Smyrna times., 1935-07-25
MERRIS TAYLOR
EDITOR, DEAD.
Was For "a Years With the
Old Every Evening-Life
to Public Welfare
ONE TIME IN SMYRNA

Merris Taylor, editor of the for
mer Every Evening for "a years,
died in the Masonic Home of Della
ware on the Lancaster Pike at 9
O'Clock Thursday morning from
general debility. He would have
been "a years old in December. A
dominating force in Wilmington
journalism for many years, Mr..
Taylor rose from a printers
deviP' to the position of one of the
outstanding editorial political writ
ers in the State. When he was
twelve years old Mr.Taylor became
printer apprentice in the Della
ware Gazette office He later work.
ed on several newspapers in the
State until 1884 when he went with
the Every Evening as a reporter
and rose to editor.
Was Formerly in Smyrna
In 1870, Mr.. Taylor came to
Smyrna, and worked for more than
a year ON a newspaper called The
Herald owned and sponsored by the
late James w. Spruance and pub
lished at "Spruance City," West
Smyrna. It only existed a brief
time but afforded him his in
itial experience in editorial
work. 1t was here that he
and Thomas Jefferson, former
postmaster and a republican, be-
came boyhood friends. Though diff
fering in politics they were always
friendly and remained so thru the
years. Leaving Smyrna, he work
ed at the printers trade in Phila-
delphia and Wilmington, and on
May 1, 1872, took the position of
city editor on the Daily Gazette,
into which the semi-weekly edition
of the old Delaware Gazette was
at that time advanced. Here he
remained until 1881, when he went
with the Sunday Star, and in May,
1882, in business copartnership
with Jerome B. Bell, took over the
Daily Gazette, and conducted that
paper until its consolidation with
Every Evening, in December, 1888.
In March, 1884, Mr.. Taylor entered
the employ of Every Evening as a
reporter, with a special assignment
to political work There he found
his permanent newspaper home. He
became in turn, city editor, manag-
ing editor and editor His editor
ial career covered a period of in
tense political interest in Delaware,
which kept him in active conten-
ton with political opponents In
the latter part of 1920, feeling the
natural physical results of many
years of active and arduous news
paper labor, Mr.. Taylor retired
from editorial direction of Every
and devoted himself to special
work. His respite was brief, how
ever, as within two years the resig-
nation of his successor caused him
again to enter the editorial field.
He served as editor throughout the
exciting State political campaign
of 1922 and received ample reward
in the success of the Democratic
party in electing Thomas F.Bayard
United States Senator over his po-
litical opponent. Hon. Coleman du-
Pont. He continued to serve as
editor of the paper until April,
1928, when he again resigned and
applied himself to special work.
Among his productions was a ser
les of papers, running for several
months, on Political Delaware in
the Nineteenth Century," which
proved of real interest to many
readers.
Had Interesting Public Life
In addition to his newspaper ac-
tivities, Mr.. Taylor was for some
years connected with the public af
fairs Of Wilmington in official ca
pacity. In April, 1879, he was
elected a member of the Board of
Education from the old First ward,
but resigned, in September of that
year, by reason of his nomination
as the Democratic candidate for
City Council. He was elected and
served in City Council for six
years and ten months. His first
term, for two years, was extended
ten months by reason of change
in the city charter which transfer
red the annual municipal election
from the first Tuesday in Septem-
Der to the first Saturday in June,
as at present. He was not a can
didate for reelection, but in June,
1884, was again nominated and
elected from the present Third
Ward, and in June, 1886, was re-
nominated and reelected. AT the
conclusion of his third term, he de-
clined denomination and voluntar-
lily retired, after which time he was
no longer connected with the public
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