The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1886-07-15
The IIawIeIns County Fraud.
RoGERsYILLE, TENNESSEE,

star chamber convention which was
held with closed doors in Rogersvile
on Monday, the 3rd OF June, 1886, for
the purpose of selecting delegates to
the Jonesboro convention which was
to nominate candidates for Judge and
Attorney General but prompted by a
desire that the facts OF history may
not be lost, and that the greatest out
rage upon the rights of a free people
ever perpetrated under the name of a
convention may be seen in its true
light, we are disposed to give some OF
the sickening details OF the work OF
the famous body. We shall for the
present confine our attention to the
work of appointing delegates to the
Jonesboro Judicial convention. The
primal idea seemed to be to appoint
delegates in the interest for Campbell
and Brown. Campbell had some
strength in few districts on the north
side of the county. Brown had not
exceeding one hundred and fifty ad-
herents in the whole county, and they
were not so much the friends OF Col.
Brown as they were the opponents OF
Judge Hacker. A regular square
trade had been entered into between
Brown and Campbell and their
friends by the terms of which Camp
bell was to give Brown all, or at least
the greatest part of the delegates from
Hancock and Hawkins counties, and
Brown in return was to give Camp
bell like number of votes from Wash
ington and Greene counties. The de-
livery of the goods by each to the 9TH
er was a work of no small magnitude
and called for frauds and rascalities
the like OF which have never been
since Satan set up business for him
self on earth. Hawkins and Han
cock counties were almost solidly fol
Judge Hacker, and very large ma
iority of Hawkins was for honest Johr
Fain. These facts were we'll known
to the parties who undertook the lot
OF fcarrying out this shameless bargain
The work was one requiring no ordi
nary amount Of audacity as well al
rascality. The first step in the CRANE
drama of fraud was to call to the chai
man who had become persona
enemy to Judge Hacker, because h
had decided suit against him, ant
because some years ago, as Attorne,
> General he had prosecuted him TO
lewdness and adultery. The count,
: delegates knew nothing OF this man
, hostility to Judge Hacker. Thi
! Chairman at once proceeded to az
:. point committee of three to seleC
!. a list of delegates to the Jonesbor
= convention. The county delegate
o were not looking out for frauds. Th
> chief man appointed on this commi
il tee, and who, by previous arrang'
q ment, was to do the dirty work, WI
n CampbelPs brother-in-law. The otl
.. er two committeeman were very ol
p colored man, and a good, unsuspec
ing countryman, neither OF whol
were looking out for the deep rascal
ties that were to be perpetrate
1t There are nineteen civil districts,
e. Hawkins county, voting all togeth
tie over two thousand Republican vote
k From twelve of these districts, votil
Nv at least fourteen hundred of the
a votes, not single delegate was seleC
IL ed, for the very good reason that mi
IN who would certainly oppose bo
H. Judge Hacker and General Fain cou
DO not be found in them. Seven OF t
n, twelve men selected were tax
O. from the neighborhood of Cam
On bells brother-in-law. Four
it. these delegates were selected from t
I'd civil district in which this famo
lis brother-in-law lives and all livi
Ter nearly within sight of each 9th
he One OF the delegates was brother
,u- CampbelPs brother-in-law. This C
to il district so largely represented ca
Sn, about eighty Republican votes. WI
do the Republicans in the other TIVE
ch unrepresented civil districts think
lat these things2 Are you bound to "
ict for men nominated by such bra7
be rascalities simply because they {
up themselves Republicans? Did J
get have one word to say with referel
sss. to their nomination. Where you
INV in effect told that you had no right
CHI, a voice in the matter2 Did not |
Ier- dozen sharp, shrewd wire-workers
en- range the whole scheme and ch
ms, you out of the men Of your choieeH
fraud SO open, SO bold aud SO rep
with brazen rascalities has never b
undertaken and carried out since
g. government was formed. Why, e
'Ye- the men who were most active in
iety rying it out, openly boast that it WI
,ad fraud and was so intended, and one
and them has publicly declared that
tbe could never ask Gen. Fain to forl
him for the great wrnnr he had d