Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1907 — A VALEDICTORY [ARTICLE]

A VALEDICTORY

It is a long established custom when an editor of a newspaper terminates his connection with it to take leave of his readers in a “valedictory”and in which tne iin personal “we” of editorial use is exchanged for the more direct personal pronoun “I.” In accordance with that custom I now wish to bid farewell to my many readers of The Republican, for with this issue ends my loDg period of its editorship, a period more than twice as long as auy other Republican editor ever conducted a paper in Jasper county. I first saw Jas per county , early in the spring of 1881. and came to Rensselaer in April of that year, and in partner ship with my brother-in law, C. F. Overacker, lately deceased in Pennsylvania, bought The Republican of Philip and Will Corkins, and the first number under odr management was as on May 12th, 1881. Mr. Overacker sold his part of the property to me in August 1882, and moved to lowa. The Corkins had owned the paper only about nine or ten months, and they bought it of Majonßitters, who also had_pwned.it only ? about a year. He succeeded Horace E. James, and changed its name from The Union to The Republican. Mr. Jaines had edited the Union about 11 years, but during a part of the earlier years was associated with Col. Joshua Healey, father of George. H. Healey, who will now succeed to the editorship, and who. has been associated with me as business manager and assistant editor since January Ist, 1906. y

The paper when I bought it consisted of four pages and thp the pages were somewhat larger than the present standard size, yet there was probably on the average not more home reading matter in it in a week than now is given every day in the Evening Republican. Rensselaer and Jasper county have grown and developed greatly in the 26J years I have lived here, and the paper has kept pace with the growth and progress of the community. It was changed to eight pages before Mr. Overacker went away. In December 1896 The Evening Republican was established, and has been published ever since and has become one of the established institutions of Rensselaer. In September 1897, the Weekly Republican was changed to a Semi-Weekly, and has ever since had that form.

Regardinglthe general conduct and policy of the under my management, I can truly say, also I trust with due modesty, that I have worked hard and conscientiously all these years to make a good, honest and reliable paper. I have hewn close to the line in political matters, and my readers have always known what to expect in that line. In fact as I looK back over these past years, I think that at times I have been to zealous a partisan, and have not at all times been entirely just to the principles a nd.menjof other parties. However, party feeling was much stronger for many years after the great civil war than it is now, and it was much more natural and pardonable to be an uncompromising partisan then than it is in these later and better days. But be that as it may, I still cu say that according to my Hghts/t\ried to be just to my political opponents, and think that the great majority of them who have read the paper under my editorship, will now concede this, and II teel farther that the great bo ay of them do not cherish any' resentful feeling toward me for the manner ol my advocacy of my political convictions. I have tried hard also to make a newsy and readable paper, and think I must have had a fair measure ol shecess in that respect, as the subscription lists of both editions, that is both Daily and SemiWeekly, have grown steadily every

year during the entire time, and there has never been a year, even when competition was strongest, that the circulation was not larger than it was at the corresponding date of the year before. As to my reason for now retiring from the newspaper work, a few words are also proper. I surely do not leave it because Rensselaer and Jasper county, are not goodly places in which to live, npr for any dissatisfaction with my r business and prospects. Solely and entirely because I hoped for better health for my family in a different climate have I made this, to me, momentous change. It is a change from which I hope for much, but in which I also sacrifice much. But most of all is the sacrifice of leaving and having my family leave, the many, many true and generous friends myself and they have found among the kindly and whole-souled people of this com munity. This circle of friends, at my time of life, I pan never hope to replace in new surroundings, in more than a small degree. Pursuant to my conviction that it was my duty to try a milder and more genial climate for my family, I have sold my residence, mewspa pers and newspaper building to Dr. LM. Washburn. He wilt occupy the house himself, as a residence, bnt does not intend in any degree to engage in the newspaper business, but instead has sold an interest in the newspaper and newspaper building 'to George H. Healey; who will have its entire editorial and business management tie is a born newspaper man, and with many years of experience, and will give the people a thoroly good and reliable paper. In conclusion I wish to most sincerely thank my many customers, both here and elsewhere, and many hundreds of whom I know personally, and many hundreds ol others who have taken my papers so long that I feel like I know them, and to add the hope that they will be liberal and encouraging for the merits and as forgiving towards the faults of my successors, as they have to and for mine I will add further, that while it has been impossible to conduct an active and aggressive newspaper for so many years as I have and not offended quite a number of people, that I trust that none bf these now harbor any feelings of resentment toward me; even as I surely harbor none against any of them.

. Once more my friends, the “old -editor” wishes you his last farewell, and hopes for you one all, all the good that so many of you have wished for me. Geobge E. Marshall.