News from the Hellfire Club

In August 1721, James Franklin began publishing The New England Courant in Boston, the first unlicensed newspaper in the American Colonies. “Unlicensed” meant unapproved by the Province of Massachusetts Bay or its overseer, the British Crown.

“I hereby invite all Men, who have Leisure, Inclination and Ability, to speak their Minds with Freedom, Sense and Moderation, and their Pieces shall be welcome to a Place in my Paper,” James wrote.

His brother, Benjamin, nine years his junior, joined him in the effort by contributing editorials under the aptly named Silence Dogood.

In November of that same year, James was accosted in the street by Cotton Mather, a prominent Puritan and preacher who famously defended the Salem witch trials. 

"The Plain Design of your Paper is to Banter and Abuse the Ministers of God,” Cotton told him, “to defeat all the good Effects of their Ministry on the Minds of the People.” He called the Courant “A wickedness never paralleled anywhere on the face of the Earth!” and dubbed James and his writers “The Hell-Fire Club.”

The local government eventually agreed. James was jailed in 1723 and banned from publishing for defying censorship laws. Benjamin took over the paper, continuing to run afoul of the government until the censors closed it for good in 1726. James died from an unknown illness on his 38th birthday in 1735. Benjamin lived until 1790, when he was 84 years old.

We mention this because of some of the reactions we received after publishing photos of the No Kings Day protest on the front page of our November edition, together with an opinion column we thought provided context.

Some of the criticism we received — “filthy rag, lack of common sense, anti-Christian” — would have made Cotton Mather proud, if not for the profanity that accompanied it.

Nevertheless, the second No Kings Day is thought to be one of the largest one-day demonstrations in the U.S. since Earth Day in 1970. Estimates range from 5 to 6.5 million across the nation. We received counts ranging from 350 to as many as 625 people lining the road in Key Center Oct. 18.

And we received complaints both from now former readers incensed that protestors were on the front page, and from those same protestors angry for our downplaying what they called the largest local demonstration in memory.

This comes on the heels of our newspaper winning 22 statewide awards in October, adding to well over 100 individual awards since 2018 from judges in press associations spanning the breadth of our nation’s geographical, environmental, cultural, social, religious, spiritual, and political divides.

We are proud of our team and the honors received by staff and contributors. Eddie Macsalka winning Sportswriter of the Year and Chris Rurik being named Feature Writer of the Year in our division is a matter of pride to be celebrated by our whole, far-flung community. 

Combined with a Key Peninsula News sweep of the general interest column category, with Ted Olinger taking first, Dan Whitmarsh taking second, and Carolyn Wiley for her sixth win for “Devil’s Head Diary,” along with all the others.

Reporting news and stories relevant to our shared Key Peninsula home is a responsibility we take seriously. However, there remains a difference between news and opinion that helps present thoughts and ideas that may not be your own.

The effects of the government shutdown and fear of food insecurity and reductions in benefits for already struggling local families continue to be very real. I think it’s safe to say we all wish for stabilization after so many rapid changes in norms.

Regular readers of this editorial column surely know by now that I personally believe there is space to participate in the middle ground that the KP is masterful in creating and building, no matter what forces threaten our community. We care for each other.

Now, we look to December for annual celebrations of light in the darkness. The holiday season is often a fast-paced frenzy of activities and to-do lists, with excitement building toward a celebratory time shared with family and loved ones.

It is also the season of our annual fund drive. We appreciate your financial support to keep this newspaper going and available for everyone in print and online, free from annual subscriptions and without paywalls. Your contributions are boosted by NewsMatch to keep local nonprofit publications like Key Peninsula News going strong. Without consistent, dedicated coverage, our very sense of community suffers.

From our team to yours, we wish you the very best of health and wellness in the coming year. Take care of each other.

Charter Hellfire Club Member and Associate Editor Ted Olinger contributed to this column.