Born in South Carolina, Stanton’s father was a Confederate soldier and his mother the daughter of a plantation owner. He began working for a printer at the age of 12, which sparked his interest in newspaper. After working as the night editor for the Rome Tribune (out of Rome, Georgia, where he and his wife Leone settled in 1888), he was offered a position the Atlantic Constitution. His writing focused increasingly on editorials and columns.

Stanton was also a lyricist, and his verses were set by many important composers, including Amy Beach, Sidney Homer, Henry Burleigh, and Carrie Jacobs-Bond.

–Christie Finn