E. Gerry Brown

E. Gerry Brown
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the 20th Plymouth district
In office
1920
Personal details
Born(1850-04-15)April 15, 1850
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedAugust 30, 1928(1928-08-30) (aged 78)
Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S.
PartyRepublican (before 1891)
Populist (1891–1899)
Democratic (1899–1905)
Independence (1905–1908)
Democratic (1908–1915)
Independent (1916–1919)
Democratic (1919–1926)
Republican (1926–1928)

Elbridge Gerry Brown (April 15, 1850 – August 30, 1928) was an American journalist and politician who was a founding member of the Populist and Independence parties. He was the Populist nominee for Governor of Massachusetts in 1895 and the Independence nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1906 and 1907. He served on the Boston Common Council as a member of the Republican Party and in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a Democrat.

Early life

Brown was born in Boston's North End on April 15, 1850. He graduated from The English High School.[1]

Journalism

After serving as a printer's apprentice, Brown worked on the staff of the Commercial Bulletin.[1] In 1870, he was a legislative reporter for The Boston Post.[2] As the city and night editor of the Boston Evening Gazette, he covered the Great Boston Fire of 1872. Not long after Charles H. Taylor founded The Boston Globe, Brown went to work for him. He then served as business manager of the Boston Journal of Commerce.[1] In 1874, he founded The Spiritual Scientist, a weekly journal dedicated to the teachings of spiritualism.[3] In 1878, Brown became owner and editor of the Bunker Hill Times.[4] Upon moving to Brockton, Massachusetts, Brown started the Diamond, which was dedicated to labor interests.[5]

Politics

Early work

Brown began his involvement in politics as a member of the Republican Party.[4] In 1884, he was a member of the Boston Common Council.[2]

Populist Party

Brown attended the Cincinnati Populist Convention of 1891.[6] On March 30, 1892, he chaired the inaugural meeting of the Massachusetts Citizen's Party.[7] He headed the Massachusetts delegation at the 1892 Populist Party Convention in Omaha, Nebraska, which saw the adoption of the Omaha Platform.[8]

Brown was the party's nominee for the United States House of Representatives seat in Massachusetts's 6th congressional district in the 1892 election.[9] In 1894, he was the party's nominee in the 12th congressional district.[6] Brown was the Populist candidate in the 1895 Massachusetts gubernatorial election.[10] He finished a distant fourth with over 2% of the vote.[11]

Brown led the Massachusetts delegation at the 1896 Populist National Convention.[12] The delegation was strongly against nominating Arthur Sewall for vice president and instead backed Brown for the position.[13] The nomination would ultimately go to Thomas E. Watson.

In 1896 United States House of Representatives elections, Brown received both the Populist and Democratic nominations in the 12th congressional district.[14] He was defeated by Republican William C. Lovering 77% to 23%.

Democratic Party

In 1899, Brown was the Democratic candidate for Massachusetts State Auditor after Walter L. Ramsdell dropped out of the race.[15] He lost to Republican incumbent John W. Kimball 162,695 votes to 95,990.[16] He won the nomination again in 1900, but lost to Henry E. Turner 206,301 votes to 125,742.[17]

Independence League

Brown became involved with the Independence League during its early days and was the party's nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1905.[18] He was one of three Independence nominees to be also nominated by the Democratic party (the others being gubernatorial nominee John B. Moran and nominee for auditor, Thomas L. Hisgen).[19] Brown lost a close race to Eben Sumner Draper, 200,747 votes to 191,138.[20]

Brown sought both the Independence and Democratic nominations for Lieutenant Governor in the 1906 election.[21] He was nominated by the Independence League, but as a condition of receiving the nomination, could not seek the Democratic nomination.[22] He finished far behind Eben Sumner Draper, but 1,281 votes ahead of the Democratic nominee, George A. Schofield.[23]

Return to the Democratic Party

Brown sought the Democratic nomination for governor in the 1908 Massachusetts gubernatorial election. After James H. Vahey got off to a large lead at the state Democratic convention, Brown withdrew and endorsed Vahey.[24]

Brown backed Eugene Foss in the 1910 Massachusetts gubernatorial election.[25] In 1911, Foss appointed Brown to the newly created position of supervisor of small loans.[26] On December 26, 1914, Governor David I. Walsh and the Massachusetts Governor's Council held a special meeting to review complaints against Brown.[27] Brown was accused of permitting extortionate loans, granting licences to known loan sharks, failing to prosecute violators of the law, and having close financial ties to money lenders. On January 1, 1915, Walsh removed Brown with the unanimous approval of the Governor's Council.[28] Brown denied the accusations and asked the state legislature to investigate his former department. On February 2, 1915, the Republican-led Legislative Committee on Joint rules reported that no action was necessary, with the Democratic members dissenting.[29]

Later involvement

Brown was elected as the 10th Plymouth district's delegate to the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1917–1918 as an independent.[5] He represented the same district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in the 1920 Massachusetts legislature.[2] His final bid for public office was in 1926, when he ran as a Republican for the 9th Plymouth district seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He finished in last place in the four candidate primary.[30] Brown died on August 30, 1928, at his home in Brockton.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "E. Gerry Brown Of Brockton Dead". The Boston Globe. August 31, 1928.
  2. ^ a b c Public Officials of Massachusetts. 1920. p. 110.
  3. ^ "Literary Notes". Boston Journal Of Chemistry: 46. October 1, 1874. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  4. ^ a b "Mr. "Va-Gary" Brown". Boston Evening Transcript. October 17, 1906.
  5. ^ a b Bridgman, A. M. A Souvenir of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention. Stoughton, Massachusetts: A. M. Bridgman. p. 63. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  6. ^ a b "They Are Populists.: Candidates for Congress and Men of Distinction". The Boston Globe. November 4, 1894.
  7. ^ "Infant's Awakening.: People's Party Men in Old Faneuil Hall. Chairman E. Gerry Brown Speaks Out for Free Coinage". The Boston Globe. March 31, 1892.
  8. ^ "For National Honors.: Coming Convention of the People's Party. E. Gerry Brown will Head Massachusetts Delegation at Omaha". The Boston Globe. June 28, 1892.
  9. ^ "Congressional Nominations". The New York Times. September 30, 1892.
  10. ^ "First In Field: Candidates Named by the People's Party. E. Gerry Brown of Brockton Leads the List". The Boston Globe. July 18, 1895.
  11. ^ A manual for the use of the General Court. 1896. p. 347. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  12. ^ "People's Party Convention.: E. Gerry Brown Heads the Massachusetts Delegation to the St Louis Convention--All Unpledged". The Boston Globe. February 23, 1896.
  13. ^ Low, A. Maurice (July 23, 1896). "New England Men Organize.: They Favor E. Gerry Brown for vice President and Are Bitterly Opposed to Sewall Being Indorsed". The Boston Globe.
  14. ^ "Had A Walkover". The Boston Globe. September 23, 1896.
  15. ^ "Democratic Ticket Complete". The Boston Globe. October 10, 1899.
  16. ^ Number of assessed polls, registered voters and persons who voted in each voting precinct in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the state, city and town elections. 1900. p. VI. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  17. ^ Number of assessed polls, registered voters and persons who voted in each voting precinct in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the state, city and town elections. 1901. p. 6. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  18. ^ "Moran For Governor.: Independece League Nominates Him. E. Gerry Brown of Brockton for Second Place. Some 333 Delegates Attend the Convention". The Boston Globe. September 23, 1906.
  19. ^ "The Democratic Convention". The Boston Globe. October 5, 1906.
  20. ^ Number of assessed polls, registered voters and persons who voted in each voting precinct in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the state, city and town elections. 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  21. ^ "Brown Is A Candidate.: Looks for Nomination for Lieutenant Governor, and Does Not Think Douglas Will Head the Ticket". The Boston Globe. April 29, 1907.
  22. ^ "E. Gerry Brown Tied To League: Convention Puts Him on the Ticket With Hisgen. Tells Him Flatly He Must Not Flirt With Any Other Party". The Boston Globe. October 4, 1907.
  23. ^ Number of assessed polls, registered voters and persons who voted in each voting precinct in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the state, city and town elections. 1908. p. xvii. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  24. ^ "Vahey Named For Governor, Barton Gets Second Place". The Boston Globe. October 2, 1908.
  25. ^ "Defends Foss' Labor Record: Brown Makes Reply to Mansfield". The Boston Globe. September 29, 1910.
  26. ^ "DeCourcy For Supreme Court". The Boston Globe. September 21, 1911.
  27. ^ "Charges Made Against Brown". The Boston Globe. December 27, 1914.
  28. ^ Bentley, L. D. G (January 2, 1915). "Walker And Brown Ousted By Council". The Boston Globe.
  29. ^ "Would Reopen Walker Case". The Boston Globe. February 3, 1915.
  30. ^ Number of assessed polls, registered voters and persons who voted in each voting precinct in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the state, city and town elections. 1927. p. 46. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.