Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1895-09-06
JUDGE HENDERSON.


One of the most important offices to be
filled at the coming election, is that of AS
sociate Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit.
Strictly II ought not to be political office.
Its duties have nothing to do with politics,
but concern the most vital interests of all
the people-their domestic relations, their
property, their liberty, their lives, their
homes, their peace and their safety. The
qualifications of Judge should in no in
stance be measured by his political views.
He should be capable, resolute, honest and
experienced. II he does not know the law
and has had no experience in actual prac-
tice as u lawyer, and is consequently I'M
familiar with the details and forms observed
in the administration of justice, he is not,
no matter what his personal character may
be, fit person to put upon the bench, where
the most difficult, intricate, and delicate
questions affecting every relation Of life are
constantly presented for decision. We are
led to make these observations by reading
speech made at the Point of Rocks before
the Republican Convention, which there
nominated Mr.. Guion Miller for Judge, and
by reading Mr.. Miller's speech of acceptance.
The young man who placed Mr.. Miller's
name in nomination evidently recognized
the fact that knowledge of the law and its
principles, and familiarity with its practice
and its complicated modes of procedure,
gained by actual experience as well as by
the laborious study of mere theory, were
essential requisites of useful Judge; and
accordingly, after stating where Mr. Miller
had been educated, he gave the date OF his
admission to the Rockville Bar, and then
proceeded to declare that Mr.. Miller had
from that time on been actively engaged In
practice before the Courts, including since
1888 the Supreme Court of the United States,
in which tribunal he had, as the speaker al
legged, been remarkably successful. Ii all
this were true it would tend to show that
MIR. Miller has had considerable experience.
But what will our readers say when we tell
them that Mr.. Miller never argued case
in the Supreme Court of the United States
In his life; and never tried case before a
court or jury in Montgomery county. He
is not member of the Frederick Bar; hd'
never appeared before the Court OF Appeals
of Maryland, and whatever practice he has
had In the courts has been in the District o.
Columbia. We challenge the supporters o
Mr.. Miller TO cite the name of single cas-
he has ever argued in the Supreme Court
giving the volume where the case is report
ed; or to furnish US the title of single cas-
he has eper tried before court or before a jury
anywhere in Maryland. Whilst we cheer
fully admit that he is reputed to be a younl
man Of excellent moral character, we utterl,
deny that be has had sufficient experience
as a lawyer in the Courts of Maryland Il
Justify the people in placing him on tn
bench. In this conclusion we are strength
ened by Mr.. Miller's speech OF acceptance
He said; A Judge, ITO punish immortality
must be virtuous, and to impose penaltie
for drunkenness and disorder, he himsel
must be sober and law-abiding" This seem
to be his idea of the qualification Of Judge
"Virtuous, sober and law. abiding" Sur
pose man is all this but lacks capacity
courage and experience, what sort of
Judge would such person make? If MI
Miller had been defining the qualification
of Police Justice he would have bee
more nearly accurate; but he does not sect
to understand that not one fifteenth Of th
duties of Judge relate to trivial penal ma
tiers. If he imagines that Judge has moth
ing further to do than TO sit in court an
impose sentences in petty criminal cases, b
only furnishes additional evidence that b
lack of experience as a lawyer makes hir
wholly unfamiliar with the graver and ia
more important duties of the judicial Office
1t is with the more difficult phases Of tn
law, which relate 10 property, to contracts, I
the construction of wills, to the numerou
stantly arising, to the broad domain {
Equity, to the domestic relations and to tn
whole field Of Jurisprudence, that the tim
and attention of a Judge are chiefly occ,
pied; and in disposng of questions lib
these experience as well as knowledge
indispensable. To illustrate this, we nee
only allude to Vol. so, of the Maryland RI
ports, with which we are acquainted, b,
cause it was issued from the Citizens 10
presses. That volume covers seventy. 81
reported and eight unreported cases, or
total ofeighty-four cases. Ofthis number by
five, or one seventeenth, are criminal case
Mr Miller's standard, therefore, of the quail