The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-05-05


ex-presidents of the Florida SEN
ate, painted by Frank Townsend
Hutchins, were unveiled with APP
propriate ceremonies. A three
minute sketch of the life of each
of the presidents was given by
some personal friend. Hon. Wm.
H. Ellis, justice of the Supreme
Court of Florida, delivered the
sketch of Judge jefferson B.
Browne, which is published below:
Mr.. President. Members CT the
Senate, Ladies and Gentlemen:
The portrait which has just been
unveiled is that of the Honorable
jefferson Beale Browne, third
president of the Senate of Florida,
under the constitution of 1885
which became effective January
4, 1887.
Mr.. Browne was born at Key
West, Florida, attended public
school there (see note ID and OBJ
tanned degree of LIB at the
University of Iowa in 1880. He
was admitted to the bar in 1880;
was married to Miss Francis w.
Atkinson, of Oxford, Mississippi,
in June, 1889; was Postmaster of
Key West from 1885 to 1890, I'M
der Grover Cleveland, President of
the United States, and under The
same president was Collector of
Customs at the port of Key West
from 1898 to 1897. He was presi-
dent of the Florida Senate DUR
ing the session of 1891 until the
the session of 1898, during which
time the duties of governor would
have devolved upon him il the then
governor would have died, resign
ed, been removed from office or
been unable to discharge his Off
cial duties. Honorable Francis p.
Fleming was then Governor of
Florida. The senate elects a
president at each regular session,
so as to avoid a possible hiatus
in the governors office should
that official for any reason be un-
able to discharge the duties of his
office between the general cleo
ton at which the terms of senator's
expire and the following January.
The session of 1891 was a busy
one in this states internal develop
ment.
Mr.. Browne served the state as
chairman of the railroad commits
sion from 1903 to 1907, was Pres
ident Elector in 1912, and Pres
ident of the Electoral College in
1913 when Woodrow Wilson was
elected President of the United
States. Mr.. Browne became a
member of the Supreme Court in
1917 and was its Chief Justice un-
til 1928. He resigned in June,
1926 to become Judge of the
Twentieth Judicial Circait, which
position he now ably occupies. He
Is a member Of the Congregation
al church, Past Exalted Ruler of
the Benevolent and Protective Or
der of Elks, and is a Thirty-sec-
ond degree Mason, and a knight
Templar.
as lawyer, statesman and jurist,
Judge Browne has served the state
well. Liberal in his views, pru-
dent in the exercise of power,
learned in discourse, considerable
and gracious in his social contacts.
courteous and dignified in man
ner, truthful. magnanimous and
faithful i'm his business relations,
he is a veritable exemplar of that
type Of Florida citizen which our
institutions, founded in a lofty
conception of official integrity,
governmental economy and the
public trust nature of public Of
flee, are supposed to produce. The
product of an educational sys-
tenn which put a premium upon
individual effort, hard wark and
studious habits; a system which.
though it may have produced lib
eral views concerning old eonven-
tions, did not mistake superficial
building upon theoretical models.
stumbling awkwardness, a n d
pseudo religious affiliations as
cultural attachments.
He is a conservative in political
views and believes that the Con-
stitution is not an antiquated in
strument serving only the pur-
poses of a forgotten era and i'll
adapted to the needs of a so-called
complex industrial social system.
Like others OF his political school.
he believes that the constitution is
vital document sufficiently cap
able of guarding the rights Of a
liberty Loving people and of pro-
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