A CRITICAL BIOGRAPHY OF EDWIN JAMES BRADY - Mallacoota ...

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As he did in some of his contemporary jingles and in his writings in political journals,
in his general contributions to The Arrow and The Grip and in his editorials in these
papers, Brady agitated for reforms to the legal system. He deplored the possibility,
which he saw as a very real one, that there was one law for the poor and another for
the rich. He deprecated the grasping attitude of some legal men, urging a stricter
professional code upon them, and a revision of the legal code so that the spirit of the
law would not be obscured by shortcomings in its letter. He deplored further the
tendency of the Bench and lawyers to appear to band together against the ordinary
citizen, seeming to present a united front against any criticism. With false
ingenuousness he stated that they exemplified the solidarity of unionism, constituting,
as they did, a “mutual protection society, a kind of legal banditti, bound together for
the more successful plunder of the public.” 1 He regarded seriously the possibility that
poor people would submit to injustice rather than run the risk of heavy costs which
almost always ensued if litigation was engaged in. He further associated lawyers with
abuses in lending money, of inflated interest rates, and urged them to give more
attention to the needy seeking money than to the rich client intent on gaining the last
fraction of interest from his investment. 2 When a specific abuse came to light, he
inveighed heavily against it, as in the case of the local Justice of the Peace at Grafton
who won an illegal raffle. Brady quoted the law on the subject at length in The Grip,
accusing the law of partiality because no action was taken. Eventually the man was
fined. 3 While on the surface this was a legitimate use of journalistic influence, it
showed a certain pettiness on Brady’s part, which gave the impression of a man
clutching at editorial straws to make capital out of other’s minor weaknesses. His
sense of wrongdoing could outweigh his sense of proportion until a petty incident was
expanded beyond reason, leading to some unpopularity in the Grafton district.
To these issues which interested Brady in his journalistic endeavours could be added
many others. He often wrote against the dangers of centralisation, urging an official
policy of spreading industries and administration over the coastal and inland areas
away from Sydney. He advocated settlement of sparse areas and the breaking up of
the large holdings of arsenate landlords. He deplored the tied-house system whereby
breweries had a monopoly of the supply of liquor at certain hotels; protested at slow
deliveries by the postal department; urged a more thorough censorship by Customs of
illicit photographs brought into Australia on French ships, and after a painful
experience with a travelling dentist, advised stricter controls over the qualifications of
those practising this profession. It is true to say that Brady exhibited a lively interest
and concern in things national and local while editing The Arrow and The Grip.
When considered in total, these concerns of Brady’s add up to a point of view where
he is anxious, in the best sense of the word, about the lot of the average Australian
and the image he presents to the world, as well as for his material and cultural
welfare. In an age when a national identity began to mean something important to
Australians, Brady played his part by constant reference to the Australian character.
He wrote strongly against a tendency he called “The Great Australian Cadge”. He
derided the tendency of tramps to come upon his camp always at meal time and
expect to be fed, supplied with tobacco and flour when his plight might be no better
than their own. 4
1
“Cheap Law”, The Arrow, 11.4.1896
2
“Financial Frauds”. The Grip¸ 31.3.1902
3
“The Police and the Gaming Act”, The Grip, 31.3.1902
4
The Grip, 27.3.1902.