The Evening Herald
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Well financed by a group of investers and equipped with a "splended new printing press," the Evening Mercury served as the organ of the Whiteway government until 1885. Notably less sensational than the Evening Telegram, the early issues had four 5-column pages and included advertisements, serial fiction, legislative proceedings and editorials. A staff member was appointed "to distil carefully from the whole range of newspaper literature whatever is valuable for the columns of the Mercury" (Jan. 11, 1882).
The paper supported the railway and spoke for the merchant class and the Anglican and Presbyterian section of the Protestant population, but not necessarily the Methodists. "We have heard of cases in which Methodist clergy were persecuted, but it has been shown to us that such persecution resulted in good to them" (Nov. 14, 1884).
Following the 1883 sectarian violence in Harbour Grace, editor A. B. Morine took an increasingly strong anti-Catholic, pro-Orange stance. On Sept. 28, 1887, the Mercury admitted: "[The Roman Catholics'] indignation had been around again and again, by Mr. Morine's most intemperate and violent articles in the columns of this paper, of which he was the editor, on the trials of the Harbor Grace prisoners. It was the organ of Sir Whiteway's government which was composed in part of Roman Catholics. By his writings he alienated and exasperated the Roman Catholic supporters of Sir William and did more than any other man to bring about the downfall of the government" (Sept. 28, 1887). Morine had resigned from the editorship in 1885 when the publisher of the paper advocated the amalgamation of Whiteway's supporters with the Reform Party. The Mercury remained loyal to Whiteway for a time, defending him against the attacks of the Reform Paper, the Watchman, but opposed Whiteway when he returned to politics a few years later.
The Mercury and the Evening Telegram squabbled over who had the most innovative layout and who was inflating their circulation numbers. Having each switched political allegiances in the opposite direction, they engaged in a lively name-calling battle on this subject. In an editorial on Sept. 19, 1889, the Telegram gave the Mercury a formidable tongue-lashing:
No, no, Mr. Mercury, we have not been inconsistent. But you have been inconsistent, and ungrateful as well. You were warmed into life, in 1881, by Sir William Whiteway. He carefully nursed you along for several years, treating you liberally -- giving you much more than you deserved. But, in spite of all his kindness, in 1885, when his perfidious friends -- not open enemies -- conspired to compass his overthrow, you not only cruelly turned around and bit the hand that fed you, -- you did worse than that even: you went over to the conspirators -- you, a clergyman...
After the Reform Party was swept from office in 1889 and changed its name to the Patriotic Association, the Mercury changed its name to the Evening Herald. In 1897, the paper campaigned for Winter and the Conservatives, saying on Sept. 10, "What has the Liberal Party done for you? Levelled Water Street, broken the banks and destroyed the merchants who bought your fish." It supported White in 1899, but in 1900 reluctantly joined the Evening Telegram in supporting the Bond government and opposing Morine: "The Reid-Morine combination is not the Tory party. It has not the support of the merchants, the middle-classes or the stalwart fishermen who have been the mainstay of the Tory party in the past. ...If you elect Morine, it means government from Reid's office, if you vote for Bond it means governing yourselves" (Dec. 11, 1912).
When Edward Morris resigned from Bond's cabinet, P. T. McGrath, who was editor at the time, resigned his post and started the Evening Chronicle to support Morris and his newly-formed party. The Herald continued as a Liberal paper until December of 1912 when McGrath purchased the paper and converted it to an organ of the governing Morris party. McGrath, who shortly afterward closed down the Evening Chronicle gloated: "Not alone are the Bond party very much depressed over the loss of the Herald as a political agency, but they have no confidence in the ability of the Telegram."
Like other established papers of the time, the Herald was alarmed by the rising political movement led by W. F. Coaker and opposed his paper, the Evening Advocate. The Herald blatantly campaigned against Coaker and Squires in the fall election of 1919, printing large headlines denouncing Coaker and providing instructions on "How to mark your ballot." The Liberals won the election and the Herald ceased publication in the following year when McGrath retired.
This newspaper's description was sourced from Suzanne Ellison's Historical Directory of Newfoundland and Labrador Newspapers.
Dates of publication:
Jan. 4, 1882 - Dec. 31, 1920
Place of publication:
St. John's
Frequency:
Daily (except Sunday)
Publisher and proprietor:
John E. A. Furneaux, Jan. 4, 1882-June 3, 1907
Publisher and business manager for the executors of thelate J. E. A. Furneaux:
W. J. Kent, June 7, 1907-Sept. 4, 1909
J. A. Scott, Sept. 25, 1909-May 20, 1911
Publisher:
Evening Herald, Ltd., July 1, 1911-Dec. 30, 1920
Editor:
Moses Harvey, 1882-1883, 1885-1890?
Alfred B. Morine, July 11, 1883-1885
H. E. Knight, 189?-189?
H. W. LeMessurier, 189?-189?
P. T. McGrath, Oct. 5, 1895-July 27, 1907
J. T. Lawton, Aug. 16, 1907-Mar. 8, 1909
P. J. Summers, Oct. 28, 1909-Dec. 7, 1912
Managing director:
P. T. McGrath, Dec. 9, 1912-Dec. 31, 1920
Issues on the DAI:
12 January 1890 to 31 December 1920
Title varies:
Evening Mercury, 1882-1889
Evening Herald, 1890-1920
Browse by Month:
Pages missing from microfilm
1892:
March 6
1893:
January 3 to 19
February 27
March 24 Pages 3 and 4
April 18, 19, 21
May 5
June 13, 14, 19, 20, 23, 26, 28
July 7, 29, 31
August 18, 21, 26
September 20, 28
October 2, 20, 21, 26
Nov 16, 17, 21, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30
Dec 12, 21, 23, 29
Publishing Suspended
1892:
9 July - 9 September
1918 - 1919:
12 December 1918 - 17 March 1919 (Due to fire in building)
View other Newfoundland and Labrador newspapers available on the DAI.
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