Grady and the Atlanta Ring
As managing editor Grady quickly turned the Constitution into a platform for endorsing his own political views. He wrote in support of antiliquor laws, the construction of a new library, and care for Confederate veterans. Between 1880 and 1886 the Constitution also became the primary instrument of the Atlanta Ring, a loosely connected group of urban, proindustry Democrats that included Howell and Grady. Grady became the group's leader and dominant political force, helping to arrange the legislature's election of a fellow Ring member, Joseph E. Brown, to the U.S. Senate in 1880. In 1883 Grady orchestrated the throwing of party votes toward Henry McDaniel's nomination for governor. When McDaniel refused to run again in 1886, challenges emerged from rival Democrats centered in Macon. Grady supported Ring member John B. Gordon for the party's nomination, using the Constitution to coax voters with promotional articles and speeches. Despite the Macon coalition's support from local newspapers, Grady's politicking won Gordon's election as governor.
Grady's New South
With the Atlanta Ring's influence in Georgia politics firmly established, Grady turned his attention toward promoting the city's economic development. Invited to speak at the 1886 meeting of the New England Society in New York City, Grady preached the promises of a New South. Though the idea was not original with Grady, his advocacy of unity and trust between the North and South helped to spur northern investment in Atlanta industries. Upon returning to Atlanta, Grady published in the Constitution numerous articles proclaiming the superiority of Atlanta for its diversified small industry and "willing" labor force. Grady infuriated competitors in Augusta, Macon, and Athens with these claims, but his promotional efforts brought results. In 1887 he successfully lobbied for the establishment in Atlanta of the Georgia Institute of Technology, a state school devoted to vocational and industrial education. In 1881, 1887, and 1895 Atlanta hosted cotton expositions, industrial fairs that attracted millions of investment dollars and provided new jobs to the city's growing population.
