Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-04-01
BROWNLOW
The Soldiers Best
Friend.
What he has Done for them--
Deeds, not Mere Words.

Brownlow has been IN politics for the
last twenty years. Itwould have been
most remarkable had he committed no
errors in this time. The claim is not
made that his course has been perfect
and in every way undeserving of cen.
sure, but in the virtue of an absorbing
interestin the advancement and welfare
of others he stands among our public
characters even without peer. This is
a high eulogy, but we shall prove that
Brownlow deserves it.
For the last twenty years Brownlow
has been the unfaltering, persistent and
unselfish champion of the rights and
interests of the soldier. He did not wait
for the opportunities for this service to
fall into his way, but he sought them
out with the tireless assiduity of the
regular and average pension attorney
bent on making fortune out of the
Government allowances to the brave
and unfortunate defenders of our coun
try.
Brownlow noted the great injustice,
wrongs, inconvenlences and hardships
to which the Federal soldiers were sub
jected, especially in the matter of medi.
cal examinations. For a good many
years this congressional district had
only one medical board, and it was 10.
Gated ut Jonesboro. Pensioners and
claimants for pensions from all over
the district had to make a pilgrimage
to this place. la a majority of cases
they had no money to pay their travel
ing expenses. They walked, carried
their checks" in their pockets, and
slept where they could find a friendly
shelter. Brownlow noticed these pitt,
able throngs of men, who had borne
and defended the flag of the Union, on
the streets of Jonesboro, penniless and
worn out by the fatigues of their long
and arduous tramp. He came to them
with his friendship, which meant q
glad hand, a sympathizing heart, the
cheer of good meal and restful shel
ter. He took them by the dozen to his
home and bade them welcome to its
comforts. without money and without
price. When Cleveland came into
power the office of the medical board
was removed to johnson City, which
was an additional hardship to the peu-
sioners nd claimants living in the low.
er end of the district.
They had poured into Brownlow 8
ear the o'er true tale" of their hard
ships, losses and sufferings, which were
30 great that those pensioners applying
for increase were compelled, in many
cases, to forego their clans, as the
cost of appearing before the medical
board exceeded the increase.
Brownlow was the first to realize
that this deserving class of men should
have relief, and as much of it as it vas
possible to obtain. He studied the
situation thoroughly and devised the
plan. Democracy was in the saddle.
and the administration was hostile to
him. But it happened that Tennessee
had pure, just man in the United
States Senate in the persvn of Hon.
Howell E. jackson, whose heart could
be touched by plea of humanity, and
to him Browulow addressed the follow.
lowing letter;
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. II, 1886.
Hon. Howell E. jackson. U. S. Senator.
Sir: have the honor to state that
great injustice and hardship is imposed
upon pensioners and applicants for pen
sions in East Tennessee by the present
location of the medical examining
boards. The only two boards in that
section are located in johnson City,
Washington County, Tenn. and Knox
vile, Knox County, Tenn. The dis.
tance between these two boards is l05
miles by railroad. There is only one
railroad through this section. The
two boards mentioned are situated in
the First and Second Congressional
Districts. These two districts furnished
more Union Soldiers than any two con
gressional districts in the United States
and the FIRST Congressional District
embraces as much territory as the
whole State of Connecticut, aud four
times as much as Rhode Island. The
pension claimants have to ride many
miles on horseback to reach the rail.
road, then leave their horses and travel
long distances upon the railroad. Most
OF the pension claimants are poor and
very destitute, and numbers of them
are ply ysically unable to travel such
distances. know of many instances
where pension claimants have been
compelled to allow their examination
orders to lapse because of their poverty
being unable to bear the expense of a
trip to the headquarters of the medical
board. | know also of some instances
where special examiners in the course
of investigation of claims, have borne
the travelling expenses of claimants tC
and from the medical board, in order
to enable these claimants to be exam
ined.
1t would be greatly to the interest OF
the Government, and nothing more
than simple justice to the pensioners
and applicants for pensions, to estab
lish board of surgeons at Morristown
Hamblen County, Tenn, nearly mid
way between Knoxville aud johnson
City. This is the most central and
most convenient point for all the fol
lowing named counties: Claiborne
Granger, Hawkins, Hancock, Ham
blen and Cooke, and parts of the coun
ties OF jefferson and Greene.
would suggest the names of DR.
David A. Nelson, DR.. G. X. Turne
and DR.. j. b. +. Dice, for this board