National Republican., 1886-08-01

No country save ours can furnish examples
of the rising of men to political power from
the obscure scenes of private life, from the
oppression of poverty, and from the early
denial of scholastic opportunities.
Such, among Others, was the life of Joseph
Emerson Brown. He was born in Pickcns
district South Carolina, April -, 1921. His
parents removed during his boyhood and
settled in Union county, Ga. A friends
aid enabled him to attend the law school at
Yale College, where he graduated in 1916
| lie returned to Canton and began practice.
Eleven years later the day of his Inaugural
ton arrived as Governor of Georgia.
Georgia, the South, and the Union know
the great services of Senator Brown.
In 1919 he was elected to the State Senate :
in 1852 he was Pierce eector; in 1850 he
was elected judge of the superior courts of
the Blue Ridge circuit; in 1857 he was
elected Governor by the Democratic party
over Hon. Benjamin ii. Hill reelected in
1889 over Hon. Warren Aiken. He was II
| SeCcSsiOnist in 1860, and was active and en-
| crgetic as Il war Governor after the State had
seeded. In 1861 he was again elected Gov
ernOr over the Hon. Eugenius A. Nisbct in
| 1868 he was again u candidate for Governor
and opposed by Hon. Joshua Hill an original
Union man, and Hon. Timothy Furlow, an
original SecesSOniSt. Governor Brown was
elected over both by II handsome majority.
During the war Governor Brown opposed
the policy of President Davis on the CON
script act, but threw no obstacles in the way
of the execution of the law by the COnfcd-
crate government; he simply discussed with
the President the cOnstitutonality of the
measure As the Democratic party opposed
these measures, rs rccOnstruCtiOnist he
voted for General Grant, who favored them.
During the Legislature of 1868 he was nOmi-
nntnl hp tha Rn,pl,li,nng T,. ',it,I
Senator and defeated by Hon. Joshua Hill,
which was the only defeat of his life. After
his defeat for Senator ne was appointed by
Governor Bullock chief justice of the SUI
preme court of Georgia, which position he
held till December, 1870, when he resigned
and accepted the presidency of the Western
| Atlantic Railroad Company. He then de-
voted his life to business pursuits, being Il
candidate for no office, but acting with the
Democratic party since 1872 upon the recon
struction platform. When General Gordon
resigned his position in the Senate, Cover
nor Brown was appointed to fill the vacancy;
he was aftcrward elected over General A. K.
Lawton, his opponent, by over Il twO-thrds
majority of the Legislature. lie was re-
elected in 1884 by the unanimous vote of
the Legislature, with the exception of Il
single vote cast for General Robert Toombs.
His term of service will expire March 3,
1891.
Senator Brown, during all his public ca
rccr, has been an ardent, earnest friend of
the cause of education. He favored Il system
of public schools for Georgia when he was
Governor of the State. Since the war he has
been strong advocate of that system.
About six years ago Senator Brown do
mated to the Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary, located ut Louisville, Kentucky
representing the Southern Baptist churches,
fifty thousand dollars toward endowing the
seminary, and he has made other contribu-
tions to the same institution. About three
years ago he gave fifty thousand dollars to
the State University, at Athens, Ga.
The fifty thousand donated by Senator
Brown was invested in seven per cent. State
bonds, which is set apart furthc education of
poor young men who are unable TO educate
themselves, and to the aid of such as have
only partly the means to get through col
lcge. AS the students avalmg themselves
of this fund live plainly and dress plainly,
it keeps from twenty TO twenty-five young
men in college all the time. The Senator
has made numerous smaller donations in
aid Of schools and churches.
In politics Senator Brown has always been