Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-02-12
NOMINA TON OF JUDGES UNDER
THE NEW PRIMARY Law

NOMINA TON OF JUDGES UNDER
THE NEW PRIMARY LAW =
Attorney General Suaus after an exami-
nation of the new Primary Election law.
which applies only to the counties. has
eiveRit as his ocinion that under its pro-
visions it will nc he possible to hold Craw-
ford County primaries for judicial nomina-
tons in any county judicial circuit next
summer. The law makes ample provision
for tiS nomination of all candidates by
direct vote of the people, except candi-
dates for judge. These, Mr.. Straus states,
will have to be nominated by judicial con.
ventions in their respective circuits COM
posed of delegates chosen in the primaries.
The reason for this is that the law provides
such incomplete machinery for the nom
nation of judges by the direct-vote plan
that the candidates could not be placed
properly before the voters under that meth
cd, and their nomination could not prop
erly be certified to.
This decision of the Attorney General is
an important one. as it affects directly the
situation in two judicial circuits where.
among the Democrats. there is in progress
warm contest and III both Of which e
Judge under the Crawford County pie
I'D considered. In facs. in th4TRs
svuit Il had been pretty well deter
that the nomination should be mad,
way. il being believed that better re
would come from that method. The
covery that the law will not permit of this
plan for judicial nominations will prove a
knockout blow for those who had favored
it in the First circuit with the idea that in
that way only could bitter contest in the
convention be avoided.
In this circuit big effort is being made
to prevent the nomination of Judge w.
Laird Henry. of the Court of Appeals. Dor
chester county is the center of the struggle,
and there is great amount Of bitterness
already apparent. The effort to prevent
Judge Henry from securing a nomination
dates from the day Of his appointment last
winter at Annapolis by Gov. Crothers.
Another circuit where there promises to
be friction among the Democrats over the
judgeship nomination is in the Seventh cir
cult, composed of Prince Georges. Calvert.
Charles and ST. Marys counties. Some
weeks ago Governor Crothers announced
that he would appoint Mr.. T. Van Clagett
of Prince Georges county, as successor to
Judge Merrick. whose term expires in April.
The other aspirants at the time included
States Attorney Magruder, Mr.. Fillmore
Beall. Charles H. Stanley, Aquilla T. Rob-
inson and others. Mr.. Clagett is cousin
of State Senator W. B. Cagett and since
the appointment the effort to prevent his
nomination has grown.
Two more judicial fights of more than
ordinary Importance, both of which may
involve changes in the Court of Appeals
bench. are smoldering in the Fourth and
Sixth circuit. In the former, Judge A.
Hunter Boyd Chief Judge of the Court Of
Appeals, will be candidate for reelection.
His nomination by the Democrats of the
ci'ruit will be unanimous, and his friends
hii otOiB ouppoit iUi hOih tiC rC-
olican ranks. Without such support he,
course, cannot win. as the circuit is the
ieaviest Republican circuit of the State,
J cling composed of Allegany, Garrett and
Washington counties.
Some months ago Judge Boyd's friends
had hoped he might secure an Endorsement
from the Republicans and have no opposi-
ton to his reelection. This hope has now
been abandoned. and it is recognized that
Congressman George A. Pearre will do all
in his power to prevent Judge Boyd's con-
tinuance on the bench That Col Pearre
will be candidate is among the possibili-
ties. He can. it is said. probably get the
nomination If he wants it. but his friends
do not think it likely that he will enter the
field. in view of the significant disaster
which overlook him in his own county last
fall.
In the Sixth circuit Judge Glenn H.
Worthington, who was appointed to sue
coed the late Judge McSherry by Governor
Warfeld, comes up for reelection, and his
opponent will be. it is said, Mr.. Hammond
G. Urner, who was the Republican candi-
date for Attorney-General on the ticket in
1907.