University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-04-06

the greatest. The nation. perhaps,
outside of the section that was the
particular field of his newspaper,
thinks of tl.is marvelously versatile
son of the South as an orator AMI
well may his name be held in sacred
memory for this quality. for he swav-
ed and thrilled by his marvellous pow
ers of voice and rhetoric as have few
men in the worlds history.
1t il as an editor, however, that Mr..
Grady will be viewed in this sketch.
He was remarkably well equipped by
nature for service as newspaper
man, which term is employed to cove
the work OF the editorial writer and
the reporter. This equipment was
based on his wonderfully sympathetic
nature, his absorbing interest in and
love for all mankind. The sufferings
of the black man found sympathetic
chord in Mr. Grady's heart as quickly
as did the misery of the needy white
problems Of life commanded the in
terest of Nj. Grady, no affairs of state
or nation were so large or so COM
plex that his comprehensive intellec;
could not grasp them and offer a solli-
tion. His broad mind took in every
detail of public life. He was inter
ested in the home essentially, as the
foundation OF highest citizenship. ami
neglected no opportunity to present,
with voice Or pen, ideals of home life.
Coupled with this broad-minded in
terest in all those things which con-
Germ the human family, Mr. Grady was
gifted with a rhetorical power rara
among even the greatest of writer's
And this power was already his when
his first copy came to the editorial
desk.
Mr. Grady was 4 newspaper man in
advance of his time in two distinct
particulars. He possessed the pow er
of seeing 4 story where none was Wis
ible to the perception of the reporter
of his day. 1t was Mr.. Grady who
developed the human interest feat
ure in the daily record of events. Lit
tie. hOmely incidents, overlooked Ly
others, awakened keen and sympa-
thetic interest in Mr.. Grady and found
place in his paper. Ii was new TO
the readers of that day, and it brought
the rich and the poor. the benevolent
and the needy, in closer touch and
sympathy.
In his methods OF getting and dis
tributing the news to his patrons Mr..
Grady was III advance of his time in
| the South In fact some of these
bordered on what later came to be
classed as characteristics of the .'yel-
low" newspaper. Public charity was
served i'm the name of his paper d;
times. Unluestionably. however, this
was Work of genuine love for his
kind with no thought of turning the
service into an increasing subscription
list for his paper. which is the real
interest OF the yellow" press, at leaS:
in the public conception. when it in
PRODUCES features of this character.
While his contemporaries waited for
the established order OF service 20
bring to them the news of incidents of
pecial interest Mr.. Grady spared no
expense TO get every event into his
paper at the earliest possible moment.
Mr.. Grady's life-history contains no
record OF an apprenticeship served in
the newspaper office. AS youth fresh
from college he seems to have burst
full-blOwn into conception of its CT
portunities in advance of that held by
men who haH spent their lives in re-
cOrding the history of the day.
In an accidental way" his biog- |
rapher tells us. 'he went on one OF |
the annual excursions of the Georgia |
Press Association as correspondent fO- |
the Atlanta Constitution. His letters |
were 1uli OF lldI GdcS HulllOT ludt lat"T |
became characteri tic of large par:
of Mr.. Grady's journalistic work"
This trip anu these letters decided Mr.
Grady's life-vocation.
Mr.. Grady was not always a success
in his newspaper work In fact many
failures in q business way stand
against his career as publisher. As
a mere reporter. too, he had ais
faults. BuI this is due. perhaps, to
the fact that he worked with the ideals
of an artist, largely, and was subject
to the moods of an artist. He had
no ambition to fill place as a cog in
There must be individuality
in his work. the personal touch, the
human interest"
One day he would fill several co..
umns of the paper with his bright
things" saws his biographer. .and