The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1901-10-24
STORY OF A GRAFT
How Dan Mcdonald Got and
Kept The Democrat.
fl Fiftu-uear Hold on the Public Treasury
and Its BIoating Effect on the Man Who
Has ALWAYS Lived as a Public Charge.

paper men in this county and his ly-
ing claim of 25 years of continuous
editorial control of the Democrat lend
some degree of interest to the history
of that sheet and of his connection
Herewith.
The Plymouth Weekly Democrat,
vol. 1, No. 1, made its appearance
Jan. 26, 1860, with A. G. Thompson
as editor and publisher. The Repub-
ican and its immediate predecessors
had been in existence without missing
an issue or decreasing in size since
June, 1851. A paper known as the
Marshall County Democrat was es-
tablished by Thomas Mcdonald and
H. b. Dickson in November, 1855.
and died in 1859 from pressure of
debt Dickson sold it to Mcdonald
early in its first year: Mcdonald leased
it to A. c. Thompson and Platt Nc
Donald Nov. Is, 1856: Dan Mcdonald
was taken in as reporter early in 1857:
the whole establishment was presented
to Platt and Dan Nov. II, 1857, NJ.
A. o. Packard was installed as editor
and the paper was reduced in size to
save expense; June 3, 1858, it became
necessary to cut expenses still deeper
and the luxury of an editor was dis
pensed with: Aug. IL, 1859, Melon
aid & Bro, being unable to make
the timing GO, unloaded it upon VIM.
] Burns and December /, of the same
year, the failure was complete and the
paper ceased publication. The Re-
publican was then well-established
under the management of /. Mating
ly and was sailing free.
Alec. Thompson, as we have said,
established the Weekly Democrat
in January, 1860. In April of the
following year, Thomas and Platt Nc
Donald acquired the paper, Thomas,
the father of Platt and Dan, being a
substantial man and having some
means, but they were glad to sell it in
July, 1862, to ID. E. Van Valkenburgh,
who gave it some life by employing
John G.. Osborne as editor until the
succeeding November. In October,
1868. Mr.. Osborne took the paper and
plant into his own possession and ran
it until one S. l.. Harvey came along
and bought it in May, 1865, and Har-
vey controlled it until October 1867,
when he sold out to John Mcdonald,
a brother of Dan. John was COM
PEELED to close out in July, 1868, and
was relieved by syndicate composed
of NJ. w. Downey, A. G. Thompson
and ID. E. Van Valkenburgh. While
they owned it Platt bought an inter-
est but sold itagain, and in October,
1873, William Geddes was taken into
partnership with Van Valkenburgh
and the others nominally dropped out
Platt tried it again in July, 1874, Mr.,
Van Valkenburgh retiring in his
favor, ant' in the following May Mr..
Geddes was glad to get salaried po-
sition elsewhere and he likewise re-
tired, leaving the entire burden upon
Platt for period of three months.
Now comes Dan to the rescue. He
had never been connected with the
Plymouth Weekly Democrat and since
1859, had been connected
with no paper, a period of IA years.
He had learned the secret of living at
the public expense and had been care
fully working up the greatest graft
that any Marshall county man ever
had. Platt had the old plant, worn
out and antiquated, and Dan had
saved some money or knew how to get
some, so, Aug /, 1875, Daniel Melon
aid assumed half interest with Platt,
a new press, engine and fixtures were
put in and the Democrat entered upon
new era. No improvement has ever
been made since except a couple of
changes in the power used; the press,
now 26 years old, is still there and the
paper is the same. In October, 1877,
Platt had had enough and sacrificed
his interest to get away, leaving Dan
lei the sole proprietor and editor.
Having had salary from the pub
ic taxes continuously, or nearly so,
since his eighteenth year; having
Ill of the county and town advertising
and most of the legal advertising hav-
ing the contracts for all the town and
county printing and stationery at
more than ten times the present cost,
md having the same opportunities
for job printing, advertising and SUBJ
'cription that the Republican had, it
would seem that Daniel had a good
thing in the Democrat and might
nave held it. He was able to hold it
about IA months and January 1, 1879,
t was taken off his hands by Henry
A. Peed and he went back to sit in
5he office of county clerk. which Of
ice he held eight years, retiring to-