The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-10-06
HoLToN-MATTHEws- SMITH
sketch Of the Republlean Nominee.

Mr.. Holton is the present member of Con-
gress from the Fifth district, and resides at
his country place, 1.-THE Meadows near
Powhatan, Baltimore county He was born
on October 10, 1885. near Elkton, Cecil
county, Nd, his father being Thomas Holton,
the son of an Irishman who settled at Oxford,
Pa, in the latter part of the last century.
In 1862 Mr.. Holton represented the Uncon-
ditional Union party in the Maryland Senate,
and served in that body until 1867. At the
expiration of his term in the Legislature Mr..
Holton retired to private life and became a
farmer. At the last congressional election he
was elected member of the House of Repre-
sentatives from the Fifth Maryland district.
1t was in 1864, at time when a majority
of the best citizens of Maryland were disfran-
chised and when bayonets bristled around the
polls, when this Mr.. Holton was candidate
for the State Senate from Howard county.
His opponent was DIR. Litteton Machn, an
honored citizen of the county, who, despite
the fact that a reign of terror prevailed at the
polls, was elected by majority of l39 votes
Instead of submitting to the will of a majority
of the people as expressed at the polls, Mr..
Holton appealed to the Senate for admission,
not because he believed that he had been
elected, but simply because he knew the power
of his party and how utterly INSCRIPTIONS the
men were who at that time sat in the Senate
of Maryland. He preferred charges against
DIR. Maclin of being a secessionist and sym
pathizer with the rebellion, and claimed in
consequence that he was ineligible to his seat
in the Senate. The sequel is generally known,
but it is we'll at this time to recall the fact
that DIR. Maclin was expelled from his seat,
and on February 16, 1865, Hart B. Holton
was, through force and fraud, given his seat.
Mr.. Holton drew DIR. Maclin's pay for two
years, amounting to 81 900. There are few
such evidences of deplorable disregard for
honor and principle to be found on record.
Mr.. Holton's late canvass in the Fifth district
was in keeping with his Senatorial record.
As everybody knows, his nomination at the
primaries was secured by the boldest and
most unblushing frauds, which were denounc-
ed at the time and since by members OF the
Republican party.
Mr.. Matthews was born in Baltimore, July
4, 1927. He is the son of John Sterrett Mat
thews, an Irishman. He was educated al
Rock Hill College, Ellicott City, and studied
law in the Office of S. Teackle Wallis. In
1861 he was elected to the House of Dele
gates, and in 1864 was Presidential elector.
He was appointed register of bankruptcy tol
the third-now the fourth-district of Mary
land, which position he held for many years.
For the vacant judgeship in the United States
District Court caused by the death of Judge
Giles, Mr.. Matthews made desperate struggle,
and finally the then fraudulent President
Hayes was induced to send his name to the
Senate, but such was the well-known charac'
ter of the man, and so thoroughly was his
unftness for the judicial Office recognized
even by Republicans, that the Senate refused
to confirm the nomination.
Matthews nomination was sent to the
Senate on July 10, 1879. Immediately after
there was food of petitions urging the Senate
to turn him down. On April IA delegation
visited Washington, representing both the
Republican and Democratic parties, ano
brought with them memorial signed by 3;
leading members ofthe bar of Baltimore, pray
ing the Senate to reject Matthews nomina
ton. The memorial represented that Mat
thews was guilty of malfeasance when he held
the Office of register of bankruptcy; that dur
ing the last IL years he has been associated
as counsel in but seven cases coming before
the Court of Appeals, and for the last three
years he had tried but five or six crimina
cases, and those were before Federal juries
They asserted that he not only lacks the judi
cial qualifications requisite to the intelligent
discharge of the duties of Judge, but that he il
overbearing and rude in manner, and intol
Grant, harsh and oppressive in his intercourse
with members of the bar. They charged fur
Their that Matthews possessed neither knowl
edge of law, capacity nor experience. This
memorial was followed by others from al
over the state, and the Republican as we'll az
the Democratic press denounced the nomina
ton and demanded its rejection. An inves
tigation was made by committee of The
Senate, with the result already given.
Washington a. Smith, the nominee fol
comptroller, is a physician, living at Taylor
Island, Dorchester county. He was Wing
member of the House of Delegates in 1850
and as a Democrat failed of election to tina
branch of the Legislature by two votes il
1859. He was a Democratic member of the
constitutional convention of 1864, and of the
House of Delegates in 1865. In 1867 he was
elected to the Senate, and in 1871 again tt
the House of Delegates. He opposed Greeley
in 1872, and in 1875 was elected to the Leg
islature on an independent ticket. In 1877
he supported Tilden, but in 1877 he was the
Republican nominee for the Senate. In 1886
he was defeated as a Republican for Con
gress.