New Britain herald., 1915-11-02
HERMAN BIDDER DIES
 AT NEW YORK HOME
Ex-Treasurer of National Demo-
 cratic Committee -KaiSer'S Friend

New York, Nov. 2.-Herman Rid- der, former treasurer Of the demo- cratic national committee and pulp fisher of the New York Staats Zei- tung,'' died suddenly late yesterday at his home in this city
 The cause of Mr. Riders death was kidney trouble in an acute form. He had been ill for about ten months, and for two weeks past his condition has been critical. He was in his 65th year. Members of his family were summoned to the bedside late today and were with him when he died.
 Prominent in Politics.
 Among large number of promi- nent German-American citizens of the United States, Herman Ridder was one of the most conspicuous fig ures in the newspaper publishing bus mess and in politics. His associates in the publishing business had honor ed him at one time with the presi- dency of the American Newspaper Publishers association, and for many years he held high offices in The As sociated Press as treasurer and a di. rector. In politics he was such a fac tor that he was talked of at the na- tional democratic convention in Den yer, in 1908, as nominee for vice. president on the ticket with Bryan. whom, however, MT. Ridder op- posed at that time. He was also dis. cussed later as likely selection for ambassador to Germany
 Following the nomination of Bryan. at the 1908 convention, after former Governor Charles N. Haskell, of Ok lahoma, had resigned as treasurer of the national democratic committee because of his utilization with Stand- ard Oil interests, MT. Ridder was chosen as treasurer and in his own name and those of his brothers, he contributed $37,000, the largest single contribution to the Bryan campaign.
 Owned German Paper.
 MT. Ridder was owner and editor of the New Yorker Staats Zeitung,' one of the foremost German news- papers in the United States, ant through this he was particularly con- spicuous recently in his ardent de- fense of the German position in tha European war.
 MT. Ridder was one of the so- called self made men, and New Yorker from birth until his death. The story is told of dinner which he gave to twenty-five New York men at the time Colonel Clowry first es. tablished himself in New York to take charge of the Western Union Tele- graph company. A poll of birth places was taken at the table, and the German editor proved to be the only born New Yorker present. He was born March 5. 1851. His German parents were not far removed from poverty-in fact, were so near it that young Ridder began earning his own living when Ii years old as an er- rand boy in a hat store. By stages he served in a Wall street brokers office, as employee of the Tradesmen's Fire Insurance company and then as an insurance agent. At IS he had become interested in politics, and at that early age, before he cast his first vote, he stumped the whole lower East Side of New Tory city and won for his favorite 8 nomination for dis trict judge. later electing his man.
 Entered Newspaper Work.
 In 1878 he left the insurance bus mess to take up newspaper work and founded the "Kath olishces Volks- blatt,' the first Roman Catholic newspaper in New York city in Ger man, and in 1886 he started the Cath ollie News" in English, which in a short time became recognized as a leading Catholic paper of the country In 1890 MT. Ridder became a stockh older in the Daily Staats Zei- tung,' and was elected treasurer and manager. Under his direction that paper assumed leading position In its field. He became president of the corporation in 1907 and at the time of his death he was publisher of in fiuent1al morning and afternoon pa pers in German.
 Friend of Kaiser
 MT. Ridder made sever.1 trirs abroad. during which he was received \ by Emperor William of Gerrnan> and