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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (March 28, 1931)
.: I page Foirar 80th Anniversary. Edition, The Oregon Statesman ' .ba Politics B asis for Bush, Democrat, Wielded Great Influence in Early Days; "Petty No Place; Editor Wanted Paper State-Wide in Scope; Partisanship rilWe Puffery Had . jrought Fervid Writing paper rE OREGON STATESMAN was conceived and born in politics ; and throughout its history has been an active influence in the political development of the territory, -state and nation. It was folmded as the organ of the Democratic party in the territory The governor, John P. Gaines, was a Whig, appointed by president Zachary Taylor. The prevail ing sentiment in Oregon was democratic. The Statesman was the first organ of itsjparty and consequently under the able editorship of A. Bush, immediately attained a position of 'great power. It was essentially in those early years a political newspaper, it lgnorea iocai new.v Bush ran it as a sort ojC official jgasette, which it was, as the offi cial paper of the territory and the spokesman of the dominant party. Thus when The Statesman moved ack to Salem from Corvajllis, Bush nublished the following editorial jin reply to critcism that he had not been a town "boostej": "We have never been in the in terest of any town, proprietor, speculator or- propeVty-holder, and never intend to be. If thee is any thing in journalism that ve despise utterly it is the petty village puff ery the habitual announcement jthat Mr. So-and-So ha hung a gate," put a new fence in! front of his residence, or repaired an old one in rear of it; that Mr. Such-a-one has painted his barn, laid down a plank in front of his store, hoisted a new sign upon his shop, built a chicken house, smoke house or some other house of equally importance. We have never published a local paper an Oregon City, Salem or Corvallis paper and never expect to. The Statesman has been pre eminently an Oregon journal, and will continue to be such. We pub lish the news of interest from every part, and know that the body of -our readers care no more for the or dinary local transactions of one than another."-Statesman, Dec. 18, 1855. Bush's Printer Office Early Brought Attack It was an age. of bitter style in expression of editorial; opinion; and one with the personality and vigor of the editor of The States man was certain to be ja shining mark for his editorial Opponents, the old established Spectator and the slightly senior Oregonion ed ited by T. J. Dryer, and: the Star. The fact that Bush was made pub lic printer, which office was a luc rative one, drew hot fire from his competitors. The journalistic war fare began with the first issue of The Statesman, and in his second issue Bush replied to Dryer of the Oregonion in the following lan guage: j "Complaints of this kind come with a special grace from a paper devoted from its first to its last number almost exclusively to the grossest personal abuse, jthe most foul-mouthed slander, grovelling scurrility, falsehood and ribald blackguardism; insomuch that it has long since ceased to sustain any but a pot house reputation, or to receive the countenance and re spect of any party or community. Nothing that incurred the editor's displeasure has escaped. Business concerns, personal difficulties, pub lic and private matters have all alike been drawn through the slime and slander of his columns. And now he complains, and without rea son too, of our employment of per sonalities and whines over the mat ter like a whipped Spaniel." II. S. Lyman in his "History of Oregon" describes this period of newspaper history as follows: . . . a non-political newspaper was no longer desired, and while the old order was passing new spirits wore already planning a new democratic paper. This was the Statesman. in Oregon journalism, the names of Asahel Bush, W. L. Adams and D. W. Craig with other, appearing in our: journalism. In this era also was formed -what became known as The Oregon Style, a species of storm and stress ". composition, strong chiefly in invective, and availing itself of the condition of the j times in m community when everyone's private affairs and per, sonal name were known to every in habitant to coin amusing or even offensive titles for opponents.". Bush was skilled In this style, and has been characterized as wa witty, pungent, and rather . bril liant writer, having a peculiar cut ting, abrupt and sometimes harsh style, but one which was very ef fective in molding public opinion. . . He is said to have largely con trolled the politics of Oregon Ter ritory." H. H. Bancroft wrote of The Statesman and Bush in his "His tory of Oregon": "As a party paper it- was con ducted with greater ability than any journal on the Pacific coast for a period of about a dozen years. Bush was assisted at various times by men of talent first eight years it was the ruling wielding an influence and unmade officials at its plea sure". General Lane Gained Paper's Strong Support About the first controversy was between the territorial officials who were federal appointees and whigs, and the democrats. The lo cation of the state capital became an issue, the democrats favoring Salem, and Gov. Gaines and the "federals" holding to Oregon City. The Statesman early raised the banner of Gen. Joseph Lane, who after winning distinction in the Mexican war had been appointed governor of Oregon by President Polk. The Statesman supported him consistently for delegate to congress and fought Lane's battles with sweeping editorial broad sides. " S Bush fought the "know-nothings," the anti-foreign, anti-Catholic party of pre-Civil War days. He fought the "Maine-law" or pro hibitidn party. He fought sectar ianism and bigotry; but staunch partisan that he was he tolerated no defection from the democratic faith, such as the "National Dem ocratic party" of the late '60's. One, of his bitter fights was with J. C. Avery of Corvallis, which grew out of the strife over the seat of government and the burning of the capitol. During the first decade, when the democrats were most powerful and regularly carried the elections over the whigs and the "know nothings" the ruling heierarchy, headed, by Bush, was called the Sa lem clique., C. H. Carey in his "History of the Constitution of Oregon" has this to say about the clique: Salem Clique was Powerful in Politics "Gradually under the guidance of Mr. Bush, a group of democrats 1 gained great influence in that par- THE FOUNDER K .1 IK I., V I pi , . j . -- r- ' iM ft; ! ' 'V V';?' i"'i' , . v 'I - f ' . y . : -, j r i V J I " " ' " j .... Dunng the VI ..CA $ of its existence r:,"' : -rf :;. V v .y power in Oregon, V 'FSKtt? t-. W. . i 1 that made L.. ' , - s. , . .. L ..r r Bush Started as Pmnter At 1 5 as Father Died ' Asahel Bush, founder of The Oregon Statesman, was born in, Westfield, Massachusetts, on June 4, 1824. He went to school at the Westfield Academy, but when he was 15 years old the death of his father compelled him to give up school and go to work to support himself. He-learned the printing trade in Westfield. In 1843, on his way to Cleveland, he left Albany on a line boat (a signal boat) and was one week reaching Buffalo. He continued the journey by boat to Cleveland, where he lived about a year working at his trade. From there he went to Saratoga and re mained in Saratoga for two and a half years. Here he cast his first vote for President, voting for Cass, at the 'same time he voted for Silas Wright for Governor of New York. In 1846 he moved to Albany, N. Y and Was employed in the state printer's; office. Later in 1846 he returned to Westfield, and until 1850 resided there. While there he studied law andl was admitted to the bar in the state of Massachus etts. From Apr 24, 1849, to July 3, 1850, he was editor of the West field Standard. .Shortly after July 4, 1850, he left Westfield for Ore gon, going by thp way of Panama. He arrived in regon September 30, 1850. First Editor Weekly At Westfield, Mass. In Salem on O :tober 12, 1854, he married Eugenia Zieber, who died September 11, 18S3. 4 He establishes 1851 and was sold it in 18G3 from active business until 1868, when, with MrJ Ladd & Bush. until few (From biograp quarterly, Apr. : the Statesman in s editor until he He then retired W. S. Ladd, he established the tanking house of He continued to come ' to the bank almost daily nays before ' his death, which occurred December 23, 1913. y in Ladd & Bush 914.) ty and came to be known as the Sa lem Clique, the personnel of which undefined 'political force changed from time, to time. It originated measures : 'ordained party policy, decided upon candidates for office and awarded political honors. "John R. McBride included the following as supposed at times to be within the magic circle: Asahel Bush, L, F. Grover, Ben. Harding, R. P. Boise of Marion county; J. W, -Nesmith and Fred Waymire of Polk eonnty; M. P. Deady of Yam hill county; S. F. Chadwick .of Douglas county; J. W. Drew of Umpqua county a George L.' Curry of Clackamas Jcounty; William Tichenor of Cool county, and Del- azon Smith of L Such strength opjjbsition, and desperate plight party in meetin nn county." inevitably bred the increasingly so f the democratic the slavery issue hastened the divisions. In the split Bush turned against Gen. Lane and against Senator! Delazon Smith who was upholding Lane. Bush's opposition to Li&ie was based on the latter's failure to push through the Oregon statlhood bill in con gress in 1858; but was doubtless "increased by the apparent effort of jLane to run Oregon's political, af fairs with a high hand, making the new state his political appanage in his ambitions for presidential hon ors. ... ; Bush Denounced Free State Movement In most of the issues prior to 1860 ala very was given scant not ice. Local issues took most atten tion. Washington was far away; slavery here had been barred by popular vote in adopting the new constitution and all negroes were barred fromhe state as well. The rising free tate movement was denounced by Bush as abolitionism and black republicanism. Here was an editorial in The Statesman of Sept. 2, 1856, dur ing the Buchanan campaign: x "The Presidential contest is now at its heat throughout the States. The hydra of black republicanism is already unmasked, and the flag of treason, with sixteen stars, rep resenting the sixteen free states, is unfurled and flung to the wind in te infected districts of the north. "Fanatics of all shades, from Fred Douglass to Lloyd 'Garrison, are upon the stump, with venomed fangs gnashing at -the Goddess of Liberty,, and spurring on . the masses, blinded by their sophis tries, to turn the mad batteries of sectionalism on the sacred temples of the Constiution. "The issue is already made up can the Constitution and the Union be maintained? "If democracy triumphs as tri umph it Willi it will be the tri umph of the Constitution; if de feated, our national flag may be trailed in the dust by those whose protection it has been, and our noble Union be fractured into dis cordant states." Bush Stood Squarely 1 Behind Douglas When the" slavery question .fin ally did demand a .definite stand. Bush placed The Statesman square ly behind Stephen A. Douglas and followed him through the presi dential campaign of 1860. jWith Douglas The Statesman stood for the Union when secession ,, threat ened. Bush and I his group com bined with the republicans in the 1860 legislature to defeat the Joe Lane-Delazon Smith combination and .elected J. W. Nesmith and E. . D. Baker United States senators. The Civil War broke out, and The Statesman vigorously support ed the cause of the union. The fusion of democrats and republi cans produced the Union party in Oregon which finally emerged as the republican party. Bush sold out in 1863, but when S. A. Clarke gave rebirth to The Statesman he made it a republican organ r and its subsequent affiliation has been with that party. Clarke was fearless as a writer on political questions. Unfortun ately the files ef that period are. not available, so a study of his edi-, toriala cannot be made. JOURNALISTIC ETHICS "Our column rules always sep arate the reading matter from the advertisements, and as to editorial puffs of business men, we would prefer to make the proclamation, viva ' voce, along ' the street with handbell accompiniment, States man, March 10, 1862. FIRST POWER PRESS "Some time in, April a new print ing establishment will be received , from New York, and the Statesman will be issued from an Adams New Patent Power Press arid printed upon new material throughout." Statesman, 1859. A i i I t ( t c i I e 1 i s a s I