.gif)
Robert Ewing (newspaper publisher)
Encyclopedia
Robert Wilson Ewing, I, also known as Colonel Ewing (September 27, 1859 - April 27, 1931), was a prominent newspaper
journalist
, editor
, and publisher and political figure, primarily in Louisiana
, in the last two decades of the 19th century and the first third of the 20th century.
Ewing was born in Mobile, Alabama
, to James Lindsay Ewing, a cotton
merchant, and the former Martha Hunter. At the age of thirteen, he was a messenger for the Western Union
Telegraph Company. At seventeen, he was a telegrapher for the Associated Press
. In 1879, he helped establish and managed the Mobile division of the Union Telegraph Company. After he joined a strike
of the Order of Telegraphers union, Ewing was blacklisted in Mobile. He therefore relocated to New Orleans, where he managed the former Morning Chronicle, a journal owned by the conservative
Democrat
Henry J. Hearsey, who also published the New Orleans Daily States.
In 1888, Ewing became affiliated with the reform, anti-machine faction of city politics. He served in the administration of Mayor William Shakespeare as an innovative city electrician
and superintendent of the police telegraphy and fire-alarm systems. He also served for a time as the New Orleans municipal tax collector.
Under Hearsey's tutelage, Ewing was also telegraph editor, circulation and business manager, and editor and proprietor of the Daily States, later the defunct States-Item. He was furthermore nationally prominent in the AP, having served two terms as vice president of the organization.
In 1908, Ewing, while still the publisher of the defunct Daily States, purchased the still operating Shreveport Times. In the latter 1920s, he bought the two newspapers in Monroe
: the defunct Morning World and the remaining Monroe News Star
, since switched to morning publication. He was hence among the two or three most influential persons in the Louisiana journalism community.
In 1898, Ewing was elected to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention held that year. He was backed by the New Orleans Regular Democrats. He thereafter worked to organize the Choctaw Club, which opponents claimed was a political machine
that sought to dominate state politics until 1920. Ewing's political influence was such that he was the Louisiana Democratic national committeeman from 1908-1930. In 1908, Ewing was a manager of the third failed presidential campaign of former U.S. Representative William Jennings Bryan
of Nebraska
.
Like the rice
broker Edward M. House
in Houston, Texas
, Ewing claimed to have been particularly influential in securing the Democratic nomination in 1912 for then Governor
Woodrow Wilson
of New Jersey
, a part of the progressive movement. Ewing was a Louisiana delegate to the Democratic convention that nominated Wilson on the 46th ballot. House and Wilson both wore the honorary title of "Colonel". (Bryan was Wilson's secretary of state from 1913–1915, and House was Wilson's chief advisor from 1913-1919.)
After Wilson's election as president with a plurality of popular votes, Ewing was a powerful political figure in the state. He spoke for contradictory interests: (1) the New Freedom
political reforms and (2) the conservative
planters and machine politicians.
In 1928, Ewing broke with the Regular Democrats of New Orleans to support Huey Pierce Long, Jr.
, for governor. His relationship with the Louisiana "Kingfish" was a stormy one. Ewing supported Long's impeachment
by the Louisiana House of Representatives
. Long, however, was not convicted by the Louisiana state Senate
and finished his one term as governor, even being elected to the U.S. Senate as well. Long accused Ewing of having attempted and failed to dictate Long's policies.
Ewing was twice married. In 1883, he wed the former May Dunbrack of Nova Scotia
, Canada
. She died in 1904. In 1917, after thirteen years as a widower, Ewing wed the former Grace Nolan Mackay of Kansas City, Missouri
. He had five sons: James Lindsay Ewing, II, John Dunbrack Ewing
(1892–1952), Toulmin H. Ewing, Robert W. Ewing, II, and Wilson Ewing, named for Ewing's presidential favorite. Wilson Ewing's son was Robert W. Ewing, III
(1936–2007), a member of the Monroe News Star board of directors and a nature photographer.
On Ewing's death, second son John D. Ewing became publisher of the Shreveport and Monroe newspapers and held those positions until his own death.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, and publisher and political figure, primarily in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, in the last two decades of the 19th century and the first third of the 20th century.
Ewing was born in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, to James Lindsay Ewing, a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
merchant, and the former Martha Hunter. At the age of thirteen, he was a messenger for the Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
Telegraph Company. At seventeen, he was a telegrapher for the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. In 1879, he helped establish and managed the Mobile division of the Union Telegraph Company. After he joined a strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
of the Order of Telegraphers union, Ewing was blacklisted in Mobile. He therefore relocated to New Orleans, where he managed the former Morning Chronicle, a journal owned by the conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Henry J. Hearsey, who also published the New Orleans Daily States.
In 1888, Ewing became affiliated with the reform, anti-machine faction of city politics. He served in the administration of Mayor William Shakespeare as an innovative city electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
and superintendent of the police telegraphy and fire-alarm systems. He also served for a time as the New Orleans municipal tax collector.
Under Hearsey's tutelage, Ewing was also telegraph editor, circulation and business manager, and editor and proprietor of the Daily States, later the defunct States-Item. He was furthermore nationally prominent in the AP, having served two terms as vice president of the organization.
In 1908, Ewing, while still the publisher of the defunct Daily States, purchased the still operating Shreveport Times. In the latter 1920s, he bought the two newspapers in Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
: the defunct Morning World and the remaining Monroe News Star
Monroe News Star
The News-Star is the principal newspaper of Monroe and northeastern Louisiana. Its circulation area ranges over some dozen parishes from Ruston, the seat of Lincoln Parish, on the west, to Tallulah in Madison Parish on the east, to the Arkansas state line on the north, and to Ferriday in Concordia...
, since switched to morning publication. He was hence among the two or three most influential persons in the Louisiana journalism community.
In 1898, Ewing was elected to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention held that year. He was backed by the New Orleans Regular Democrats. He thereafter worked to organize the Choctaw Club, which opponents claimed was a political machine
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
that sought to dominate state politics until 1920. Ewing's political influence was such that he was the Louisiana Democratic national committeeman from 1908-1930. In 1908, Ewing was a manager of the third failed presidential campaign of former U.S. Representative William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
of Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
.
Like the rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
broker Edward M. House
Edward M. House
Edward Mandell House was an American diplomat, politician, and presidential advisor. Commonly known by the title of Colonel House, although he had no military experience, he had enormous personal influence with U.S...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Ewing claimed to have been particularly influential in securing the Democratic nomination in 1912 for then Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, a part of the progressive movement. Ewing was a Louisiana delegate to the Democratic convention that nominated Wilson on the 46th ballot. House and Wilson both wore the honorary title of "Colonel". (Bryan was Wilson's secretary of state from 1913–1915, and House was Wilson's chief advisor from 1913-1919.)
After Wilson's election as president with a plurality of popular votes, Ewing was a powerful political figure in the state. He spoke for contradictory interests: (1) the New Freedom
New Freedom
New Freedom may refer to:*New Freedom, Pennsylvania, a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States*New Freedom, New Jersey, an unincorporated community in Camden County, New Jersey, United States...
political reforms and (2) the conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
planters and machine politicians.
In 1928, Ewing broke with the Regular Democrats of New Orleans to support Huey Pierce Long, Jr.
Huey Long
Huey Pierce Long, Jr. , nicknamed The Kingfish, served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928–1932 and as a U.S. Senator from 1932 to 1935. A Democrat, he was noted for his radical populist policies. Though a backer of Franklin D...
, for governor. His relationship with the Louisiana "Kingfish" was a stormy one. Ewing supported Long's impeachment
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
by the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
. Long, however, was not convicted by the Louisiana state Senate
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
and finished his one term as governor, even being elected to the U.S. Senate as well. Long accused Ewing of having attempted and failed to dictate Long's policies.
Ewing was twice married. In 1883, he wed the former May Dunbrack of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She died in 1904. In 1917, after thirteen years as a widower, Ewing wed the former Grace Nolan Mackay of Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. He had five sons: James Lindsay Ewing, II, John Dunbrack Ewing
John D. Ewing
John Dunbrack Ewing, Sr. , was a Louisiana journalist who served as editor and publisher of both the Shreveport Times and the Monroe News-Star-World from 1931 until his death. He was also affiliated with radio station KWKH in Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish in northwestern Louisiana...
(1892–1952), Toulmin H. Ewing, Robert W. Ewing, II, and Wilson Ewing, named for Ewing's presidential favorite. Wilson Ewing's son was Robert W. Ewing, III
Robert Ewing, III
Robert Wilson Ewing III , was a sports and underwater photographer for the Monroe News Star in Monroe, Louisiana. According to his obituary, Ewing performed free-lance work for National Geographic and the naturalist Jacques Cousteau...
(1936–2007), a member of the Monroe News Star board of directors and a nature photographer.
On Ewing's death, second son John D. Ewing became publisher of the Shreveport and Monroe newspapers and held those positions until his own death.