Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-07-25
A PRECIOUS DEMOCRAT.

begins with the sweetness distilled from
the honey dew of Hymettus, ends with
the universal %patronymic of the illus
trous Brown while between the two
there is a regalement of amazing mar
tial exploits that relegated Xerxes,
Alexander, Napoleon and Grant to the
obscure shades.
To come down to business tits a cam
paign circular issued by A. j.. Brown,
dated Jonesboro, April 9, 1868. He was
then a candidate ''of the best men of
all parties" as the circular says for
Criminal Judge against Judge How
ard, of G%reeneville. He could not
think of being a candidate under any
other circumstances" and being "a
right minded man" he announced him.
self with great reluctance" He had
got his discharge from the army but a
short time before and it wasn't a proper
and safe thing to express ANY decided
POLITICAL connections" parties had
nothing to do with judgeships, and he
wisely left to others the tempestuous
sea of politics." The circular contains
the broad intimation that when men,
not possessing the characteristics and
attainment of the said Brown, ''are
elected to such positions simply for
party purposes then indeed we will
have fallen on evil times-then it can
be said with truth that the people have
no security either in life, person and
property. The memory of certain
events and certain acts were too fresh
in the memory of many men for any
great display Of political feeling. The
old war horse of the bloody Eighth
was still in his prime and his mind
chung to all the past with the ~tenacity
Of grim death. The scion for a giant
growth of rabid partisanism was there,
but the time for budding, Towering
and fruiting was still in the future, for
Brown says in the time hallowed docu.
ment IF you want a political Judge
to preside over your criminal courts |
am not the man to vote for" But he
said this with the usual mental reserva.
ton that always attend his utterances
in reference TO politics. He meant
when certain men died off or their mem
cries were dimmed by age the times
would be rotten ripe for him to as.
tonish and terrify ''the natives" with
the wild rawlings and violent insanities
of his hydrophobic politics. Election
day came and when the first beams
from the eye of day began to pour
their silver upon the awakened land
scapes the best men of all parties
were following the bear paths to the
rattlesnake pastures and huckleberry
patches in the back mountains, leaving
Brown to nurse the sad emotions and
deep decorations of his guileless heart.
In due time Brown was convalescent.
he showed signs of returning vigor like
a man who has advanced two weeks
from the clean up of a big drunk. A
pension of 81 400 and $50 a month had
arrived, and this toned up his nerves
and stiffened his backbone amazingly.
He was frank to say that he was worn
out with fatigue, walking 1.-THE quiet
walks of retirement and labor" and
having the waste places around" his
home under good fence and in trim re-
pair, he was agonizing for the oppor-
tunity ito run around the country and
spout politics." He had an neon.
querable passion to venture on the
dangerous tides and battle with the
crested waves "of the tempestuous sea
of politics. All the crafts that he
feared were riding at anchor in the
far off offing. He did make the ven
ture with much fear and trembling
and found everything necessary pro-
vided for the happy occasion. Step
ping with elliptic springs in his heels
and the glow of a new born glee on his
face into a bran splintered new caravel
some n had abandoned in the surf,
he gave his oritlamme of crimson and
gold to the lightning and the gale and
sped over the unknown waters d thing
of beauty and a joy forever. The
lightning and gale did not put in their
appearance. No stormy petrol piped
its shrill notes of warning. The white
gulls tapped their languid wings and
turned in another direction. The
ocean above vas a pavilion of cloud
less serenety and ETHEREAL repose. The
conscious ocean beneath Gained into a
crystal floor. The days were silver
dreams lowering Ger enchanted isles,
and the nights were golden mists
banked on s%lumbering seas. Neptune
ever ana anon boobed up from the
currentless depths and witk his sway
ing trident bid the gay Lit. COL bon
voyage. And bon voyage he had. He
became a jolly tar, a regular old sea
dog, ranging the "tempestuous" waters
wherever he thought the lotus of office
could be found. He did not forget he
was a land lubber too, He was at home
on sea and land and a pirate on both.
He was a politician or not q politician
as best suited his selfish purposes.
He could pipe lay and wire pull in
conventions and If they ''downed"him
he could resume his odious superiority
and independence. But at all times
he WAS a ~hynocrite. n deceiver and a