Vienybė lietuvninkų

The first issue was published on 10 February 1886 in Plymouth, Pennsylvania by two Lithuanian businessmen Juozas Paukštys, owner of several grocery stores, and Antanas Pajaujis, owner of an inn and a small bank.[2] They each invested $1,000 (equivalent to $32,570 in 2022) in hopes of a profit, but Pajaujis left within a few months.[3] Initially, the newspaper advocated Catholic ideas and unity among Polish and Lithuanian immigrants in the historic tradition of the old Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (cf. Polish-Lithuanian identity).[2] It was a response to anti-clergy and anti-Polish Lietuviškasis balsas published by Jonas Šliūpas in New York.[4] Vienybė lietuvninkų was the official newspaper of the Lithuanian Alliance of America (Lithuanian: Susivienijimas lietuvių Amerikoje or SLA).[5] Its first editor was Domininkas Tomas Bačkauskas, who previously worked as an assistant editor of Polish newspaper Ojczyzna in Buffalo, New York.[6] Bačkauskas established a section of humor and satire that became very popular and the newspaper had about a thousand subscribers[7] and up to 4,000 total readers.[8] After a conflict with Paukštys, Bačkauskas resigned in April 1888 and established his own newspaper Saulė in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania.[5] Bačkauskas was replaced by Antanas Turskis.[9]

In August 1889, priest Aleksandras Burba arrived to Plymouth to establish the Lithuanian parish of St. Casimir.[9] Under his influence, the newspaper dropped its support of the Polish–Lithuanian union in favor of the Lithuanian National Revival.[10] Turskis did not support this new ideology and was replaced by Juozas Andziulaitis-Kalnėnas, the last editor of Aušra, in early 1890.[11] Andziulaitis' views were much closer to Šliūpas' and the newspaper supported his Lithuanian Scientific Society established in 1889 in Baltimore. The newspaper also adopted more modern Lithuanian orthography and changed the spelling of its name from Wienibe Lietuwniku to Vienybe Lietuvniku.[12] The shift also caused a split within SLA – Paukštys decided to leave SLA and establish the Lithuanian Catholic Alliance of America (Lithuanian: Susivienijimas lietuvių katalikų Amerikoje or SLKA) in 1890. Vienybė lietuvninkų became the official newspaper of SLKA, while SLA adopted Saulė published by Bačkauskas.[13] Andziulaitis steered the newspaper towards democratic and even socialist ideas, publishing articles on workers' movement and critique of Catholic priests.[14] He also published articles on literary and academic topics, which were of little interest to the poorly educated readers. The number of subscribers decreased from about 900 to 200. Therefore, Andziulaitis was dismissed in May 1892.[15]

Burba invited Antanas Milukas to become the new editor. Milukas, a former student at the Sejny Priest Seminary, fled to United States to avoid the Tsarist police for violating the Lithuanian press ban.[16] He was more steady and consistent editor, supporting both Catholic ideas and Lithuanian nationalism.[17] He wanted to pay the newspaper contributors for their submissions to improve the quality and to attract more talent. To that end, he established a society that collected $5 (equivalent to $163 in 2022) per month from its members and paid for the contributions, firstly for those who lived in Lithuania.[18] Milukas resigned as editor in August 1893 when he decided to complete his studies at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. He was replaced by priest Juozas Petraitis. He published articles on the liberation of Lithuania from the Russian Empire, but avoided getting involved in political disagreements among Lithuanian Americans.[19] He became ill and died in May 1895.[20]

The new editor Juozas Ališius-Ališauskas lasted only four months. He was dismissed after printing a complaint from Lithuanian workers in Boston who accused a Catholic priest of stealing their funds. He was also accused of inappropriate behavior (shouting at press workers and abusing alcohol).[21] He was replaced by Jonas Kaunas in November 1895. He was not particularly religious and pushed out Burba, who continued to have significant influence on the newspaper.[22] Burba established Valtis and accused Paukštys of mishandling parish funds.[23] At the same time, SLKA decided to establish purely Catholic Tėvynė.[22] Therefore, the newspaper lost its Catholic character and began publishing articles on more liberal topics, including on capitalist exploitation and on the elections in the United States. Burba and other priests attacked such "godless" publication.[24] The shift turned away subscribers and advertisers and, combined with a failure of bank where he held his savings, resulted in Paukštys' bankruptcy.[25]

In November 1897, Vienybė lietuvninkų was sold to Paukštys' relatives, but the new editor Petras Mikolainis continued its secular and nationalist ideology.[26] After the Lattimer massacre of mine workers in September 1897, socialist ideas became more popular and Mikolainis, in collaboration with Jonas Šliūpas, published numerous socialist articles in Vienybė lietuvninkų.[27] In January 1901, the newspaper hired new editor Jonas Mačys-Kėkštas who published more of works of fiction and managed to increase the circulation. However, it did not change its political orientation – Lithuanian nationalism mixed with socialist and anti-Catholic ideas.[27] After Mačys-Kėkštas death in December 1902, Mikolainis returned for less than a year. He was replaced by Juozas Otonas Širvydas, a socialist. The popularity of socialism increased with the Russian Revolution of 1905.[28] Širvydas became editor of Kova, official newspaper of the newly established Lithuanian Socialist Party of America, and was replaced by Juozas Baltrušaitis in April 1905.[29] While Šliūpas, Širvydas, and Baltrušaitis were all socialists, there were disagreements on division of funds and on who should represent Lithuanians at the International Socialist Congress in Amsterdam.[30] Such concerns overshadowed Lithuanian topics, such as the lifting of the Lithuanian press ban in April 1904.[31]

In May 1907, Širvydas returned as editor and relocated the newspaper from Plymouth, Pennsylvania to Brooklyn, New York.[32] After the failure of the Russian Revolution of 1905, the socialist moods subsided and Vienybė lietuvninkų returned to Lithuanian nationalism. It represented nationalism, or the third middle road between two main political camps – conservative clergy and liberal socialists.[32] In the last eight years, the editors changed particularly frequently.[33] The newspaper supported the Lithuanian National League of America (Lithuanian: Amerikos lietuvių tautinė sandara) and, during World War I, continuously urged donations to its relief fund aiming to support war-torn Lithuania.[34]

Around 1918–1919, the newspaper suffered financial difficulties and was bought out by Širvydas. It changed publishing frequency to twice a month and was reorganized as Vienybė, which continued to be published until 1985.[35]