The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 14
- Publication:
- The Atlanta Constitutioni
- Location:
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Issue Date:
- Page:
- 14
Extracted Article Text (OCR)
The South' Standard Newspaper THE CONSTITUTION, ATLANTA, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1942. t-'arze Two Constitution Faithful Lighthouse of State, Nation for 75 Years policy of the development of indi- oli basis of the paper's own south-haters who had ruled legislation since the war. Rufus B. Bullock, of Augusta, a "There was Ed Bruffey, the first That Farming Is Fun BOSTON, Aug. 31.
(INS) Faithful Friend. While other editors were grind real sports writer in America. man of northern birth, who had come to Georgia before the war, was declared Governor. There was Maude Andrews (Mrs. J.
K. Ohl), the first among Reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic is all right, but a fellow has to think of his carrots and spinach, too. Persistent Prober. Quite naturally, The Constitu woman writers to develop the personal society department. ing out behind closed doors lengthy, poinUess editorials.
Captain Howell and Grady were busy among the people who were bringing things to pass. They went out among the railway men and boosted whatever they were doing that So Boston school children are Yellowed Files Are Gold Mine to Historian, Publicist For three-quarters of a' century, The Constitution has been the faithful lighthouse of the people of Atlanta, Geor-Cgia. the south and the nation. "There was 'Bill Arp, the phil tion attacked every feature of the proceedings that framed up the defeat of General John B. Gordon, osopher from Cartersville.
taking the hoe by the handle and developing an abandoned planta There was Ed Barrett, whose would help the farmer, the manu brilliance as a Washington corre tion in near-by Woburn and Bur facturer, the south and Atlanta in particular. lington into a thriving farm. the Democratic candidate. And from the very inception of the Bullock regime, the newspaper became the persistent investigator and publicity herald of the administration. spondent gave greater color to Cleveland's regime than any other writer.
Hundreds of pupils congregate At the same time, they wer at Boston city hall every morning There was Montgomery Fol- equally as quick to jump upon an injustice in railway rates or man I A i mJ and go by bus to cultivate their Bullock had the co-operation of som, a singer second only to Frank Stanton. several prominent Georgians who assigned plots of from 15 to 25 agement. They attended county fairs, state fairs and farmers' con realize the weight of his words There was Wallace Reid. the feet. Others under 12 years of I Its yellowed, bound files tell ex- citing stories of days gone by; the -terrible reconstruction days, the carpetbaggers, the terror of when he said.
"War is hell" dur had professed to be "reconstructed" and to prove it had indorsed the nomination of General Grant erudite. ventions. They made The Constitution the alert and faithful friend age are transported at half fare ing his paralyzing Georgia cam There was Orth Stein, the paign. Blood ran red in Feacn- by the Boston and Maine railroad. of the farmer, and were pioneers in recognizing the importance of tree creek during the siege of At The students look forward to It was the work of these men that brought the defeat of General Gordon and plunged the state into four years of secret graft and open robbery.
regular farm news. terious and iridescent misanthrope. "There was Gordon Noel Hurtel, whose darkey stories of 'Judge Andy's Police Court' made him national in fame. lanta, but the tragedies of reconstruction which followed were granges, lawlessness and the final triumph of democracy. Its columns give a true diary of the south we know today and a vivid the day in the week assigned to them and, according to four agri Nothing of interest to the peo equally productive of sorrow and ple was ever alien to Captain How v' loss.
culture teachers directing the project, weed, plant and till the Election returns showed that in Lucian Knight. ell or Grady. President Andrew Johnson the first house would be a very lnere was Lucian Lamar soil with gusto, giving nary a sign In 1877, a constitutional conven narrow majority of Democrats ruugnt. that they are "city boys." and "conservatives leaders dan stoutly resisted the announced policy of Thad Stevens in- 1868 to treat southern states as conquered territory. "There was the brilliant! r.
Mixing business with pleasure, tion was called to Atlanta to revise and amend the Constitution of the state. gling between "the powers" and ratic Remsen Crawford, scion from the students take time out at noon for a picnic with lunches they the people. The organization uie aai-K corner or who Mer-bers of that historic con For this resistance, President meeting broke out into, actual later became a star of the Satur carry with. them. THE LATE CLARK HOWELL.
CLARK HOWELL. vention included: Johnson was impeached and put fights between factions and final day Evening Post. General Alexander Lawton, ly military powers came to the I here was Sam Dibhlf. rti. Congressman James L.
Seward, into south Georgia before night support of the radical group the uriai sage. master of Atlanta, published his New Era until he was separated government once more upon con' stitutional principles. description of events recorded for school children in history books. Those dusty files are a veritable mine for the historian, the publicist, the economist and the sociologist. This is the history of The Con-; stitution, founded during the dark days of 1868 to lead a beaten and "bloody south back to its rightful place in the Union.
The Consti-; tution first appeared in print when politics was a maelstrom of bitter passions and honest states-; manship was scarce. Its pages embalm the fierce and fascinating struggle for a new era of justice and constitutional righteousness, The Journalists. Nelson Tift, The Rev. George F. crowd that finally prevailed.
trains of the same day. was the on trial before the senate lor high crimes and misdemeanors. Johnson's trial was a terrible ordeal for southern people, for they knew with his conviction would come the rule of Ben Wade, of Ohio, a vindictive south-hater, from the federal pay roll. To meet the challenge, the At New Crises Develop. This blessing The Constitution Cooper, of Americus, the real father of the Georgia railroad com Isma Dooly, and her sister, Louise Dooly, worthy successors tn Mauri ueorgia pouticai status was lanta morning papers hired special has never violated.
Hardly a day of 1868-69 the hanging fire in Washington, and trains an engine and a car to Andrews. birth year of The Constitution Colonel Styles active brain and There was J. K. Ohl. who aftpr- carry their papers to Macon on a passed without the development unfaltering courage injected wards became Bennett's right hand who was next line for the presidency.
of some new crises affecting the that aroused the ire of Alexander Hamilton Stephens, former vice president of the Confederacy, who had been refused a seat in the mission: T. M. Furlow and Joshua Hill, both candidates for Governor against Brown in 1863; Charles J. Jenkins, the "Old Roman," whose act as Governor of carrying away to Canada the great seal of Geor spontaneous life into the infant fast run, so they could be placed on morning trains to southwest man on me old New York Herald. newspaper, which, in turn, somehow gave new hope to Georgia and southeast sections.
fcrnest Wilkinson. domestic or political life of Georgia cities. The Constitution faithfully recorded each event, always Conviction Fails. Thanks to the integrity of sev United States senate. There was Ernest Wilki Thrilling Stories.
and the Southland. eral fair-minded Republican sen gia to prevent it falling into the the first cartoonist of the south) Accordingly, Colonel Stephens Many thrilling stories developed Colonel Barrick. taking a firm stand in the inter est of its constituents. ators, however, the conviction hands ot General Ruger, the mili founded The Atlanta Sun and be tnu jus associate, w. iiender Burdened with the business and failed by a single vote.
son. mere was Lewis C. Gregg. out of the race to see who would be first to "get off the press" and gan to lambaste the radicals edi In the face of the "Black Fri From out of the ancient Constitution files step such men as Colonel Carey W. Styles, the policy of his new venture, Colonel torially.
His lengthy editorials, That ordeal over, the Republic wnose cartoons won national ac claim. get the first train started south day" panic, when gold reached 164 on Wall street. Colonel Styles ans in convention at Chicago nom Styles began looking around for an editorial writer. He "discov founder, a former Confederate of- Ferhaps the most thrilling story. "There was Bobbv Small iihn signed H.
soon became the temporary wonder of the state. His money soon failed, and so died his inated General Grant for the pres however, was the "daily, scraping A. P. achievements, suhspnnont ficer whose brilliance on the field of battle was equalled only by his decided he could no longer finance the newspaper and transferred his ered" Colonel James Russell Bar rick, a highly educated Kentuck to his journalistic birth nn Th idency. That, nomination met with the approval of many southern men, who trusted to Grant's holdings to Colonel J.
H. Ander in each office to get the money to meet exhaustive railroad charges for the extraordinary Services. In ian, who divided his time between paper. State's Standard Paper. eloquence with words; Captain Evan P.
Howell, who helped make constitution, still are related son. Colonel Styles died a few operating a small drug store on wnere newsmen gather. known desire for peaceful condi journalism what it is today; Henry years later. the end, The Constitution won out Then, in varied succession, some Ihere was John Yonnir r.ar. tions in the south.
Whitehall street and penning, vig orous prose. W. Grady and W. A. Hemphill, to a Colonel Anderson brought in as of the most versatile "trained ungion, wno established the Alka- name a few.
Early in June bills were passing One of the contributing factors to The Constitution's victory was his partner his son-in-law, Colonel nesi. Colonel Barrick accepted the Little did General Sherman William A. Hemphill, a brilliant There was Jim Holleman. rnn. the advent of Colonel N.
P. congress for the readmission ol southern states, including Georgia. post and for 10 months The Con journalists" of Georgia and the south entered the field with The Constitution, that by now was acknowledged to be the standard Confederate artillery officer, who stnictive and far seeing. Finch, of New York, an abl stitution fairly bristled with his verbal broadsides about the EH wore in one cheek a deep scar as a symbol of how nearly he came inere was Pierre Van Paassen Since its incention. Thf rvm.
With the assurance that southern states would have some voice in the national government, even journalist and a brother of the author of "The Blue and Gray" daily of the state. wronged south. His poems, too to to giving his life for his ideals dur smuuon nas been able tn waiir Some of these were the Atlanta are glorified in both southern and poem. Colonel Finch bought LM1 though upon terms dictated by the ing the Civil War. and labor hand in hand with the News, by Alex St.
Clair Abrams northern anthologies. block of stock in the paper and tary governor, will live forever. William A. Little. William A.
Little, later attorney general and justice of the supreme court; Pope Barrow, who succeeded Ben Hill in the senate; Robert Toombs, the Cato of the Confederacy; Nathaniel J. Hammond, ex-attorney general: Judge James R. Brown, Judge John Collier, who framed the first charter of Atlanta in 1847 when the name was changed from Marthasville. Porter Ingram, who served as member of the Confederate congress from Georgia; Colonel L. N.
Trammell and Colonel A. W. Hol-comb, both of whom had been members of the constitutional convention of 1868, and General Augustus R. Wright, of Rome. Realizing the importance of th situation.
Captain Howell ordered a skilled stenographer to take a verbatim report of the proceedings to be printed daily in The Constitution. Such a task had never been tried before outside of the national congress. The next adventure championed by The Constitution was the first Continued on Pace 3, Column 2. people or Atlanta and Georgia, all The Atlanta Herald, by Bob Als Colonel Hemphill came to The In less than a year, however. remained as chief editorial writer until after Colonel Clarke sold his ucm on me same purpose the de ton and Henry W.
Grady before Constitution from a teacher desk death ended what promised to be one of the most brilliant careers velopment of resources, the build Grady joined The Constitution His resourcefulness and business interest to Captain Evan P. in American journalism. Howell in 1876. staff: The Daily Capital, under ability piloted the newspaper for ing of men, and the support of all wholesome civic endeavors. Clark Howell, throueh Th rvmstitut II The presidential campaign of In 1877.
Colonel Finch sold out Charles S. Atwood; The Post Ap more than 30 years over financial SCIENTIFIC GLASSES 1868 was filled with excitement to Henry W. Grady and retired, shoals and kept The Constitution peal, by Colonel Marcellus Thornton and later by David E. has always been a builder, not a' for it was the first national cam Captain Howell, returning from well away from the notorious At lanta "newspaper graveyard." north, there arose a demand lor press leadership. And the answer to this demand was the establishment of The Atlanta Constitution on June 18, 1868.
Hostile Powers. The new paper was not immediately received with open arms. The powers prominent at the time were sure to be hostile and unscrupulous in oppression and suppression, and threats were voiced that the newspaper would be quickly strangled. Such bleak prospects doubtlessly aesirucior. a southern ontimist paign after the Civil War in which the war, became city editor of The Caldwell, and a flock of other pa not a fault finder.
Hp ha ai wave soutnern statesmen were per Atlanta Intelligencer, then the pers, such as Telegrams, Evening iieipea, never ninaered. Anderson Retires. After the retirement of Colonel mitted to take part by electing Heralds and Gazettes. electors. city only daily, and later be came solicitor general of the cir cuit and state senator.
Gains Constituency. During the first 30 years of its Under the guidance of Captain Anderson left Colonel Hemphill as This election also was the first Howell and Grady there was born real test for the new Constitution career, the paper had gone through first one crisis and another, slow Forces Reorganized. When he took active manager Opposing: Candidates. the principal owner of the paper, he employed on the editorial staff Colonel Isaac W. Avery, who had served as one of "Morgan's men" on The Constitution a new type of journalism.
They worked on the theory that the prosperity of the uemocratic candidates were ship of The Constitution as presi ly gaining a constituency that was national in scope. It survived while other newspapers came and Horatio Seymour, of New York, would have bluffed a man of less dent and editor-in-chief, Captain people to be served must be the during the war. Howell began a thorough reor and General Frank P. Blair, of Missouri, opposed to Grant and business caliber and patriotic dar ing than Colonel Styles. went.
Later on. Colonel Avery turned ganization of its forces. He ne FOR GLARE IfORGLAg fgf I Sun and artificial SfV light glare are pro-frfjL' tcctcd against with scientific lenses that ThJ preserve the vision. UlAl WA. 998? Older Atlantans mav reran fhi to other business engagements, Colfax, the Republican candidates, President Johnson himself, whose chief obsession was the death of the old Intelligencer, con- gotiated the purchase of the Finch interest by Grady, whom he had and Colonel Edward Y.
Clarke Those who doubted the courage of the new Atlanta publication to sancticy of the federal constitu brought over as a special writer, auciea Dy uoionel Jared I. Whita-ker, a journalist of the state ante- purchased an interest in The Constitution from Colonel Hemphill and became its managing editor. speak for the rights of southern MARIST COLLEGE A Military Day School 335 Ivy SU N. E. Thone tt'A.
9139 or WA. 039S JUNIOR and SENIOR HIGH Term Begins September 8 tion, suggested the newspaper be Grady already had acquired fame in Georgia by his connec Deuum days. Then Colonel Sam Bard, an emergency Republican. ers, had not reckoned with the stubborn doggedness and fiery named The Constitution. Colonel Styles stopped in Wash In 1871, the Republican machine tion with other newspapers, nota ex-governor of the territory of temper or Colonel Styles.
ington to pay his respects to the bly the Atlanta Herald, as co iaano ana Orant-appointed post Due largely to The Constitution in Georgia began to crumble. The finances of the state were in serious straits and on the last day of President while on a material pur partner of Colonel Robert A. Al leadership, the doubting Demo ston and of A. St. Clair Abrams chasing tour.
Johnson suggested his name for the paper would be October The Constitution pub crats of Georgia jto their candidates and gave them a clear He possessed one of the most fer tile and versatile minds ever pro lished the startling announcement both timely and would help ad majority ol votes. Louisiana and vance a theory of grounding the duced in the south. that Bullock had resigned, fleeing the state and leaving his office in For many years, Grady used Kentucky were the only other southern states with the courage THE PEOPLES BANK 3 the columns of The Constitution the hands of Benjamin L. Conley, president of the senate. to support Seymour and Blair.
with tremendous power to pro The votes of Alabama, Arkan That debacle was a great tri mote the Atlanta spirit, to make sas, Florida, Worth and South umph for The Constitution, for the Georgia a mecca for capital and Carolina, Tennessee and West Vir paper had bitterly opposed Bui enterprises, to vindicate the loy ginia were all cast for Grant and lockism, had worked diligently to alty of the people of the south expose the dealings of the Bui Colfax. Achievement of Paper. and to put them in line with Safeguard Your Right Re-Elect cosmopolitan patriotism. That Georgia "went Democrat ic" in the face of undisputed Re In all of his remarkable cam lock-Kimball-Clews ring, the railroad bond indorsement frauds and other vagaries of the regime until the demand for criminal actions paigns, Grady had the wise and publican control was the first major achievement of The Atlanta sympathetic co-operation of lap tain HowelL who was pre-emi against the leaders had grown Constitution, which, by this time statewide. Bullock Acquitted.
commanded a widespread circula nently astute in political matters and had an acute judgment over men and in every field where his tion over the south. The flight of Governor Bullock Meanwhile, things were hap was accepted as "confession and paper exerted influence. pening which editorial writers could use to rally their readers avoidance," although he was sub Other Stockholders. in iiiini, ipj 'it si! VAi fe i Several other persons purchased A Faithful Servant into line for spirited opposition to sequently arrested, brought back to Atlanta and upon trial in Ful financial interest The Consti wnat they believed was unconsti ton superior court was acquitted tutional aggression. General am tution during this period.
Albert Howell brother of Captain He continued to live here, and nesty by President Johnson held several high business and Evan P. Howell, acquired stock July 4 helped tremendously, for it took away from thousands of civic positions before his death. which he later sold to Sam and Hugh T. Inman. Clark Howell southern men the terror of federal a son of Captain E.
bought prosecution for treason because In 1872, the Democratic ticket, headed by Colonel James Milton Smith, of Muscogee, a rugged and incorruptible patriot, swept the several shares of the finch stock they served under the Confeder ate flag. state. The scalawags and carpet The yellow fever epidemic on the coast in 1878 caused Joel Chandler Harris, then employed August of that year records the I baggers aske'd for terms of surren death of Thad Stevens, of Penn der, or fled back north. on The Savannah News, to seek sylvania, leader of the radicals in refuge in Atlanta. Harris had congress and the most bitter foe From political perils, The Constitution entered a fierce competi been associated in Savannah with of rehabilitating the south.
He He Has ABILITY COURAGE CHARACTER EXPERIEUCE GOOD RECORD the character "Stoneman" deDict Colonel W. T. Thomson, the au tion era from other newspapers that had sprung into being over the state. The competition was ed in Thomas Dixon's novel, "The thor of the famous humorous ad ventures of "Major Jones." Clansman, and in its moving pic especially strong in southwest ture outgrowth, "The Birth of Georgia, since railway schedules Nation." The death of Stevens sounded the starting gun for-ihe 'Tradition has it that Captain Howell was strolling through the corridors of the old Kimball House when he happened to look out of Macon made it impossible for Atlanta morning paper to get disintegration of the alliance at the register and saw an entry i "Joel Chandler Harris, his wife 1 anH two measly children." "Who is this man?" Captain Howell demanded. Within a half hour, he had met the writer of A.n iiMirlcnti MttsHiutiatt SincolVSO "Uncle Remus" and the next morning had him signed up for The Constitution.
And it was in this newspaper that Harris lm mortal "Uncle Remus" sketches first appeared. Captain Ilowelt Tribute. Terhaps the best tribute to Howell was paid by Alfred C. Newell, who joined The Consti tution editorial staff in 1894, serv ed for several years, and then en tered the insurance business: "It always has been the purpose and plan of The Atlanta consul' tution, since its inception, to de Your Courts are one of your most important institutions and you should study carefully the ability of the men who preside over them, JUDGE IIATIICOCK has demonstrated that he is capable, fair and impartial. He is painstaking and courteous, yet firm and courageous.
He has presided over the Civil Court of Fulton County in a kind and dignified manner. HIS RECORD IN THE APPELLATE COURT is your complete assurance of his knowledge of the law. THE COURT OF APPEALS and SUPREME COURT HAVE APPROVED 84.6 PER CENT OF HIS DECISIONS! KEEP A MAN IN OFFICE WHO HAS PROVED FAITHFUL TO HIS TRUST. "Reward Faithful Service" Re-elect Judge T. 0.
Hafhcock TO THE Civil Court of Fulton County Your Vote ourf Influence lVfH Be Appreciated (Paid Political Advertisement) velon individual talent, vvni other newspapers were allowing their staff men to sink into the $50 to S3.000 On signatures, endorsements, furniture, stocks, bonds, real estate (first and second mortgages), etc. PAY by CHECK 20 checks for $1 no other charges no minimum deposit required monthly statements rendered. anonymity of the mass, The Con stitution was the first publication in the country to develop colum OH SAVINGS nists and stars. Captain Evan P. Howell, the father of Clark Howell HI FOOD STORES could recognize genius at glance.
20 Years of Successful Banking in Atlanta "Captain Howell hand-picked Joel Chandler Harris. He hand picked Henry Grady. He snatch ed up Frank Manton from the wire grass. In the same way there are Via oj 1 Ff other men of national talent who 112 Modem Food Stores Operating Under the Atlanta Branch were developed under the tutelage of Captain Howell. The Consti tution has been the cradle of lit erary genius.
Clark Howell consistently carried on his father.
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