Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-25

as to who would fill them. strong effort
was made to land the District judicial Office
for an outside man, and it was feared at
one time that this would be the case. The
President had about determined upon the
appointment of Senator McLaurin Of South
Carolina to the Court of Claims and John
G. Thompson of Illinois, at present assistant
attorney general of the Department Of
Justice, to the local bench. There was
remonstrance against an outside man be-
ing appointed, and the President was for a
long time seriously considering what he
would do. Then Senator McLaurin wrote a
letter declining the Court of Claims Judge
ship, and this left the President oppor-
tunity to please the people of the District
by giving them what they desired and asked
for Mr.. Thompson was eliminated from
the local field and his candidacy transferred
to the Court of Claims, but 1t was soon as
certained that he would not be appointed to
either position. The President then began
to look around to determine which one OF
the three local candidates he would appoint.
His choice fell upon Mr.. Gould, who had
been spoken of in the highest terms by
everybody who had talked to the President
about the vacancy. Attorney General
Knox, whose opinion of judicial timber has
much weight with the President, praised
the record of Mr.. Gould officer Of
the government and his record and attain
ments as a man. In every way Mr.. Gould
was most highly spoken of.
The appointment of Mr.. Gould is expected
at the White House to be pleasing to the
people of the District. Mr. Gould is local
man, having lived here for many years,
and is identified with the interests of the
District to the fullest extent. His qualif-
cations for the position are not disputed by
anyone.
The Appointment Popular.
The announcement this morning of his
appointment was first conveyed to Mr.
Gould. who was in his office in the city
hall, by Star reporter The tiding spread
hood with surprising rapidity, and soon the
new justice was holding a general recep-
ton, his callers including members Of the
bar. the other justices. the United States
marshal, the court officials, the register Of
wills. the District surveyor and scores
of employees. Commissioner West left his
office in the District building and hurried
across, through the rain, to personally con-
gratulate the appointee. The large number
of callers and the earnestness with which
they expressed their approval of the Presi-
dents selection made manifest the pro-
nounced popularity enjoyed by Mr.. Gould.
The telephone was constantly ringing and
the day was busy one for him. No local
appointment of recent years, from the ex-
presSions heard on all sides, has caused
such general and emphatic satisfaction
Mr.. Henry E. Davis, who when United
States attorney for the District of Column
bia several years ago appointed MI Gould
an assistant in the office. expressed not
only his own idea of the selection, but that
Of hundreds Of others, as follows:
"Mr. Gould's appointment is ideal. He Is
a learned. studious and acute lawyer, is
fair beyond qualification and possesses the
judicial temperament in the highest degree.
''The community owes the President Its
most sincere thanks and congratulations on
this evidence of his interest in its Affairs.
If 1 should speak a volume / could not say
more than in these few words-the appoint
ment Is beyond praise
While accepting the congratula tons OF
the never ending stream of callers Mr..
Gould endeavored to respond to the queries
of a Star reporter. Il am naturally highly
gratified with the appointment, he said,
"and also with the generous Endorsement OF
the members of the bar In making the se-
lection l am sure the President was inf1u-
enced in choosing me over the other gen.
tlemen whose names have been mentioned
more by reason of the fact that / have In
the natural course of events a longer time
to devote to the position than they would
have had.
II think 1 have as high an appreciation
as any lawyer can have Of the responsible
ties that rest upon judge, and shall have
but one aim, and that is to use every fac
ulty possess in attempting to meet the re-
quirements of the place
The New Judge.
Mr. Ashley M. Gould is a native of Massa-
chusetts He was born October S, 1885, the
year Daniel Webster died. He studied for
college in the public schools Of Hampshire
county. Mass. and In 1877 entered Amherst