The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-09-30
The Judgeship.

| Universal report represents that the Demo
Gratis of this county are acting on the belief
that the question of nomination is confined
exclusively to two gentlemen; that one or the
! other of these two men must be nominated,
and that all they have to do is to chose be-
tween them. 1t is said that many Democrats
would prefer some one else to either, but that
they cannot consider any others than these,
because there are no other candidates.
Whether this general belief has grown up
casually. and without any effort to produce it,
| it may not be profitable to inquire. There is
| some appearance, at the least, that 1t is not
purely accidental.
At all events, it is not true. The selection
of a candidate for the Judgeship is not, and
need not be, confined to any t,co men, unless
the Democrats of the county will that it shall
be so. If the Democrats of Carroll county
are free and independent men, as this writer
believes they are, and if, in the free exercise
of their own judgment, they shall prefer as
| their nominee some one else than elther OF
the two referred to, there is considerable
number of Democratic lawyers IN Westmln-
ster, who are men of good character, person
ailv and professionally. Not one Of these
gentlemen has publicly announced that he
will refuse the nomination if rendered to him
by the convention.
One of them, at the least, has distinctly
stated to number of persons from different
parts of the county, who have called on him
for information on the subject, that he had no
personal wish to occupy the position, but that
if it were thought that his nomination would
be really conducive to the public welfare, and
it were made by the Democratic party, he
would accept it; that rule OF his life had
been not to refuse public service when the
public called on him for it, whether that ser
vice was desirable to him or not; that in this
popular government the responsibility OF con-
ductipg i is on the people, and he thought it
to be the duty of every citizen to aid, IN any
manner in his power, without considering
whether the aid for which he might be called
on was desirable to him to render or not. But
that, even if he desired the place, as he did
not. he had too much respect for the Demo
cratic party, and for the people, and for the
judicial office, and for himself, to seek it by
intruding himself on the public notice that
if his services were in fact needed, the public
would say so through some regular medium.
Such a medium, in the Democratic party, is
its convention.
1t is the theory, and ought always to be the
practice, of conventions to select such candl-
dates as the members thought were best, in
view of public welfare, and of success, with
out being controlled by aspirants or by out
side influence.
If there be any outside personal hostility to
a man whom the convention might deem more
suitable for a nominee, it would be more
manly and honest for any, if such there be,
who have objection, personal or otherwise, to
such a nominee, openly and without disguise
to oppose the nomination, rather than attempt
to attain the same result by the empty pre-
tence that the choice of the convention must
be confined to taco only, and that one of them
must be chosen because there was no other
candidate seeking it.
1t is possible that such an idea may have
arisen, and become generally prevalent, with
out having been prompted by any improper
motive of anyone. But it is a strange thing,
and difficult to account for, that large num-
Der of intelligent men should, simultaneously.
in different parts of a large county, take up
the idea that, in the selection of proper
person for Judge, they were necessarily con-
fined to choice between t,co persons because
only t,oo persons had publicly announced that
they desired the office, when all know equally
well that instead of two there is a considera-
BILE number of lawyers, from amongst whom
selection can be made, not one of whom
has declined it, and one of whom, besides
the two candidates, has stated that, under
proper circumstances, he will accept it.
Such an idea, under such circumstances,
can scarcely be creditable to the intelligence
of those who have entertained it. Ut does
look very much as if there was something be-
hind it. But there may not be, and let us
hope that it was a mere innocent, accidental
mistake.
Be this as it may, the time has arrived when
it is right that the Democrats of this county
should be given to know, openly and unmis
takably, that their choice of a nominee for
Judge is not confined to taoo men. That they
can, under proper circumstances, command
the services of one other certainly, and prob
ably the services of any one of several others,
if they so will
The responsibility of selecting a suitable
candidate for the judgeship must rest where
it properly belongs-on the Democratic par
ty-and it cannot be relieved of that respon-
sibility by alleged, but fictitious, inability to
obtain any other nominee than one of ttCO
candidates. 1t can obtain another nominee,
if it wishes to do so. On the other hand, if
the Democrats of this county believe that one
or the other of these two candidates would
make the best nominee for judge, then it is
their duty to nominate that one of them who
they may think will make the best and most
available candidate for the position. If they
do not think so, then it is their duty to nomi-
nate the man, outside of either of them, who
available candidate.
The same report says that part of the pro-
gramme to confine the selection to these t,C0
candidates is, that tickets for delegates to the
county convention shall be run in the several
districts pledged to each of them. Thus the
county convention will be packed for the one
who may obtain majority of the districts.
The one in the minority will appear in con-
vention with hostile delegations pledged to
him. Or in the possible event that each may
succeed in an equal number OF districts, the
convention will stand divided by equal num-
bers of pledged delegates.
This would indeed be to convert the great
Democratic party, which processes to be gov
erned alone by its desire for the public wei
fare, into two personal factions.
1t is greatly to be hoped, indeed it is conf
IDENTIFY believed, that on reflection, no Demo
crat can so far forget his self-respect, and his
respect for his party, and for the public well
fare, as to consent to become a delegate
pledged to anybody. Packed conventions are
universally odious. There is but one course
to command public confidence and respect,
and that is, for the several districts to send
delegates in the usual manner. To select
men of Judgment and discretion, who will
come together, not to contest over men, but
solely TO select as candidate that man who,
in their best Judgment, will best advance the
interests of their party and of the public.
And it is hoped that the Democrats of the
county will, so far as possible, attend the pri-
mary meetings, and think and speak and act
for themselves.
Men, who may be absorbed by personal
ideas and plans, may be FESTIVE under this
communication, and pretend to understand it
to mean something else than it says. But
men, who have no other object than to act for
the best, will not misunderstood it, or peryert
or misrepresent the plain truths contained in
it. A JEFFERsoNIAN DEMOCRAT.