The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-15
HALF A CENTURYS THOUGHT
HAD FELT THE IMPRESS OF HIS
TRENCHANT, UNFALTERING,
POSITIVE PENCIL.
Every Presidential Election
With DutifuI Respect.

Lyman Wolcott Hall, father of H. P.
Hail. died last evening at the residence
Of his daughter, 102 Western avenue,
at the advanced age of eighty-eight
years and ten months. The immediate
cause Of his death was kidney disease,
and he had been confined to the house
for several months. The last time he
was out was on election day. The
family was aware that he was in
critical condition for the past few
months, and his death was not unex-
pected. +--.--.~-
Lyman Wolcott Hall came from Pur-
itan and Revolutionary stock, having
been born in Lar esboro, Berkshire
county, Massachusetts,, March 9, 1908
Both his grandfather and great grand
father served in the Revolutionary war,
being captainand lieutenant in the same
company. His father served In the
war Of 1872, doing duty at Sackett's
Harbor, N. Y, which was then on the
frontier, and also in Canada.
Though originally fitting himself for
the practice Of law, his life work was
in the editorial profession. In Septem-
ber, 1880, he became a resident Of Ohio,
first locating at Ravenna, Portage
county, about thirty-five miles south
of Cleveland
He cast his first presidential vote be-
fore coming West, and has never failed
to vote at presidential election since
that time. 1t was for the National
Republican candidate, John Quincy
Adams. He did not affiliate with the
Whig party when it came upon the
scene, but joined the Liberty party,
which was subsequently merged into
the Free Soilers and finally became
the Republican party. Though an ar
dent anti-slavery man when that was
an issue, 1t is notable that he joined the
mugwumps, and gave three votes for
Grover Cleveland for president.
His first newspaper work was in 1896,
as editor of the Argus at Ohio City,
now the West side of Cleveland In
short time he returned to Ravenna and
became editor Of the Ohio Star in 1888,
and from that period until 1873, when
he followed his children to ST. Paul,
he was continuously in the editorial
harness, and for a time also in st. Paul
He left the Star for q few years, to
edit the Western Reserve Cabinet and
Visitor family rather than a political
paper, but the attraction of politics
brought him back to the Ohio Star to
engage in the burning question-slav-
ery-of the period.
When the amti-slavery movement
took shape in 1910, by the nomination
of James G. Birney, of Cincinnati, as
the Liberty party candidate for presi-
dent, Mr.. Hall Joined in that move
ment, and never ceased until there was
| IL A
Birney ran a second time for president
in 1874, Mr.. Hall was nominated as
the Liberty party candidate for con-
gresS in his district. The forlorn hope
of the cause at that time is best illus
trated by the fact that though he did
not run behind his ticket, he received
only thirteen votes in his own county.
The same year a county convention Of
his party was held out of doors, with
only five persons present.
Almost Immediately after the over
whelming defeat of Scott, the Whlg
candidate in 1852, Mr.. Hall began the
publication of series of articles in his
paper kindly acknowledging the death
of the Wing party, and extending them
the Free Soil olive branch. The articles
attracted widespread attention In the
state The Daily State Journal, at Co
lumbus, the leading Whig paper in the
state, took them up to combat them.
Joseph Medill, now the leading owner
of the Chicago Tribune, was then pub
fishing a daily Whig paper at Cleve-
land. He was ready to accept the olive
branch, and made several trips to Ra-
VIENNA to confer with Mr. Hall on the
subject, inviting him to come to Cleve-
land and Join in editing the daily, an
offer which was declined. Salmon P.
Chase, then a Free Soil United States
senator, elected by combination with
the Wings, also visited Mr.. Hall at
his home to indorse and stimulate the
movement, and the agitation which he
was almost the first man in the country
to begin, and perhaps the first news
paper man who plumply invited a coali-
ton with the Wings, led to the aban-
dcnment of both Free Soil and Whig
organizations and the formation Of the
Republican party. AS one of the first
results, Chase was elected governor of
Ohio in 1855 and reelected two years
later.
He was delegate to the state con-
! vention which nonlinaited Gov. Chase,