the first Reformers and a long-past class of Popes were possessed of ; inflicting moral censure ; imparting moral encouragement, consolation, edification. — Carlyle. HOUGH it is generally and rightly understood that the editor is the supreme authority who presides over the policy of a newspaper, yet some curious misconceptions exist, even among fairly intelligent people, as to his functions. It is, for example, popularly believed that the editor performs the super-human feat of daily writing all the leading articles and editorial matter which appear in the columns of his newspaper. This and other misunder- standings as to what an editor does or does not do, are not altogether to be wondered at when two things are taken into account. The anonymous character of English journalism has made the editor the only known exponent, so far as the public is aware, of the views of the newspaper. Further, the public has been disposed to interpret in a too literal and limited sense the utterances of great writers relative to the editors of our newspapers. In endeavoring to correct a mistaken view of editorial duties, it is by no means sought to detract from the editorial dignity, for the vocation of editor, as it may be truly described in reference at least to the majority of the daily papers of the land, is something much more remarkable and dignified than the popular estimate. The editor may be not inaptly likened to a chef cPorchestre, the difference being that while the musical leader conducts a visible orchestra, the journal-
