It would be nice if publications held their editors to the same high standards of competence that they held their authors to. But, alas...

I try to keep a single point in mind, that helps me when I'm dealing with a difficult editor. I remind myself that I have faith in the quality of my own work, and that I can afford to concede to a couple foolish suggestions without fearing that it will compromise what I'm trying to say.

Although, to be fair, the person you were dealing with didn't even bother editing. They just rejected it without explanation. Sorry to hear that you had to deal with that, and I hope that the would-be-editor trips over their garden hose.