Another index of the shifting of political sentiment among the Norse voters is found in the changes in the party affiliations of Scandinavian newspapers, tho the varying importance of these journals imposes special caution in interpreting these figures. It would be obviously unfair to offset the staunch and well-supported Republicanism of the ably-edited and widely-circulated _Skandinaven_ of Chicago with the less stable _Normannen_ of Stoughton, Wisconsin, which had not one-third the circulation nor one-tenth of the influence of the metropolitan journal.[408] The "mugwump spirit" of the press is well illustrated by the case of _Norden_, a Norwegian weekly of Chicago, Republican up to 1884, when it took an independent attitude. In 1888 it became avowedly Democratic and supported Grover Cleveland for the presidency. This move was made only after the proprietor and editor assured themselves that the patrons of the paper would sustain them in the proposed change.[409] [408] Rowell, _American Newspaper Directory_ for 1896, 1901, 1906; _Cosmopolitan_, Oct., 1890, 689. [409] Interview in 1890 with the editor of _Norden_, Mr. P. O. Strömme. He said that the change was an excellent move for the paper. Of the secular political Scandinavian papers published in Minnesota in 1889 nine were Republican--five Norwegian or Norwegian-Danish, four Swedish; three were Democratic,--all Norwegian; two were Prohibitionist,--one Norwegian and one Swedish; and one was Labor,--Norwegian.[410] In the next five years, the independent press in Minnesota and other states increased in numbers at least, and included such influential journals as _Amerika_ and _Folkebladet_. George Taylor Rygh, professor of Scandinavian languages in the University of North Dakota, estimated in 1893 that "until a few years ago over four-fifths of the [Scandinavian] secular press were strictly Republican in politics. One after another has ceased to defend the Republican party, and today not more than one-third of the whole number are strictly Republican."[411] While this personal opinion or impression is probably exaggerated, it may represent approximately the temporary state of that year if proper emphasis be laid on the word "strictly." Since there appears to be no evidence that these papers, with two or three exceptions, were subsidized to induce their change of political creed, it is reasonable to conclude that they had behind them a solidified constituency, for they were run neither for personal amusement, pure philanthropy, nor mere partisan propaganda. [410] _Minnesota Legislative Manual_, 1889, 432-445. [411] G. T. Rygh, "The Scandinavian American," _Literary Northwest_, Feb., 1893. He estimated the total number of papers at "about 125."