The Herald Defends Its Civic Voice
The Fairhaven Herald clashes with the Sehome Gazette over critical journalism and the future of the bay region.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Sehome Gazette recently criticized the Fairhaven Herald for its commentary on the Bellingham Bay British Columbia Company. The Gazette argued the Herald should wait until it is truly 'a part of the community' before criticizing local contractors. The Herald responded sharply, stating that it is indeed part of the community, but refuses to let the Gazette dictate its 'taste.' The Herald specifically defended its right to criticize railroad companies for laying tracks on street planks to exclude competition, asserting that while newspapers may sometimes be wrong, 'the people never are.'
“Newspapers are sometimes wrong, but the people never are.”
This territorial spat highlights the fierce, competitive localism of 1890s Bellingham Bay towns before their eventual consolidation. It serves as an early example of the 'watchdog' role the press attempted to claim in an era of rapid, often unregulated corporate expansion.
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