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This newspaper page contains 17 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Madison Weekly Herald
Location
Madison, Indiana, United States of America
Date
Dec 24, 1879
Page
2
A devotional exhortation urges readers to forego prejudice and ego, celebrate the Christian jubilee with universal kinship, live simply, and extend charity to the poor. It emphasizes Santa Claus as a symbol of giving and asks communities to reflect goodwill on the eve of Christmas.
Two weeks earlier Mr Reid councilman from the Panth ward and party accused of blocking a colored school from a new West Street building. In his column he concedes some point while apologizing for his action and questions whether a new house is needed for the school.
The article accuses Alderman Reid and Republicans of shifting a West Street colored school into a City Hall project after partial completion, while Democrats on the finance committee backed the plan. It argues Reid’s inconsistent voting and cites Herald criticisms, urging clarity on the record.
Editorial argues that Maine's returning board has seated Democrats by Radical precedent, blaming the Radical party for flawed election laws and urging acknowledgment of their own mistakes. It compares past refusals to current seatings and calls on Republicans to take responsibility.
The column questions Frederick Douglass on his stance against northern recruitment of Black migrants, praising him as a truthful leader and criticising editors who oppose his views. It cites a claim of about four hundred Black paupers seeking aid to relocate to Indiana and Douglass’s rebuttal of northern organizers.
Authorities warn against exploiting vulnerable poor by promising financial aid to lure them away from home during the season. They caution that many travelers would travel on railroad fares paid in advance to reach distant cities, with promises of food and shelter.
The Greenback party saw steep declines across states. Colorado dropped from 2759 to a fraction. Connecticut vanished. Iowa shows 50000 this year after a 125000 fusion last year. Maine rose to 56000. New York fell from 75000 to under 10000. Ohio 38000 to about 11000. Pennsylvania 81000 to 15000. Wisconsin fell from 30000 to none. These results suggest the party is near collapse.
The City Council vote on allowing the colored school to use the new West street building shows four Democrats in favor to one Republican. The editorial argues Republicans kept the school out, citing particular members and a potential tie if Smith and Heck had voted with the Democrats.
Hanover correspondence recounts Union Literary Society turmoil with a purge of sixteen weak members. Phi Gamma Delta Phi Delta Theta and Beta Theta Pi allegedly sought leadership by joining the Philals, prompting factions to split from the U S Society. Messrs Hume and Coulter present the opposing view and urge an end to public airing of the matter.
A political blast cites Senator Hamlin and a Democrat surge, arguing fraud fuels a party’s rise and recalling Radical era tactics in Maine. The speaker urges harsher methods and warns against milder forms of opposition.
The piece accuses Republicans of duplicity after opposing Greenbacks and favoring gold, while lampooning Democrats as top-row targets in politics. It claims Radical leaders flip positions post election, calling out supposed moral hypocrisy and misdeeds around currency standards.
The two Radical agents Perry and Williams travel to North Carolina to urge enslaved Black workers to migrate to Indiana and vote Republican. A local worker recalls offers of jobs paying $15 to $18 monthly for railroad and quarry labor, and coercive demands to vote the Republican ticket. The reporter notes the implication of authority over voting behavior, while the worker asserts lifelong loyalty to the Republican ticket.
The Tur New Albany Ledger Standard advises Indiana County Commissioners to prepare by stocking extra supplies to feed Black migrants arriving in the state, reflecting racial content and policy guidance of the period.
On the first page a thoughtful review by N B Nichols of North Madison analyzes the President's message. The piece urges careful reading and reflects on the administration's plans.
Correspondence from Hanover argues that a recent anonymous account distorted the Union Literary Society crisis. It cites repeated dominance by two fraternities in presidencies, speakers, and spring honors, urging an impartial fact-based defense and presenting a tabular comparison of senior class officers.
A published letter reveals turmoil in the Lit Society over recent elections. Members Coulter Hume and McD defend conduct while sixteen loyal members resign to protest exclusions. The piece defends initiation fee remittance and asserts due deliberation despite accusations.
A Saluda newsletter item dated December 18 1879 covers local happenings. Charly Bair and Al Vandivort plan a 25 by 50 foot two story wagon and blacksmith shop near John Reed’s hay barn with a pantshop top floor. The Saluda Grange 1471 holds a teachers institute feast and names officers for the year. A light jab about a Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling on a woman testifying about her age closes the column.
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