USA > Iowa > Dubuque County > The history of Dubuque County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc. > Part 71
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The editorials, as the reader will conclude, were Democratic of the straitest sect, aggressive, yet dignified; the telegraph and city news were such as to attract attention, and the genial "ad " which maketh the editor's heart to warm and his entire composition to rejoice, was neither stinted, nor, as would seem to the uninitiated, unremunerative. The prosperity of the paper was evident to the casual observer, and if doubt existed up to October, 1857, that doubt must have been dissipated, when, on the morning of the 7th of that month, the Express and Herald appeared in new garments, enlarged two columns and otherwise as "spick and span " as a bridegroom before the altar.
Early in 1858, the "Molly Maguires," of which so much has been quoted during late years, so many having been arrested for murder in the coal fields of Pennsylvania, tried and executed, and otherwise disposed of-first came to the surface, and were accused of being Democrats, or affiliating with the Demo- cratic party. The E. and H. denied this in an editorial, which was generally copied over the country, of which the following syllabus is republished :
NEW SECRET POLITICAL SOCIETY.
We regret to learn that a new political society, called the " Molly Maguires," has been formed in Philadelphia, and it is stated that the members are chiefly Irishmen claiming mem- bership with the Democratic party.
This society cannot meet the approbation of the Democratic party ; on the contrary, it will meet its stern and emphatic disapprobation, and it is to be hoped that this will have the effect of crushing it at once.
Democracy cannot recognize or indorse any secret, oath-bound political society, as the prin- ciple is contrary to its doctrines in every respect. It has always maintained that such combina- tions are most dangerous to our free institutions, as they have the tendency to take away from men their dearest rights of franchise, uncontrolled save by their own sense of right, and to make them mere machines in the hands of an unprincipled clique or party.
We had supposed that our foreign fellow-citizens of Philadelphia had seen enough of the bigoted and fanatical Know-Nothing party, to deter them from entangling themselves in any
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oath-bound political society. They have seen that party spring up like Jonah's gourd, and, after a brief and unnatural growth, signalized by scenes which all good citizens would wish expunged from the history of our country, have seen it wither and languish under the indig- nant condemnation of the people.
If our foreign-born citizens form these secret political societies, no matter how good the principles, it will have the effect of encouraging Know-Nothingism by inciting them to renewed efforts.
Democracy knows no concealment of doctrines, its principles are published fearlessly and boldly to the world ; and to all who range themselves under its broad banner, whether native or foreign born, their political rights will be fearlessly and faithfully guarded. We hope that all true Democrats will avoid such dangerous combinations, as they must always meet the condem- nation of our party.
The eleventh volume, begun on January 4, 1859, evidenced a reduction in the size of the paper, though the price remained as of old, and the circulation was quoted at 1,100. It should be stated, that, during the previous June, one column had been " cut off," without vouchsafing an explanation, and the same policy was pursued in the second reduction.
January 1. 1860, the paper appears as the Dubuque Herald, that title hav- ing been substituted for the Express and Herald, still under the control of J. B. Dorr & Co., and floating the name of Stephen A. Douglas at its editorial mast-head, as the Herald's candidate for the Presidency.
J. B. Dorr & Co. continued in charge of the Herald until May 8, 1860, when its sale was effected to D. A. Mahony, who assumed the editorship on that date, and became responsible for its political, local and personal utteran- ces. The paper, he announced, was a medium for the communication of interest- ing intelligence ; would aim to remain in the front ranks; its devotion to local interests would be a distinctive feature; as a political organ it would recognize, as sound and fundamental, the principles of political economy and constitu- tional liberty, which had become characteristic doctrines of the Democratic party. In short, the paper would be devoted to the cultivation of advantages which were within the grasp of Dubuque, and only needed cultivation to develop into sources of wealth.
Eleven days after taking charge, Mr. Mahony associated Andrew Keesecker (the pioneer printer of Iowa), as a partner, and the firm was thereafter known as Mahony & Keesecker, with Franc B. Wilkie, now associate editor on the Chicago Times, as city editor. In the campaign of 1860, the Herald hailed the nomination of Stephen A. Douglas as a glorious event in the history of the country, and extended him the most ardent support until his defeat became an acknowledged fact.
During July, 1860, the firm name was taken down, and D. A. Mahony, successor to J. B. Dorr & Co., announced as the proprietor, with D. A. Ma- hony and J. B. Dorr as editors. On November 7 following, Mr. Dorr withdrew, leaving Mr. Mahony sole editor and proprietor, and so remaining until Novem- ber 29, 1860, when James Brown and John Hodnett were published as partners. The firm of D. A. Mahony & Co. was continued until early in 1862, when Brown disposed of his interest to Mr. Mahony, who, in the fall of that year, received Stilson Hutchins, subsequently editor of the St. Louis Times, and now of the Washington Post, as a partner. This was a year of arbitrary arrests, and it will be remembered that Mr. Mahony was one of the victims, spending three months in the Capitol prison at. Washington City for criticising the conduct of the war.
In the fall of 1863, Mr. Hutchins leased the interest of Mahony & Hod- nett for a term of years, but waived his rights the following spring, when the paper was sold to Patrick Robb, M. M. Ham and F. M. Ziebach, who con- ducted it under the firm name of Patrick Robb & Co., until January 13, 1865,
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when M. M. Ham and D. D. W. Carver purchased the office, and have since owned and conducted the Herald.
A writer on the subject of the press observes, that second only to the com- ing of the first white man was the establishment of the first newspaper. On the 11th day of May, 1836, there was but one newspaper in Iowa, the first number being published that day. John King, a former active and enterpris- ing citizen of Dubuque, early in May bought a type and press, and on the day above cited issued the first number of the Dubuque Visitor, less than thirty years before the first newspaper in the Mississippi Valley was published in St. Louis, the lineal descendant of which is the daily and weekly now known as the St. Louis Republican.
Previous to November, 1873, the Herald was published at the corner of Main and Sixth streets. During that month, it was moved to the Herald Building, corner of Sixth and Locust streets, in the occupation of which it has since continued. The architecture of the building is mainly Gothic, embracing a few points of the Romanesque, giving its facade a substantial and imposing appearance. The facade is 84 feet in depth, and has an altitude of 55 feet from the basement, presenting a lofty and solid flanking of red brick upon Sixth street. The exterior wall is ribbed with a belting course of stone over the first story, level with the first tier of joists, also a molding course running below the window caps in each of the succeeding upper stories. The cornice is surmounted with brick capping adornments and dentals beneath it. The Gothic windows are capped with plain cut stone, with an ornament of brick paneling below, and entrance to the building is obtained through a handsome Gothic doorway, opening into the counting-room, at the summit of a flight of stone steps.
The basement of the building descends thirteen feet below the level of the street, and is divided into two compartments ; a press-room, containing the steam engine and power press, a paper-room, and a room for general storage purposes.
The first floor is occupied with the counting-room and editorial department. The walls are richly frescoed, and the interior furnishing is complete in every detail.
The second story is devoted to the job-printing department exclusively, and is one of the busiest portions of the building. Here all the composition for job work is done, and numerous presses, driven by steam power, are in constant operation. The third story contains the newspaper news-room and bindery ; it contains two capacious rooms, one 36x28, and the other 44x28 feet. The walls of the story are thirteen feet high, and the rooms are lighted by sixteen win- dows.
The lot on which the office is situated was purchased by the proprietors of the Herald in December, 1872, and ground for the erection of the building broken on the 10th of May following; the excavation was made by J. J. Lene- han, and the building erected under the supervision of Heer & Nascher, archi- tects. The material used in its erection, so far as could be, was obtained in Dubuque, the work was done by Dubuque mechanics, and the money expended in carrying the undertaking to a satisfactory conclusion was wholly paid to Dubuque artisans. The Herald building is complete in every particular, first class in all respects, and considered among the ornaments of the city. The cost of the building and ground is stated at $25,000; the amount invested in the enterprise, $75,000.
The editorial force is as follows : M. M. Ham, editor in chief; R. V. Shurly, city editor, and J. R. Scott, commercial.
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HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY.
The Times .- The Dubuque Times owes its origin to a joint-stock company, who incorporated themselves in 1857, with design of establishing a Republican journal. There was then no Republican daily newspaper in the northern half of the State, and there is none other than the Times now, save the Journal at Sioux City, 326 miles west of Dubuque. The first number of the projected Times was issued June 15, 1857, Dr. George G. Lyon, editor. In May, 1858, a re-incorporation was had, with added incorporators, but the historic " hard times " of that year compelled it to suspend publication after fifteen months of struggling existence.
Near the close of 1858 Mr. Frank W. Palmer (now Postmaster at Chicago), E. W. Upham and C. A. Gilmore purchased the material, and soon thereafter resuscitated the Times, issuing a daily and weekly edition. The steady improvement in business affairs, the marvelous increase in the settlement of the northern half of the State, together with energetic and enterprising manage- ment, combined to assure permanent success. In 1861, Mr. Palmer retired from the firm, he having been elected State printer. In June of the next year, Mr. G. T. Stewart, formerly of the Toledo (Ohio) Blade, purchased the paper, and continued as publisher and editor until April, 1864, when he sold it to Charles Aldrich and W. S. Peterson. Col. M. S. Barnes purchased the property in 1867; and, in July, Philip Ryan became half-owner, the firm name being Barnes & Ryan, which continued until September, 1870. Mr. Jacob Rich then bought the moiety of Mr. Barnes, and the firm became Rich & Ryan, the former being editor. Under this management the Times steadily grew in influence, strength and popularity, and has become one of the leading journals of Iowa. In the last hours of 1873, Mr. Ryan died, and on the 1st of the succeeding March, M. C. Woodruff became owner of the Ryan interest, the firm now being Rich & Woodruff, the principal editorial work devolving upon the latter, as Mr. Rich was employed as pension agent for this district. In October, 1875, Mr. H. A. Perkins, State binder, and now of the Sioux City Journal, purchased the Rich interest in the Times, and for two years the firm was Woodruff & Perkins, the former being managing editor. In October, 1877, Mr. Perkins sold to M. C. Woodruff, F. H. Carberry and Albert Jordan, who, as "the Dubuque Times Company," have since been proprietors-Mr. Woodruff, editor.
Five years ago the Daily Times was enlarged to its present size of thirty- six columns, and has since been second in size to no other daily in Iowa. The weekly has also been several times enlarged, until now it is the largest in the State, being a twelve-page quarto of seventy-two columns. Its field is North- ern Iowa, Southern Minnesota, Western Wisconsin and Northwestern Illinois, where it has no Republican daily competitor. This field being overwhelmingly Republican, politically, the high standing and influence of the Times are obvi- ous and undisputed. Its circulation exceeds that of any other paper in North- ern Iowa, in consequence of which it has been designated under State law as an official paper of both the city and the county of Dubuque. The Times enjoys a good degree of prosperity, which is steadily increasing as the result of a constantly increasing circulation, and owes no man a dollar.
The Dubuque Daily Telegraph .- This latest successful venture in the field of Dubuque journalism made its first formal appearance as a candidate for popular favor on the 5th of July, 1870, under the mentorship of J. P. Quigley and S. D. Rich, with S. D. Rich as editor in chief, John Flynn asso- ciate, John S. Murphy, city editor, and Daniel O'Reagan as foreman in the composing-room.
J. J. Wilson
DUBUQUE.
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HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY.
Previous to its debut on the journalistic stage, it had commanded public attention as the disseminator of Fenian intelligence, and deserved so well of its patrons that the " dodger," as it was regarded, materialized at the date above indicated, though the type and office fixtures then belonged to Mrs. Laura Knowlton. These, however, were purchased by Quigley & Rich for $800; they also procured new type, a Washington press, and the equipments usual to a printing office, when the fun began.
The first issue met with a success that was gratifying, but, the support promised failing to be forthcoming, a month's experience convinced the pub- lishers that the receipts were insufficient for two, and Mr. Quigley sold out to Rich, who continued the experiment solus for a short time, when he, too, sold out to M. M. Trumbull. The vendee found out in one week that his invest- ment would not realize adequate returns, and he sold it to James Hughes, since deceased, by whom, in conjunction with the typos, editors and " the devil," the paper was run on the co-operative plan, continuing several months. At the expiration of this period of probation, so to speak, a sale of the paper was effected to D. A. Mahony, under the date of June 10, 1871, a veteran writer and editor, the founder of the Dubuque Herald, and identified with the Fourth Estate in Iowa for thirty years.
During the previous administrations, the paper had been of the Independ- ent order politically, and, with a view to increase its influence and pecuniary returns, this school of journalism had been duplicated in a weekly, which first. found expression on New Year's Day, 1871.
The paper was at that time a folio, 18x24, containing seven columns to the page, and typographically acceptable to the most fastidious. These features were retained by Mr. Mahony upon assuming command, and, during a partner- ship of upward of seven years, he has not in any particular varied from his original design of making the Telegraph a paper for the people, devoted to their rights and interests in every particular. Politically it has not depended upon the platforms of either party, but adopted the views which its editor has thought best for the people. It has advocated reform in the administration of government, national, State and municipal ; a reduction of expenses and the consequent reduction of taxation, which not only retards prosperity among the people, but promotes corruption in the government. In short, it has spe- cially endeavored to effect reforms and changes, and to better, in every possi- ble way, the condition of the people. That it has succeeded in accomplishing this ultimatum, is apparent from the encouragement and patronage it has received, and the widespread influence it exerts.
After ten months' labor, Mr. Mahony realized the utter impossibility of attempting, single-handed, to continue the undertaking, which had grown into comparatively huge proportions, and, on April 1, 1872, he accepted the services of Michael Brady as business manager, Mr. Mahony remaining editor-in-chief, and urging the measures of reform which have since crystallized and been rec- ognized as indispensable to a republican form of government. About that time, the Reformers at Cincinnati nominated Horace Greeley ; this the paper regarded as the best thing that could be done. He was a man, its editor insisted, who had been opposed to corruption and jobbery in Government departments and offices. He was, and had been, philosophically a protectionist, because he believed that theory of political economy to be most promotive of success to American industry. In most other respects except this the paper agreed with the candidate, and pledged its hearty support, doubting not that
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HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY.
the Cincinnati Convention would be true to its origin and to the public senti- ment which brought it into being. It would enter the campaign for Mr. Greeley on reform principles, for reform purposes, and with the hope of restoring to its former power, through his Presidency, whatever remained undestroyed of constitutional government, and on that basis reconstruct the shattered fabric of republican empire. With the enunciation of this postulate, the Telegraph began the campaign, and continued its battle for reform until the re-election of Grant dissipated the possibility of success for the hero of Chappaqua.
Previous to that date the paper had been enlarged, one column added to each page, and other improvements perfected, by which its hold on the public was materially strengthened, and its claims to consideration and liberal patronage made more secure. The adoption of principles enunciated in the Cincinnati plat- form, the support of Mr. Greeley and the advocacy of reform in all the departments of the Government, attracted increased admiration for the Tele- graph throughout the West, and materially added to the number of subscribers who sought an exposition of the true principles applicable to a republican form of government. Greeley was defeated, the people were beaten, observed its editor, when commenting on the re-election of Grant, but the fight made by the Telegraph was so sincere, so bold and so effective, that the friends who gathered round it then, still entertain the grateful regard its course inspired, and are among its most ardent supporters to-day. By the defeat of the Liberals, thought the editor, " The principles of free, honest government are stricken down, and power stands erect and triumphant over the prostrate body of popular liberty, gloating at its victory and mocking the idea that the people rule."
On Saturday, July 5, 1873, the Telegraph celebrated its third birthday ; three years previous it had been ushered into the newspaper world, and proved more of a success than its projectors had anticipated. The position assumed had been held against all competitors. This indicated that it was appreciated by the people at a value that was gratifying. The paper passed through the trials, dangers and diseases of journalistic childhood, and was entitled to a place among the established journals of the day. The publishers claimed that the Tele- graph stood side by side with the oldest established journals in the city, and a shoulder in advance of all of them in circulation, business reputation and influ- ence. It had been an independent journal, such as the people look to for the truth in fact, the reliable in news, the sound in principle, the safe in politics. Such it continued to be, the advocate of the people's rights, the avenger of their wrongs, the promoter of their interests. Its circulation increased. The advertising columns were more than generously patronized. The editorials were of a character that commanded public attention, and its locals sharp, spicy and entertaining. Mr. Mahony, it was claimed by his readers, was in advance of his contemporaries. and, having once taken a stand in support of a principle, or the advocacy of measures, he maintained his position without variation or retreat.
When the Greenback movement first manifested itself, the Telegraph became one of the most ardent advocates of the policy suggested, in the Northwest. Its editor argued that people who give no thought to the condition of the country, except to what it was, or to the causes which produced results felt, were not aware of what had entailed the prevailing poverty of the country. Reason- ing backward from effect to cause, the first thing that arrested the reasoner's attention was that hundreds of thousands of people were out of employment, and, idleness being poverty, the poverty of the country could be traced to this
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idleness. A million and more of people were out of employment. This million, if employed, would earn a million dollars a day, which is lost to the country. Industry was wealth, and the labor of a million of people being taken out of industrial pursuits, lessens, to the extent of what that people would earn, the wealth of the nation. This, then, is one of the causes of the prevailing poverty.
But this enforced idleness of so many people was the effect of another cause. What was that cause? The contraction of the currency, the lessening of the means to do business. This contraction had been effected, first by with- drawing from circulation the Government currency, and second by the demone- tization of silver, and thereby putting out of use as money silver coin, except for change. The acts of Congress had produced idleness among the people and the distress and poverty consequent upon that idleness, etc.
These conclusions seemed irresistible to the editor of the Telegraph, and have since obtained in his management of the paper, it being to-day an Inde- pendent Greenback organ of the most uncompromising type.
In the campaign of 1876, the Telegraph advocated the support of Tilden, preferring his election to a continuance in power of the Republican party. In the nomination of Hayes, " that party had accomplished a victory over itself. The convention had not the hardihood to nominate Blaine; it did not dare to nominate Conkling or Morton, and could not rise to the dignity of nominating Bristow. So, making a compromise between what it did not dare to do, and what it had not the wisdom to do, it nominated a negative man. Wheeler was a creature of circumstance and policy."
Subsequent to the election and while the result remained a disputed ques- tion, the paper insisted upon the right of Mr. Tilden to the office, and opposed any measures looking to a compromise of the existing difficulties. When the Electoral Commission was proposed, it earnestly deprecated the plan afterward adopted for deciding the mooted question, on constitutional grounds. It objected on the ground that the Commission provided a way for counting the electoral votes different from that contemplated by the Constitution. That instrument contemplated that the votes should be counted by Congress, and no other agency. The Justices of the Supreme Court could not be called upon to serve in any other than their constitutional capacities, and it was not justifiable to destroy or violate the Constitution to save the Government, for the destruction or violation of the Constitution was a destruction of the Government. It was not patriotism to destroy that which it was desirable to maintain.
When the decision of the Commission was announced, Mr. Mahony further reprehended the agency through which that result was attained. So soon as the tribunal had manifested a design to disregard the law of its creation, and refused to exercise the functions vested in it by Congress, he insisted that it was the duty of both houses to take official notice of, and action upon, this course. No action was expected of the Senate, but the country looked to the House of Representatives for a correction of the refusal of the tribunal to carry into effect in all its aims and purposes the act for its creation. It could have done so immediately after the decision of the tribunal in the Florida electoral case, not to go behind the certificate of the Governor of that State to ascertain whether or not that certificate certified to what would have been discovered to be a fraud. The refusal of the tribunal to investigate was simply a refusal to exercise the authority conferred upon it by the act of Congress creating it, and this refusal to exercise such authority left unexercised one of the prerogatives necessary to the ascertainment of facts on which depended the election of the
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