REMEMBER THIS? Newspaper wars

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

The Northern Light, The Pioneer, Sault Express, the Sault Daily Star, The Courier, Steelton News, The Sault News; all newspapers, dailies and the like published in Sault Ste. Marie’s past. Two of these papers, The Pioneer and The Northern Light, were known for their rather vigorous rivalry and the discord they sowed in the community, particularly regarding municipal politics.

In 1918 the Sault Star recounts the newspaper rivalry. “The Sault was a rather quiet place in those days, apart from the diversion furnished by the two newspapers…the papers rather give the impression of the Sault as a contentious neighbourhood, but this we are assured is an entirely wrong one.”

The Algoma Pioneer and District General Advertiser was started in 1875 by William H. Carney, who was appointed Sheriff of the District of Algoma by the Conservative Government of John A. MacDonald and one year later was sold to Edward Biggings who would become mayor in 1888. Judge Uriah McFadden, who at one time ran the rival paper The Courier, described The Pioneer as “independent with Conservative leanings.” He also referred to Biggings, rather tongue in cheek, as a better ‘speaker than newspaperman.’ The Pioneer offices were located on the west side of Pim Street.

A 1917 Sault Star article described the paper as an “anaemic affair at best despite its editorial ‘vigor’-if that is the proper term.” It went on to say, “The editor killed any chance of making his paper a success by personal abuse to everyone he didn’t like, giving his opinions at length, it apparently never occurring to him to print any news…” The article went further saying, “The stories told by The Northern Light were vexatious enough - whether true or not.” The papers at the time were more fulsome with personal politics, opinions, and vendettas than actual news.

The Northern Light was housed on the south side of Queen St. in what was then the Adams block. It was founded in 1875 by Kelly, Turner, and Co. Dr. John Kelly, one of the founders was the jail surgeon and coroner at that time “with an itch for writing.” William Turner was Sault Ste. Marie’s first teacher and later in life, a merchant who built the Turner Block on Queen Street.

A second William was also involved, Mr. William Luscombe, the owner of a general store and substantial landholdings.

Dr. Kelly, described as a ‘fiery, vexatious Irishman” was the first gaol surgeon in Sault Ste. Marie, and also was purportedly the first doctor who used chloralhydrate in the treatment of puerperal fever. The doctor/editor was accused by The Pioneer in January of 1876 of practicing medicine without a proper license. This of course engendered much ill will between the two papers.

Dr. Kelly responded with a biting rebuttal published in the Northern Light a few days later in which he says:

The charge I consider emanated from my learned friend, Mr. John M. Hamilton, Crown Attorney. Perhaps he wishes a case in court. If so, I advise him to lodge information and then he will be entitled not only to part of the fine recovered but also his fee as prosecuting attorney. I am also accused of being the principal writer for The Northern Light. Well, if I do sometimes write for that journal, I hope there is no great harm in my doing so. Mr. Hamilton has his sanctum in close proximity to the ‘Pioneer’ office, and I believe tried his hand as sub-editor of that paper for some time but found that the grammar was too much for him, and he had to abandon the editorial chair.
I am, dear sir,
Yours sincerely,
John Kelly, M. D., Gaol Surgeon

Dr. Kelly was also accused of making a “habit of conducting personal vendettas against his opposition” in the pages of The Northern Light.

By many accounts, The Northern Light, and its hated rival The Pioneer furnished many diversions in Sault Ste. Marie. The Sault Daily Star described Mr. Carney as ‘the venturesome mortal to float The Pioneer to a community of about 300. He wasn’t Sheriff then - his father was - and needed something to take up his attention.” The article continues, barbs thinly veiled: “but if Mr. Carney was venturesome what shall be said of Kelly, Turner & Co., who gave to the struggling Sault a second paper. One stands in rapture of admiration of their sublime courage.”

In the 1870s through the early 1900s the population of Sault Ste. Marie rose to only about 4,000, but residents were accustomed to lively competition among a number of locally produced newspapers. Weeklies published on both sides of the St. Mary’s River served as advertising mediums and ‘vehicles for community promotion’ but also often widely reflected the partisan interest of their owners and publishers. In 1875 the Sault was served by both The Algoma Pioneer and The Northern Light and ‘delighted only a few hundred readers with their shots at each other”

During 1875 the Sault cast less than 100 votes in its municipal elections. To line up these votes the Northern Light and The Pioneer would ‘hammer the daylights out of each other.’ The tradition of what was then known as ‘personal journalism’ was strong during this time. Also, editors would have to write at length as news-gathering sources were seriously underdeveloped. An article from 1918 in the Sault Daily Star reflects on the journalistic practices of that time: “This form of journalism, of course, led to gross personalities, and in the case of indiscreet writers to unbridled abuse of opponents.”

During the time of The Northern Light, government positions, especially local positions, and elections, were such a big topic of focus that they had their own specific terminology. The men who won - if they were the opposition - were referred to as ‘the clique’ or ‘the gang’ - and the district was said to have “groaned under their tyranny.” The editors of that time certainly didn’t lack hyperbole and seemed to enjoy injecting as much drama as possible into their articles.

An excerpt from The Northern Light in 1875 regarding a local election showcases this practice:

“Mr. Laird is but one of the organized cliques who are solemnly bound, love, or die, to remain steadfast to each other. Whatever the scheme of the leader the others will assist in carrying it out. He is their Captain (Joseph Williams) they dare not disobey, and they will follow him like a flock of geese following their leader….Captain Joseph Wilson was their Supreme Dictator….Electors, remember them; remember every one of them; and when the proper time arrives, slaughter them without mercy, for verily they have in view ways that are dark and tricks that are mean.” Later in the same article the ‘impartial’ writer speaks on the opposing candidates: “The gentlemen who propose to become instrumental in the overthrow of his clique are Messrs. Luscombe, St. Sayer, Stratton, Fletcher, and Hanna. They comprise a fair representation of the Municipality, and for this reason should be looked upon as THE PEOPLE’S CANDIDATES. They have taken up the cause of justice and honesty; electors assist them to victory!”

The political leanings of each newspaper were splayed loud and clear across their pages. During the time of the newspaper war between The Pioneer and The Northern Light, the Sault took a deep interest in elections, evidenced in the amount of time given to them in the pages of the newspapers. According to an article appearing in 1916 of the Sault Daily Star, the editors of The Pioneer and The Northern Light championed those of similar political persuasion. However, if you were someone who “didn’t think as the editor did you were of course something of a rascal, and he tried to let the public understand this as plainly as he could without stepping outside legal bounds.”

Headlines from a 1918 article in the Sault Daily Star about the newspapers of our past concisely invoke the atmosphere created by The Pioneer and The Northern Light during their time of sparring:

“Not Much News 40 Years Ago in the Old Town, But Opinions Were Vigorous”, “YARDS OF EDITORIAL VIEWS, - ALL HOT STUFF’, “Gracious, How the Officials in Those Days Were Kept in Line by a Watchful Press”

A patron of The Pioneer, taking offense to a partisan article that appeared in The Northern Light, sent his rebuttal, which was printed in The Northern Light on August 12th, 1875.

“To the Editor of The Northern Light:

‘Sir - I wish to offer a few remarks in reference to an article which appeared in your last issue signed “Fair Play.” This fantastic, who is supposed to be a little wizen faced pamphlet peddler (which I don’t believe) makes some very silly and malicious statements regarding “True Orangemen;” his boyish effusion is remarkable only for its simplicity and harmlessness. He says - ‘If he is a man of no education whatever he has ready wit and common sense to compensate for his lack of talents,’ which he thinks would be an excellent substitute for worth and ability. When and where did Mr. B get his wit? It’s certainly of recent importation. I will give you a specimen of it. He was asked on nomination day what his politics were. In reply, he said that some people called him a Grit and others a Conservative, but that he himself did not exactly know what he was. How witty and humiliating! Shades of Swift and Brummel look down upon us! Mr. B’s best friends must be ashamed of his address and the Judas-like manner he has conducted himself during the election. ‘True Orangemen’ was not actuated by a malicious desire to injure Mr. B. but spoke truths which neither he nor his few little friends could or can refute.”

Another excerpt referring to municipal politics from The Northern Light, on Dec. 23, 1875, is captioned: UNHOLY TACTICS.

“Never, during all our lives, have we seen such unholy tactics called into action as those lately made use of by clique, in order to carry the coming election. Human nature, in our estimation, had fallen low enough, but we were not prepared for this last great humiliation. Shame! Shame! We say eternal shame! On the party who would stoop to such vile means.”

The Sault Daily Star article from 1918, describes The Northern Light and its eventual demise as “having kept the lamp in the window for a stormy and poverty stricken twelve months.” The article goes on to say that editor of The Northern Light at that time “had the idea that the only matter worth printing was his own views. And as he had no views apparently about anything but people he didn’t like - his business and political opponents - the Northern Light was spicy enough probably to its readers, but the sameness of the diet must have been disconcerting to its readers.”

However, it wasn’t just politicians who were at the mercy of the mighty (and often melodramatic) pen. If the editor or owner of either had personal issues with someone the vendetta would often be played out in the papers.

A highly contentious article appeared in The Northern Light on Feb. 3, 1876, in response to an article in The Pioneer printed about a ‘respected lady’ who held a dinner to which she invited stockholders and the editor of The Northern Light. Their righteous anger was ignited because the writer of the article, ridiculed not only the gentlemen present but was derisive towards “a lady who would scorn to recognize him or enter his presence” and as such they would not “hesitate in denouncing him as an unprincipled scoundrel who would rather steal than work for an honest living.” The article does not reference the writer by name but instead continues, “We know to whom we refer, we mean what we say, and we are only surprised that Mr. Carney should allow such a worthless character to enter his office, let alone writing for the columns of his paper.” They do not stop there but insist “until our confrere kicks that worthless dog out of his office there can be but little harmony within our community, and unless he does, he must expect to be censored more and more.”

Even clergy weren’t spared the damage of the ongoing newspaper wars. In January 1876, an article was run entitled ‘That Clergyman’. In it the author writes that “a few weeks ago we felt it our duty to question the position taken by the Rev. Dr. Rolph in the Municipal election, and at that time it grieved us very much to have to reprimand him, although he had thrown aside his gown and buckled on the armour of political strife. However, we had an idea that a little castigation would do him no harm…how sadly were we mistaken. With mortar and pestle in hand he has lately reentered the arena of pills and potions and marches out to prescribe for the ills to which the flesh pertains. We would suggest to the Rev. Dr. Rolph the propriety of reviewing his career for the past few weeks, and mend his ways, for unless he drops politics and foregoes practicing in the medical profession, he may expect to engage the attention of our pen, and with every remark it probably will become more pointed.”

Apparently even livestock were not immune to the lash of the editorial pens of the 1870s! There are numerous mentions of a contentious cow bylaw that apparently divided the community for years. The fight seems to have been about sidewalks in Sault Ste. Marie, which were scarce and ill-maintained. The cows’ blatant and frequent use of sidewalks infuriated the people! Apparently, cows had as much freedom to roam on them as the people did, leaving little room for Saultites to make use of them, forcing them to consistently have to dodge around the rather wide berths of the presumptuous cows. According to the Sault Daily Star “the cow bylaw divided the community for years, and bitter battles appear to have been waged over it, both in and out of the press.”

The Northern Light and The Pioneer seem to have made robust use of their platforms to engage in wars of opinion both political and personal, wage vendettas and keep a close watch on their officials. And let us not forget they also fought the mighty fight to keep their sidewalks cow-free!

Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provide SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more "Remember This?" columns here.