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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2017-03-01, Page 5Wednesday, March 1, 2017 • Huron Expositor 5 Luxton and Ross of the Huron Expositor They did not estab- lish the 'Huron Expositor' but George Ross and William Luxton turned the paper into one of the most pop- ular provincial weeklies. Luxton went on to found the 'Manitoba Free Press.' Ross rose in poli- tics to°become the Minis- ter of Education, Premier of Ontario, Senator and knighted by King George V for his services to Can- ada. The `Huron Exposi- tor' of Seaforth was the springboard that launched their careers into national fame. The first issue of the 'Huron Expositor' appeared in December 1867. With four pages of news and advertise- ments, the 'Expositor' served Huron and west Perth Counties. Unfortu- nately, none of the papers exist from before the Lux- ton-Ross uxton-Ross partner- ship. Sometime in 1868, George Ross and William Luxton, who, since 1866, had already jointly edited together the `Strathroy Age', bought the strug- gling 'Expositor' with barely 300 subscribers. In January 1869, Ross and Luxton announced the expansion of the 'Expositor' from 32 to 40 columns. The editors explained that the advan- tages to advertisers and readers alike was worth the 'considerable extra expense.' Under the masthead "Freedom in Trade, Liberty in Reform, Equality in Civil Rights," the 'Expositor' was Lib- eral in politics. It carried the latest Imperial, Dominion, provincial and municipal debates as well as comprehensive local news. The `Expositor' was a worthy rival for its near- est competitor, the 'Huron Signal' published in Goderich. Indeed, the 'Signal' lowered its sub- scription rates to $1.00 per year to compete with the 'Expositor's meteoric Huron History David Yates rise in popularity. The 'Expositor's circulation was no doubt enhanced by its coverage of the Mel- ady murder in June 1868 and subsequent trial and hanging of Nicholas Mel- ady in December 1869. The Ross and Luxton partnership dissolved in June 1869. Despite the 'Expositor's increased patronage, the newspa- per business was not lucrative. The 27 -year-old Ross left the 'Expositor' to become a school superin- tendent in his native Mid- dlesex County. In 1871, Ross was elected a Member to the House of Commons for Middlesex West. While in parliament, he advocated prohibition and opposed the Canadian Pacific Rail- way. David Burley in the 'Dictionary of Canadian Biography' claims that in the 11 years Ross satin the Commons, he "rarely participated in debate" and "merely reiterated his party's positions, though he did so with skill." Ontario Premier Sir Oli- ver Mowat tapped Ross to run provincially in 1883 by holding out the offer of provincial education° minister. As Minister of Education, Ross oversaw the growth of the Ontario common schools. A devout Presbyterian, Ross believed that "religious instruction was a neces- sary part of moral educa- tion" according to Bur- ley. Ross, himself, stated, in 1887, that Christianity should be "the basis of our school system." Education Minister Ross returned to Seaforth in April 1888 to open the expanded Seaforth Colle- giate Institute. At the opening speech, he reminded his audience of his warm association with the town and advised scholars "make the best use of the privi- leges so bountifully pro- vided to them" from edu- cation. Ross was Ontario's longest serving education minister at 16 years (1883- 1899). Amongst his edu- cational reforms, Ross introduced cadet training to promote good citizen- ship; established Arbour Day and Empire Day. The latter to foster pride in the Imperial connection. Ross was the provincial premier from 1899 to 1905. During his premier- ship, Ross became known as the "Father of New Ontario" for his efforts to develop northern Ontario. After his party's defeat, Prime Minister Laurier appointed Ross to the Senate in 1907. Ross became Senate leader and fought hard for Laurier's Naval Service Bill. In 1910, for his lifetime of public service, His Majesty King George V knighted Ross. Sir George Ross died in Toronto on March 7, 1914 in his 73rd year. William Luxton remained editor of the `Expositor' until Decem- ber 1870 when he sold the eight page paper to A. Y. McLean. In his vale- dictory column, on December, 1870, Luxton boasted that he (and Ross) had found the 'Expositor' in a `feeble state' and in two years increased its circulation "to nearly two thousand faithful patrons, a state- ment that no one in Can- ada could truthfully make under similar circumstances." In 1871, 26 year old Wil- liam Luxton went on to publish the 'Home Jour- nal of Goderich' from March to May 1871 according to his biogra- pher T. Peterson. After- wards Luxton moved his family to Winnipeg where he taught school. In November 1872, ori a $500 loan, Luxton launched the 'Manitoba Free Press' which soon grew to become western Canada's leading Liberal newspa- per. Within two years, the daily paper had over 1,000 subscribers. By 1882, the 'Free Press' employed 60 people in an "imposing two storey edifice." As one of Winnipeg's leading citizens, Luxton established the Winnipeg General Hospital; founded the Winnipeg Humane Society, and Chairman of the Winni- peg School Board from 1885 to 1887. Peterson described Luxton as "slim and bearded, with a steady gaze, a sharp wit inclined to puns, and a reputedly ardent temper- ament" who was also "irreverent and outspoken." He served two terms in the provincial legislative assembly. Luxton claimed in his parliamen- tary biography that his goals were temperance; a secular school system; and, the removal of' French as an official lan- guage in Manitoba. Luxton also had an independent streak. In 1888, Luxton's 'Free Press' turned against the provincial Liberal govern- ment. Luxton, "the fight- ing editor" as Peterson called him, "with more perception than discre- tion" became embroiled in the Manitoba schools question. He called the issue a distraction from the Canadian Pacific's exorbitant freight rates that both Liberal and Conservative govern ments conspired to keep high at the expense of farmers. Displeased with the rebellious editor's jour- nalistic courage, railroad magnate, Donald Smith (later Lord Strathcona) wrested control of the 'Free Press' away from Luxton in 1893. .Luxton tried starting another paper, the 'Daily Nor'Wester' but sold it in 1896. When Luxton died in 1907, at the age of 62, he worked as a provincial government building inspector. George Ross, in his autobiography "Getting into Parliament and After" (1913) reflected on his early years as the edi- tor of a small town weekly. Ross recalled tit "the editor of the weekly was, a guide, philosopher and friend." In a passage more relevant today than ever, Ross wrote that "the weekly still has its place in the newspaper econ- omy of the world, and to use it for the highest good is an ambition not unworthy of the altruist and the educationist." As the 'Expositor' celebrates O V L ita0 0 Q a) 0 L.. i Et0 y-- Cn William F. Luxton. Dictionary of National Biography Sir George Ross. its sesquicentennial (150 years), it remains a vital information source for the Seaforth area. HAVE AN OPINION? The Huron Expositor welcomes letters to the editor. They must be signed and accompanied by a phone number for information clarification. It is important to note, letters will not be printed without the author's name attached. All letters are subject to editing due to possible space restriction. Letters can be dropped off at the office, mailed or emailed: Seaforth Huron Expositor 53 Albert St. P.O. Box 39 Clinton, ON NOM 1LO sgregory@postmedia.com www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com