Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-01
MARYLAND JUDGES,
Convention Of the Fifth Judicial
District.
SOUTHERN ANTI CLEVELAND VIEWS
Looking Westward for the Next
Democratic Candidate.
THE THIRD PARTY IN OHIO
WANT TO SIT ON THE BENCH.

WANT TO SIT ON THE BENCH.
Republican Judicial Convention Of Mary
land's Seventh Judicial Circuit.
Special Dispatch to The EVENING STAR
BALTIMORE, June 1.-The republican judicial
convention to nominate a candidate for chief
judge in the seventh judicial circuit will meet
at Leonardtown. st. Marys county, tomorrow
at noon. The circuit is composed of Prince
georges, Charles, st. Mary's and Calvert
counties, all OF which have elected delegates
favorable to the nomination of Col L. Allison
wilmer, the present states attorney of Charles
county, except Prince Georges, which will send
delegates for George c. Merrick eX-state's at
torney of that county. Each county is entitled
to the same number Of delegates as it has rep
resentatives in the legislature IA in all, and az
Col. Wilmer has secured 10 Of these from
Charles and each from St. Mary's and Calvert
his nomination is assured. Prince George
WIZ probably give one or more complimentary
ballots to Merrck and then 90 to Wilmer or
may move to make Winners nomination by
reclamation. Ex-Congressman Mudd Of Charles
and Internal Revenue Collector Hill of Prince
Georges were both spoken of as candidates be-
fore the primaries were held, and Mudd was
to get the nomination himself. He has recently
denied this and Hill has long ago declared him
self out of the fight.
Col. Wilmer is easily one Of the ablest, most
popular and best equipped men in the circuit
Inc democrats have been very anxious TO pre-
vent his nomination, as they know he will be
the hardest man for them to beat.
THK JUDICIAL CIRCUIT.
The circuit which composes all of the fifth
congressional district EXCEPT Anne Arundel
and Howard counties, gave republican ma
jority Of $50 in the last congressional election.
Prince Georges alone giving a scant demo-
cratic majority of Al. IN the congressional
election preceding that these counties gave a
republican majority of over AGO. In the last
election the democrats made, presumably, the
best fight they could, having among other
things in their favor a great many antago-
nisms against Mudd in his own party, the Bit
ter hostility to him of great many democrats
who had previously been very lukewarm
toward Compton and the very valuable lever
age which the new registration law gave them.
This last they will still have. but far per-
sonalities enter into the campaign they will all
be in Winners favor rather than against him,
as his popularity is far above the average.
THE DEMOCRATS PROMISE A BIG FIGHT.
The democrats will make the biggest kind OF
a fight and say they don't intend to allow any
republican to be elected.
Col Wilmer has served two terms as state s
attorney Of Charles county and has been a
faithful and efficient officer. Each time he was
nominated by reclamation. His resignation
from that Office will probably leave it TO goa beg
There only three other republican lawyers
there. ex-Judge Frederick Stone, ex-Congress-
man Sydney Z. Muddand State Senator Adrian
+. Posey, none of whom is actually available
Judge Stone is probably too far advanced in
years even if for other reasons he cared to ac-
cept the nomination for so small an Office after
his long public service in Congress, on the
court of appeals and in other exalted posi-
tons. Ex-Congressman Mudd, AFTER. coming
from Congress, will probably.strike for bigger
game than a position which only pays $500 a
year, and Senator Posey Is not likely to relin-
quish his senatorial honors for those of states
attorney.
The democratic nomination will in all proba-
bility go to Judge John p. Briscoe of Calvert
county, who has held the place by the ap-
pointment OF Gov. Jackson since the constitu-
tional expiration of Judge Stones term more
than year ago. He accepted the appoint
ment, it is said, with the promise of the nomi-
nation for the full term, and his occupancy of
the Office has given him considerable advan-
tage He has served most acceptably. Like
Col. Wilmer he is young, vigorous and popular
and will probably poll the full party strength
The office of states attorney seems to be re-
garded as stepping stone to judicial honors
In southern Maryland, for he, too was filling
that office for Calvert county at the time of his
appointment. He is a son of James T. Briscoe
who was secretary of state of MARYLAND
under Gov. Hamilton, chief clerk to Second
Assistant Postmaster General Knott in the lat
ter part of the Cleveland administration after
the death of Mr.. Hagerty, and who is now the
law partner of Gen. Knott in Washington.
Judge Briscoes only opponent is c. c. Ma
gruder of Prince Georges county, who was a
candidate at the time Gov. jackson made the
appointment and has been ever since.
cANvAssING THE COUNTIES.
Mr.. Magruder has made a canvass of every
county in the circuit. He expects, Of course
to carry his own county and has expressed him
self as very well satisfied with the way in which
he was receivedin Charles. Like Col. Merrick the
republican candidate from Prince Georges. he
labors under this disadvantage. that that county
already has one of the judges on that circuit,
Judge Brooke. The friends of Judge Brisco
are said to be somewhat alarmed at the yigor-
GUS canvass Magruder is making ard argue
that it would be very bad treatment to turn
down man with the paltry honor of a few
months or the bench by executive appoint-
ment, particularly when he has given good
service and is willing to bear the brunt of a
very hard and doubtful fight in a republican
district. 1t Is proper. they say, that in all in
stances the man who has been appointed to any
Office for unexpired term should be given
the party nomination unless there is some rea-
son against it. This has usually been regarded
as sound political doctrine, but the friends of
Magruder are making capital of that very thing
and their example is being followed elsewhere
They say that this is Office to be filled BY the
people and that it is too great a contradiction
of power in the hands of the governor that he
should be allowed to take this right away from
them by appointing man with the understand
ing that the party is to support him for a full
term. BY any such arrangement as this they
say, Gov. jackson has actually been allowed to
name three judges, SO far as the democratic
party is concerned. for full terms Of fifteen
years, in addition to the unexpired terms for
which they were appointed.
TWO OTHER JUDGEsHIPs.
There are two other judgeships to be filed in
Maryland at the next election-one in the
fourth and one in the fifth judicial circuit. In
the fourth, composed Of Allegheny, Washing
ton and Garrett counties, Governor jackson
has appointed Col. Henry Kyd Douglas Of
Hagerstown for the unexpired term of the late
Judge Andrew X. Syester and in the fifth, COM
posed OF Carroll, Howard and Anne Arundel
counties, he has appointed JamesA. C. Bond of
Westminster for the unexpired term of the
late Judge John Smith. There is some doubt
whether Judge Douglas wants the nomination
for the full term and there is an impression
until l.uA L. a.