Re Saul Hubbard's  tweet today on "Oregon Style Journalism"-
While your series of 15 items  is, overall, a good series of history articles on the Guard, I'd say you somewhat  missed this one important point-- what Saul refers to as "Oregon Style Journalism";
For most of its early years the  Guard  (Democrat) was passionately engaged in "Oregon Style Journalism"  in its weekly battle with Kincaid's Oregon State Journal (Republican).  It's a treat to read the the invective and insults hurled back and forth as they exchanged withering ridicule, rather like some of the more confrontational  folks here on "Civil Comments."
Once the Guard sort of merged with the Republican Register, I'd say the paper became generally Centrist. 
(Both the Guard and OSJ are available on microfilm at the UO's Knight Library)