St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-04-12
A NEWSPAPER STUDY.
Written for the CALIFORNIAN

A bound newspaper volume has IN
terested me so much that propose
to say something aboutit, the events
which it records, and the people to
whom it ministered, to such OF the
CALEDoNIAN readers as care to know
of the events and politics Of sixty
years ago.
This newspaper was the Demo
cratic Republican, published at
Haverhill, N. H., from 1928 TO 1868,
by three brothers, John r., Warren
and Sylvester Reding. 1t was ably
conducted and had great influence in
the upper part Of the Connecticut
valley in its time. 1t was a four.page
paper, about the size of the GALE
DOMAIN, and its mechanical execution
would, making due allowance for
changes in style, be creditable to any
country printing office at the present
time. This particular volume con-
tains its issues from Jan. 8, 1888 to
Feb. %, 1887, period in our history
well worth our study. ohm K. Red
ing was man of considerable note
in his time. He was member Of
congress from 1910 to 1914, and was
prominent also in several national
democratic conventions. He probably
had more to do than any other man
with bringing about the nomination
of Franklin Pierce for the presidency
in 1852.
Mr.. Reding married a sister OF
Hon. Isaac Hill of Concord, and af-
ter her death married Miss lane
Martin OF St. Johnsbury, who had
been a teacher in Haverhill Academy.
He removed to Portsmouth many
years ago, where he died in 1892,
the last survivor but one of the 9th
congress, and was buried at Haver-
hill. His paper was an able advocate
of the policy of Andrew Jackson and
opposed to protective tariff internal
improvements by the general govern
ment, and the United States bank.
There was another paper printed at
Haverhill then, also ably edited, Of
the opposite party, and against it
the Redings waged perpetual war.
Politics ran high in those days, and
party spirit was very bitter. Isaac
Hill was then the political dictator
of New Hampshire. Now to the
present generation his name is almost
unknown, but at that period he was
one of the most prominent politicians
in the country. He was United States
senator, governor, fifth auditor of
the treasury, and editor of the most
influential paper in the state. His
personal magnetism was great his
influence extended to every town
and school district; he trained a
whole generation in his political
school, and the singular difference in
politics between New Hampshire and
Vermont, from his days to ours, is
due TO the influence of Isaac Hill in
the former state, from 1920 to 1850,
more than to any other cause. YER
mont has had many able men, but
has had no Isaac Hill. Whatever
Mr.. Hill uttered, either at Washing
ton or at Concord, was faithfully
echoed by the Democratic Republi-
can at Haverhill. Consequently it
was, first Of all, a political paper,
but its utterances were dignifed, and
its course honorable. But history
often dismisses as OF no consequence,
men and measures OF great moment
in their day. 1t is more interesting
to study the paper itself than its
politics, and nothing in il is more
marked than its difference from the
country newspaper Of our day. The
country nowadays contents himself
with gathering into his columns the
happenings of the region where his
paper circulates most, and thus
fosters mutual acquaintance among
the villages and towns. People read
II to know what their neighbors in
the next town or over the mountain
are about. 1t usually has little to
say on public questions, as families
commonly take city paper to tell
them about the world in general
But this was not the case then. PEG.