A weekly summary of the news, which appeared in the Oxford Democrat of Oct. 17, 1856, described not one auto accident nor terrorist attack, not even a plane crash. Of course, in 1856, when the following appeared, automobiles and airplanes had not yet been invented. There were acts that could be described as terrorism, but the word doesn’t seem to exist yet. However, it was an election year. Wags would refer to that phenomenon as “God’s gift to newspapers.”

President Franklin Pierce was on his way out and James Buchanan a political professional from the Democratic Republican party. He was vying with U. S. Army Col. John C. Fremont, who gained fame filling in the map gaps that Lewis and Clark left blank. He was the pick of that new bunch calling themselves Republicans.

Here’s what the editor of the paper decided his readers wanted to know outside Oxford Hills:

              WEEKLY SUMMARY OF NEWS

Wm. A. Kayser, a prominent man in Missouri, and wrote to a confidential friend of Col. Bunch, has published a letter in the St. Louis Republican urging the nomination of a Fremont election ticket in that State, and announcing himself as an independent candidate on that ticket.

A son of Rev. W. V. Jordan, of Mechanic Falls, who was employed in the offices of the Lewiston Falls Journal, caught the second finger of his right hand in the Power Press, while engaged in staking off sheets. The finger was amputated above the second joint, and the lad is now doing well.

The Cattle Show and Fair of the Androscoggin Agricultural Society was held at Lewiston, last week. The Journal now states that the show of articles in Domestic Manufacture was very large. The society, having recently purchased grounds for the Show, at a cost, including buildings and improvements, of about $7,000.

It is said that a company of Yankees Boston are making a million dollars per year under contract to keep the Moscow railway in repair.

Archbishop Hughes has come out with a card stating that he has nothing to do with the letter signed by M. Master, editor of the Freeman’s Journal, which states that Freemont is a Catholic or a liar. He makes this statement public for the reason that certain persons associated with the letter imply by his name that he endorsed the statements contained in it. His self-respect will not allow any statement to be made public which by intimation would put him to fix a stain upon personal or private character of Col Fremont.

The steamship Adriatic, the last great work of Mr. Steers in naval architecture, will be ready for sea in about two weeks. The credible dimensions of this ship are, length 315 feet, breadth 50 feet, depth 23 feet and 2 inches – capacity 6,250 tons. The two oscillating engines are of 2,800 horse power.

James A. Whitlock, Postmaster at Verplanks, N.Y. has been removed for favoring Fremont and Freedom. His successor keeps a liquor shop.

The Boston Journal has information that a certain Buchanian in Maine received, just before election, the sum of $1,500 to be used to his best advantage. He accordingly spent $1,000 of it in taking up a mortgage on his farm, rode around town one day and called that $10 and pocketed the balance’ probably to be used at the presidential election.

Rufus Choate has been nominated by the Democracy of the Fourth District in Massachusetts, for Representative to Congress.

One Judge Thompson, of Virginia, in a recent charge to a Grand Jury, directed them to find an indictment for treason against any man whom they might suspect of supporting Fremont. What a pleasing condition of Society they must have there.

The state election and the Presidential election in California occur this year on the same day.

Some of Pierce’s Postmasters are “putting down the Fremonters” by mutilating the portrait of Freemont on the corners of letter envelopes.

The Maine Evangelist has been purchased by Messrs. Waldron & Dingley, and removed to Lewiston. Mr. Fessenden retired. The paper will be edited by Rev. Uriah Balkam and Rev. Mr. Drummond. It has a list of 1,700 subscribers.

Now, how many 21st century readers would have picked up on the fact that 1856 was an election year unless they were told? What surprises your reporter/historiographer is that some of the subtle smears were of the sort still in use today. For example, in 1856, implying that a candidate for public office was Roman (or Orthodox) Catholic was considered a vicious slur, but it was considered crude to mention it in print. It wasn’t until 1962, when JFK was running, that people believed it was possible for a Catholic to be a candidate or hold the office.

Some other unusual terms used in the column were “Buchanian” — a supporter of James Buchanan for president. A “Piercian” would be an appointee of the then-president. That left “Freemonters,” who backed the colonel.

Notice that the terms are usually used to in some way designate evil-doers who usually remain nameless.

It was no secret that the Oxford Democrat and later the Advertiser Democrat were hardly radical papers. With great consistency the old Democrat was very conservative when political statements by journalists were considered appropriate. The 19^th century newspaper morals were just a bit looser than editorial standards today. As to the notion that “news” was an account of what actually happened, with no shade of the writer’s, editor’s or owner’s bias, was unheard of.

As is our custom, we try to exactly reproduce the grammar, spelling, punctuation and style of the original. Commas might appear where least expected and remain absent where we’d expect them if the item was written nowadays.