The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1886-07-22
why Dol. Brown has Never
Reen Nudge.

vs. loking himself forward for judicial
lonors for the last twenty years. He
: irst ran against A. w. Howard for
Criminal Judge in 1868 and was most
. ngloriously defeated by that eminent
jurist. In 1870 he was a candidate for
+ Circuit Judge before the Democratic
convention which assembled at Jones
, boro, and was defeated in that conyen-
ton by Col Felix A, Reeves.
He was at that time u very out
spoken Democrat and so remained un
til about 1875, when he began to grad
lually yeer over into the Republican
ranks Ia 1876 he went before the
Republican convention that assem-
bled at Bulls Gap, as candidate for
Circuit Judge and was defeated by
! Judge Butler.
Again in 1878 he started out as a
candidate for Circuit Judge. A pri-
mary election was called for in Wash
ington county and the Republicans
voted between him and Judge Hacker,
when he was beaten over three to one
in that county and then retired from
the race. At that time Judge Hacker
got nearly three votes to Browns one
in the Jonesboro district, So owhen he
ran against Howard he was badly
beaten at his own home
His present candidacy and the
method by which he has been put
forward are so recent and so well
known that it is not worth while to
refer to them. His persistent zeal in
pushing himself forward has certainly
been most wonderful and the question
must undoubtedly arise in the mind
Of the reader, why have not the people
OF either party made him Judge be-
fore now?
If he possesses the requisite quail
lication to make Judge, the people
would most certainly have made the
discovery in twenty years.
There must be something wrong.
10 use vulgar phrase, there must be
a screw loose somewhere.
} This is the first time he ever had
the prestige or even the vestige Of a
nomination.
When he ran against Howard he
ran as an Independent Democrat.
What then has been the matter
with him during all this score of years?
Pardon us for endeavoring in a
plain matter of fact way to answer
this question.
In the first place he is a man of
: rather limited education. He is what
might be termed Il lawyer in the
rough He has no accurate legal
knowledge, has probably not read
twenty consecutive pages in twenty
years. He has gone backward and
downward. Like the wasp he was
larger at the beginning than at any
: other period. The fact is for several
years he has had very little practice
in the courts He has assurance
enough for forty lawyers, and armed
: with this immense amount OF AFRO
gance and smattering OF law, he has
been accustomed to bmH his cases
through the courts.
, Instead of growing stronger as he
!, grows older, he has grown weaker un-
til he has about trusted" out of the
profession.
: The above facts are no mere SLAM
, ders on Col. Brown, but are cold and
stubborn truths we'll known to his as
sociates in the legal profession.
0 In the second place, Col Brown is
e naturally and constitutionally unfit
ted for the Office OF Judge.
He is supremely arrogant, tWunicdl
. and Seltwilied in the fullest sense of
u the words. He never has and never
:, will see but one side of question.
O All the lawyers in Christendom could
not persuade him when he "sets his
head"
D All the soldiers who served under
e him during the war know him to be a
born tyrant and as consequence not
= half Of them will vote for him.
In the third place, as a lawyer, he
u has been guilty Of the grossest and
most cruel extortions in the way oI
: charging enormous fees. Hundreds
of men in the 1st judicial Circuit
have been pitiable victims OF his most
y cruel rapacity.
Y In the fourth and last place
le and we approach this head with re
luctance, charges of a very grave
character were made against him dur
ing the war in connection with the
manner Of his muster in as Lieuten
ant-Colonel OF the Sth Tennessee Cav
J. airy These grave charges have re
l. manned through all these years un
Ie answered for the reason that they are
unansw9raule..
If'Col Brown should live a hun
=" dred years the very mention OF tho
! Salisbury raid will arouse his guilty
- fearsand send a stream Of cold chllls
- " up and down his back.
- Great God if these stories in con
Il, nection with the Salisbury raid b,
~ ~ true, would any people in Christen
!, - com ever make Judge of such
., .. man? Let Col. Miller, Capt. McPher
~ y son, Capt, Mclaughlin, Capt. Dal
- Markwood, Lieut. Josiah Malone,
= = and others tell us if they can, VIII!
~ these dark and damning rumors hav,
- been centering around Col. Brow
y ever since the war. These are sa,
y, matters to allude to, but he asks sh
l9e honest voters Of the First Judicial Gil
" cult to make him Judge, and the
have right to know who he is an
Is what he is.
Voters Of the First Judicial Circuit
RenublicanS. Democrats. Homes