Missouri Republican: Difference between revisions

After supporting the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig Party]], the paper became aligned with the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]].<ref name="St. Louis Media History">{{Cite web|url=https://www.stlmediahistory.org/index.php/Print/PrintPublicationHistory/st.-louis-republic|title=St. Louis Media History|website=www.stlmediahistory.org}}</ref>

In the late 19th century, the ''Republic'' had the second -largest circulation in St. Louis, surpassing papers that would survive it, such as the ''[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]'' and the ''[[St. Louis Star-Times]]''.<ref name="American newspaper directory">{{Cite web|url=httphttps://archive.org/details/americannewspape1895newy|title=American newspaper directory|date=March 18, 1895|publisher=New York|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> Its final owner was [[David R. Francis]], a prominent political figure. In 1919, after years of losses, Francis sold the ''Republic'' to the ''[[St. Louis Globe-Democrat]]'', a longtime rival paper supportive of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], which closed it.<ref name="The National Endowment for the Humanities">{{Cite web|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/|title=The St. Louis Republic. [volume]|author=The National Endowment for the Humanities|via=chroniclingamerica.loc.gov}}</ref>

The ''Republican'' was founded by [[Joseph Charless]] in 1808 as the ''Missouri Gazette and Louisiana Advertiser,'' using the first printing press to be set up west of the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]].<ref name=Stevens1/> Another source said the originalThe name of the paper was ''Missouri Gazette and Louisiana Advertiser,'' it was changed to ''Louisiana Gazette'' in 1809,. andIt itwas returnedchanged back to ''Missouri Gazette'' in 1818 after a change in owners.<ref name=ATour>[https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=uduQlPSym4EC&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA537 Joseph A. Dacus and William Buel, ''A Tour of St. Louis; or, the Inside Life of a Great City'']</ref>{{rp|537}}<ref name=Stevens1/>

The printing press came from Philadelphia, and the type from [[Louisville, Kentucky]],. but theThe only paper available in St. Louis measured just 8x12 inches, so that was the size used for the first issue, on July 12, 1808. There were 170 subscribers.<ref name=Stevens1/>

[[NathanielIn Paschall]]1820, becameCharless ansold apprenticethe printer''Gazette,'' inwith 1813its andone becamethousand associatedsubscribers, withto CharlessJames inC. MarchCummins, 1818.who Hehad eventuallyrecently becamearrived thefrom editorPittsburgh. [[GeorgeThe Knapp]]{{dn|date=Septemberlatter 2020}}held wasthe anotherpaper importantfor figure18 months; in 1822 he sold it to Edward Charless, the oldest son of the founder. Edward Charless changed its name to ''Missouri Republican.'' history[[Joseph who(or beganJosiah) asSpalding]] anof apprentice,Connecticut inwas made editor and 1827partner.<ref name=Stevens1/>{{rp|154-155}}<ref name=ATour/>{{rp|538537–538}}

In July 1837, Charless and Paschall sold the concern to A.B. Chambers, Oliver Harris, and George Knapp. Harris withdrew in August 1839, and the paper continued under Chambers and Knapp. In January 1840 Joseph W. Dougherty became a proprietor, but he left after a brief time. <ref name=ATour/>{{rp|538, 539}} Chambers died on May 22, 1854, and George Knapp became sole owner a year later.<ref name=ATour/>{{rp|539}}

In 1840, the newspaper had supported [[William Henry Harrison]] as the presidential candidate.

When the building was torn down in 1932, the doorway symbol was presented to the ''[[St. Louis Globe-Democrat]],'' the successor to the ''Republican.''<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/573236593/?terms=%22coon%20couchant%22&match=1 "Historical 'Coon Head Presented to Globe-Democrat," ''St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat,'' February 5, 1932, image 5]</ref>

Under [[Andrew Johnson]], the ''Republican'' advocated a "passive policy" or "possum policy" for Democrats, with the support of [[Carl Schurz]] and his ''[[Westliche Post]]'' among the many German immigrants and their descendants. In practice, the publishers of the two newspapers conducted a national convention of Liberal Republicans which met in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]], and nominated [[Horace Greeley]] and [[Benjamin Gratz Brown]].<ref name=MediaHistory1/>

The ''Republican'' was instrumental in establishing a [[state lottery]] in 1871,. and itIt succeeded in bringing the [[1876 Democratic National Convention]] to St. Louis.<ref name=MediaHistory1/>

The firm then moved into a new, five-story building, plus basement, which had just been completed. The basement held all the printing paper, and two news presses, one an eight-cylinder and the other a four-cylinder. There were two engines and two boilers as well.<ref name=ATour/>{{rp|539}}<ref name=TerribleConflagration/>

The other stories were, on the first floor, held the counting room, two large fireproof vaults, file and paper cases, and back copies of the ''Republican'' and ''Democrat;'' second floor, a job bindery and the office of the job department; third floor, editorial rooms and the job printing office; fourth, more of the job office, material and machinery; and top floor, the news department, typesetting and makeup quarters, where some thirty-five printers, or "typos," could work. The job department included the office and back shop of the ''Irish News.,'' which appealed to the many ethnic Irish in the city.<ref name=TerribleConflagration/>

On the evening of May 24, 1870, the five-story ''Republican'' building, on Chestnut Street between Second and Main streets, was destroyed by fire. The supply of water was insufficient to throw water any higher than the second story of the four-floor building until mud was forced out of the pipes.<ref name=TerribleConflagration> [https://www.newspapers.com/image/571016559/ "Terrible Conflagration," ''Daily Democrat,'' St. Louis, May 25, 1870, image 4]</ref><ref name=ATour/>{{rp|540-541540–541}}

<blockquote>Managing Editor [[William Hyde (journalist)|William Hyde]] rushed to his room to save the valuable books in his library. He was accompanied by a self-possessed compositor named Fisk, who began to assist him in throwing books out at the windows. They had not thrown out more than a dozen . . . before their retreat was wholly cut off. . . .<ref name=TerribleConflagration/></blockquote>

Most of the books were destroyed, including several rare and valuable volumes. Crowds of spectators witnessed the debacle, emptying theaters to rush to see the intense flames engorge the building, which eventually collapsed.<ref name=TerribleConflagration/> A four-cylinder [[Hoe press]] was saved, being protected in a fireproof vault. Only one day of publication was missed. A temporary building was constructed on the same site.<ref name=ATour/>{{rp|540–541}}

In its later days, the ''Republican'' had the largest page size of any newspaper west of the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]]. The years and page sizes were: 1822, 20x22 inches; 1828, 22x32 inches; 1835, 24x34 inches; 1843, 27x46 inches; 1844, 28x48 inches; 1851, 31.5x52 inches; 1853, 33x56 inches.<ref name=ATour/>