Not long after the joint purchase, Harding became sole owner, with Sickel exiting out of frustration with the available equipment, and Warwick leaving for work on a bigger city paper.
[3] The dubious financial position of The Marion Daily Star improved following the marriage of Harding to Florence Kling DeWolfe, who promptly set about to straighten out the accounting, and increase circulation.
American Civil Liberties Union founder and Socialist candidate for President Norman Thomas worked for the Daily Star while growing up in Marion.
However, Harding also launched The Marion Weekly Star, a once-a-week summary newspaper designed for mail delivery and rural circulation, which showed less restraint in its Republican stance.
Under their ownership, the name was briefly changed to The Star in an attempt to broaden the marketability of the paper beyond the Marion County region.