Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-10-21
BROWNING AND DEFAULT.
A Joint Debate in Which Browning Lays His
Opponent Out on a Political Cool
ing Board to Await a Final

A Joint Debate in Which Browning Lays His
Opponent Out on a Political Cool
ing Board to Await a Final
Interment on November 3.
Friday evening quite a crowd. four
fifths Republicans, sat for two hours
in the school house at the voting
ground of the Third District and listen.
ed to a joint debate between ]. T.
Browning, Republican candidate for
Representative of Washington County,
and w. w. Devault, Democratic can
didate. Mr.. Devault opened the dis
cussion. He had but little to say, and
nothing, whatever, with which to SUBJ
stantiate what he did say. We are
sorry 10 say that MIR. Devault disap.
pointed us, not in what he said but in
the manner he said it. Evidently he
was ratified. He was much of the time
incoherent, at otsers contradictory,
and at others took Republican legisla.
ton to provo his own position.
In closing he paid a feeble compli.
ment to the ladies present; said he
loved the women, and for fear we
wouldn't all catch on, he explained
that "My mother is a woman"
Mr.. Browning followed with an able
and forcible speech. His discussion
was almost entirely devoted to State
issues. He said he loved his State as
nj other State in the Union, and ex.
planned how, under long years of Dem.
ocratic rule, it had fallen from its
former high estate.
He said Tennessee was many years
behind her sister States in its system of
levying and collecting its tax, and that
our tax laws should be revised on lines
that would secure just, uniform and
equitable valuations upon all taxable
property.
He explained that our election laws
and the administration of them were
most shameful. The 80 called uniform
sized ballot law; the tax law, the
Dortch law and numerous complicated
attachments were expensive and were
passed by the Democratic party, be-
cause of the enormous increased vote
of the Republican party in latter years
for the purpose of DISTINGUISHING the
honest voters who might oppose the
party in power. Mr.. Browning brought
proof to show that these obnoxious
election laws had disfranchised thou.
sands of honest voters in different parts
of the State, and his description of
how n voter was shot into the voting
boothe, and handed a ballot with
about one hundred and fifty names on
it of candidates, no party designation
| to any of them, and but a few seconds
to place a cross opposite each of the 80
or go names he wanted to vote for, was
graphic.
Mr.. Browning is a strong debater; he
is cool, self possessed, clear headed,
bold in declaration, informed upon the
issues he discusses, and fairly crazes
his opponent as he fastens his keen
eyes upon him, literally demoralizlng
him with the sense Of right, justice,
truth and history. Positively we felt
sorry for Mr.. Devault, sitting under the
avalanche that overwhelmed him. He
sat with lowered head, occasionally
running the fingers of his right hand
through his hair, or scratching hi
head. A gentleman sitting near the
writer leaned over and whispered in
our ear: "Devault can't stand it,"
The Republicans of the Third Dis
trict are in line, and will give Mr..
Browning the largest majority aver
given to any candidate for Represen.
tative. NICK.