The Independent Republican has not always had things its own way in Goshen Democratic politics. In 1843 Hector Vail, son of County Clerk Lebbeus L. Vail, and T. W. Donovan started the Democratic Standard under the firm name of Vail & Donovan. The Standard represented the "Barn-Burners" or Free Soil element in the Democratic party, and in antagonism to the interests represented the "Hunkers" and the Independent Republican. In 1844 Mr. Donovan retired, and Hector Vail changed its name to the Goshen Clarion. The Democratic factional fight became stronger, and the Clarion had such backers as Lebbeus L. Vail, Asa D. Jansen, James H. Jansen, John B. Booth of Goshen; Merritt H. Cash, Minisink, and Francis Tuthill of Chester. On the death of Lebbeus Vail, the Clarion, in 1879 was discontinued, the subscription list going to the Independent Republican and the material to Milford, Pa., having been purchased by John M. Heller or James J. McNally, or both, and where it became the Pike County Democrat and later the Milford Herald.
One paper devoted exclusively to theological subjects had its origin in Goshen, and lives to-day to tell the tale. In 1832 the Signs of the Times was started, by Lebbeus L. Vail, a convert from Congregationalism to the Old School Baptist tenets. Between politics and theology Mr. Vail was kept pretty busy. He was a candidate for county clerk on the Democratic ticket, and in 1834 was elected. About this time an earnest young expounder of Mr. Vail's new-grounded faith appeared on the scene. Mr. Vail could not very well run a religious journal and the county clerk's office at the same time, so he turned the Signs of the Times over, body and soul, to the youthful preacher, and Elder Gilbert Beebe took his prize in a wagon, and landed it in New Vernon, near Middletown. Thence he moved it to Alexandria, Va., whence it came to Middletown, where it is domiciled to-day.
During the fight in the Democratic party between the "Hard-Shell" faction, representing the pro-slavery element, and the "Soft-Shell," representing the Douglas, Squatter-Sovereignty, or Anti-Nebraska element in the party, in 1854, the Democratic Recorder was started by A. G. Tucker. The Recorder had a short life, and the subscription list and materials were purchased by James J. McNally and absorbed by his Independent Republican.
The next and last paper to appear in Goshen was the Goshen News, in 1888, under James J. McNally, which, as already told, passed into that ever-open haven of refuge, the portals of the Independent Republican, on the death of Mr. McNally, in 1892.
NEWBURGH AND NEW WINDSOR.
When New Windsor leaps into the arena of contest with a journal of uncertain antiquity, but clearly at the daybreak of journalistic chronology in Orange County, she has grounds for contesting the concession that Newburgh was second, or Goshen even first, in the honors due to pioneerism in the printing art.
E. M. Ruttenber says: "In 1799 Jacob Schultz removed to Newburgh the New Windsor Gazette, the name of which he changed to Orange County Gazette." It is not in evidence when this New Windsor paper began and it may have been immediately or long prior to its removal to Newburgh.
But Mr. Ruttenber says the first paper published in Newburgh was the Newburgh Packet in 1795. The proprietor was Lucius Carey, son-in-law of Rev. John Close, Presbyterian minister at Newburgh and New Windsor. Carey sold the paper to David Denniston in 1797, who changed its name to The Mirror, Philip Van Home (1797) and Joseph W. Barber (1798) appearing as proprietors.
In 1796 a pamphlet entitled, "An Apology for the Bible," was printed in Newburgh, by David Denniston. It was written by R. Watson, D.D., F.R.S. It is said it was creditably printed and bound.
When the Orange County Gazette emerged from the New Windsor Gazette in 1799, Newburgh had two printing shops where books as well as papers were printed, and the legend is that the Gazette became The Citizen, though Mr. Ruttenber questions this, as none of the issues are to be found. As Mr. Denniston was, about this time, connected with the American Citizen, of New York City, this fact may have given rise to the belief that a local Citizen had existed.