The times., 1898-01-26
LOUIS EMORY MeCOMAS.
Record of the Man who Succeeds
Arthur Pue German.

Record of the Man who Succeeds
Arthur Pue German.
/ Louis Emory Mccemas was afty-one
years old on October 2s last. He is a
| native of Washington county. Md. and
received his early education in the
schools of Williamsport. He was a
| student at st. James College and aft
! erward went to Dickinson College
! where he was graduated in 1866. He
| commenced the practice of law in 1865,
having studied with Hon. r. Fl. Alvey,
| formerly chief justice of the Maryland
| court of appeals and now chief justice
OF the court of appeals of the District
! of Columbia.
! Mr.. McComas early developed
taste for politics. In 1876. at the age
/ OF thirty, he ran as the Republican
candidate for the Forty-fifth Congress
! IN the sixth district and was defeated
! by Hon. William Walsh by the slim
majority of H. Mr.. Walsh will long
| be remembered as one of the greatest
advocates not only of Western Mary
land, but of the whole State. a man of
exalted ability and of sterling worth.
10 come SO close to beating such a man
was high tribute to a young and in
1 experienced candidate
! When the campaign for the Forty
! eighth Congress came on McComas was
/ again in the field This time he was
/ elected. and for three successive terms
/ thereafter. Upon each occasion he en-
/ countered foemen worthy of his steel
/ or, for that matter, of anyones. The
/ Democracy of the Sixth district pitted
/ against him the very flower of its ora
! tors ana or its chosen men, MontgOm-
/ cry Blair. Frederick ]. Nelson l.. Vic
tor Baughman and Henry Kyd Doug
! las Montgomery Blair with his age.
/ his experience and his perfect training
in politics, his high public and private
/ reputation and his unquestioned ability
to discuss inteIligently and forcibly the
current issues.
/ The contest hinged upon the tariff
| as the contests generally in the Sixth
[ district have for so many years. Mr..
Blair issued a manifesto in favor of
/ low tariff, which he sent to the Sun.
i With this as his text, he traversed the
/ entire district, his opponent closely
/ following on his heels. Mr.. Blair was
/ supremely confident of success. He
predicted to the last moment his cleo
/ ton by more than double the majority
/ which McComas received, about 700.
/ and was overwhelmed with disappoint-
ment at the result.
/ In his other successful campaigns, it
/ was scarcely less complimentary for
7 iIiiii ~ IuH away Will men IKE nelson
| and Baughman and Douglas, men flu
/ ent in speech, graceful in manner cap
| tivating in style, men of energy and
| endurance, who through the entire
/ campaign in which they participated
| forced the fighting. Mr.. McComas
| often said he never had a more excit,
| ing or more pleasant campaign than
/ that between him and Col. Baughman
| in 1886. The two were then, as now,
} u-1r Fria ole h.
stanchest of political enemies. Both
/ went through the entire canvass of
I months showing each other no mercy
/ in politics, but preserving personally
| that chivalric courtesy and considera-
ton so rare in campaigns, and leaving
/ naught but fragrant memories. The
! history of these four campaigns would
/ be sufficient of itself to show how thor
oughly equipped and able a debater
! Judge McCOmas is, and how thorough
/ ly conversant with public affairs
In 1890, after the enactment of the
| Mckinley tariff McCOmas met his sec
| ond defeat for Congress, Gen. Mckaig
| beating him in a big vote by the plu-
/ Iality of les. He went down in the
/ general drift caused by popular revul-
sion of feeling on the tariff the Repub-
| licans not electing a hundred members
| of the House. His support of the force
! bill also probably lost him some votes.
| He insisted that the motive which in
| fluenced him would have brought no
disapproval if properly understood.
However this may be, it is not now
/ of consequence, as force bill issues are
dead beyond resurrection.
In the eight years he served in Con-
gress he was an attentive, Industrious
efficient member, party man undoubt-
! edly but never forgetting he was the
representative of the whole people of
his district. He was not in the habit
| of commanding the time of the House
with windy effusions, spoke only when
he had something to say, and when he
( finished he sat down. He was always
popular and respected on both sides of
the House, and his personal influence
was marked. No member enjoyed more
friendships without regard to party
distinctions After all. the most eff
fective work in either branch of Con-
gress is IN committee, of which fact he
always showed himself most sensible.
In the Presidential campaign of 1892
he was the secretary of the Ma
tional Republican committee. where his
assduity and practical business meth
DDS made him a most valuable adjunct.
Shortly after the election of that
year President Harrison who. like
President Mckinley, is a warm friend
appointed him to the bench of the su-
preme court of the District of Column
bia, the position which he now holds
In his judicial, as in his legislative ca
reer. Judge McComas has earned rich
praise. In whatever character of court
proceedings he has presided, civil,
criminal. or what it might be, he has
invariably given faithful and conscien-
tious consideration to every case.
whether of magnitude or insignificance.
That he has been an upright and an
able judge is the verdict of all who
have occasion to form an opinion.
In social, equally with qoliticaI and
judicial life he is respected and ad-
mired. His acquaintance is of the wild
est and the best, and Maryland will
have no reason to fear for him any
comparison either as to her own Rep
resentatives in either branch of Con-
gress, or those of any other State In
the prime of life. of unabated mental
and physical vigor, a thorough man of
affairs cogent reasoner. ready talk
er.of attractive and agreeable presence
strong in the esteem and confidence of
others, he will not dim the luster of
Maryland's reputation, nor neglect one
iota of Maryland's or Baltimore's ma
terial interests.
HannasS Trihu1ationS.
ba