Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1899-04-20
EDWIN WARRRLD.
= Country Lad, New President Of One
Of the Greatest Financial
institutions.

Of the Greatest Financial
institutions.
Mr.. Edwin Wsrfield, the presi-
dent of the Fidelity and Deposit
Company Of Maryland, 10 another
exemplification of q self-made
American. His early life was spent
on the farm of his father. Albert G..
Warfield, in lIoward county. Nd,
where be Vas born Mar I. 1s4s.
\ nofher - ! dennhssz d
ooIonal Gassaway Watkins, dis
tinguished soldier OF the Revolu-
tionary War, . member OF the
Marsland Line, and its last surviy-
ing officer. His maternal and par
eatai ancestors we're among the first
settlers of the State of Maryland,
and were prominent in the early
Colonial struggle, and 10 all the
important movements in the State
and its government. He was edu-
Gated in the public schools Of How
ard county, with one term at st.
Timothy's Hall, Catonsvilfe. Md,
but was prevented from completing,
bis collegiate course by the war, in
volving. as it did, the emancipation
of bis fathers slaves. At the age
of Is he began teaching school and
studying law, aud did both at the
same time successfully.
LAW STUDENT.
Notwithstanding the fact that
his duties SO school teacher and his
work as . Law student necessarily
occupied q goodly portion Of bis
time, he took q lively interest in
the welfare Of his native county,
and it did not take long to demon
strate to bis neighbors that he pos
sessed that peculiar magnetism
which 10 the component part of
leader, and which 80 fcw inherit.
His first political position was
that Of Register of Wills of Howard
county, to whi,h position he was
appointed in 1874 to ill o vacancy,
aad was unanimously nominated
by the Democrats in 1875 and
elected for term of six years lead
iLg bis ticket in the popular vote.
At the expiration of bis term he
declined reelection, preferring to
take up the practice of law.
In 1881 he was nominated for
the State Senate to succeed Mr..
German who had been elected Uni
ted States Senator. was re-elected
in 1888. and made President of the
Senate in 1886. During his frat
term he was q member of the most
important COMMITTEES. and IN 1884
was chairman of the Com mittee on
Corporations. and the second mem
Der on the Com mmittee on Judicial
Proceedings. of which Mr.. Thomas
G. Hayes was chairman. He was
known in the Senate as one of the
sblest and readiest OF speakers, and
his course in the chair met with the
unanimous approval of the repre-
sentatives Of both parties. Not
once during his administration of
this Office was he ever accused of
violating the trust imposed in him.
and, although there were many
times when the fate of his party
was in his hands. he never took an
unfair advantage of his political
opponents. His rulings were made
particularly upon the merits of the
questions, and his decisions were
never appealed from.
As an evidence Of their appreci-
stion of bis fairness. his associates
in the Senate presented him, at the
close of the session, with q hand
some gold watch, which he still
wears. This was she first time in
the history of the Maryland Legis-
lature that presiding officer was
so honored. and it inaugurated the
custom which is still in vogue.
SURVEYOR OF THE PORT.
President Cleveland appointed
Mr. Warfield Surveyor OF the Port
of Baltimore en- April 5, 1886. He
made no application for the posi-
tion, and was the unopposed choice
of his party. lie entered upon bis
duties on the 1st of May, 1890, and
the records show that he was rarely
absent from bis post Of duty. Upon
assuming the duties of his office he
resigned as O member of the Demo
cratic State Central Committee in
recognition OF Mr.. Cleyeland's
known views N to the participation
of his appointees in politics.