The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-09-23
Mr.. S[OAN'S CANDIDACY
AND HIS FITNESS
A Man Of Exceptional Worth. Integrity
and Standing.

To the Editor of The Republican:
The reputation a man establishes
among his friends and neighbors and
business or professionalIassoc who
have known him all his life and have
had full opportunity toIobserve his every
ACTION, public and private, cannot be
said to be without value in estimating
the mans fitness for high public office.
The writer is now and has been, since
he reached manhood's estate, some
years ago, member of the bar of Ale
ganv county. As such he has some
knowledge of the relet standing and
legal ability of the attorneys at our bar.
and of how they are regarded by our
people. both as to skill in the law and
as to personal character As one of
these men has been nominated by the
Republican party for the Chief Judge
ship of the Fourth Judicial Circuit it
may not be wrong for the writer to
venture to give, in a few brief words,
his idea of the opinion entertained by
the bar and people of Allegany county
of Mr.. d. Lindley Sloan, the Republican
nominee for the bench.
Mr.. Sloan is perhaps better known
personally to the people of his home
county, where he was born and raised,
than he is in the other counties of the
circuit, although it is believed by many
/ persons competent to Judge that he has
a larger number of friends and ac-
quaintances in the other counties of the
circuit, PARTICULARLY in Garrett county,
than any other practicing member of
our bar. This fact is due partly to the
wide extent of his practice, which fire.
quently requires his presence in the
other counties Of the circuit, and partly
to his genial and friendly personality,
which makes a favorable impression
and wins the regard of the many people
with whom for many years past, and
matter of daily routine, he has come in
personal contact There is no atmos-
/ phere Of mystery or wall of exclusive
ness about MIR. Sloan, and he has no
false or exaggerat ideas of his own
dignity.
Although for many years past his
time, like that Of every able lawyer of
/ prominence, has had a recognized and
substantial market value. no worthy
/ person, however poor or humble, has
ever failed to gain access to his pres
ence and kind, courteous hearing. This
quality of unvarying affability has been
a noticeable characteristic of Mr.. Sloan
throughout his entire career and the
people who know him feel that it would
not be affected or changed by his eleva-
j ton to the bench A Judge should unite
in himself all the requirements of legal
learning, practical experience at the
bar and impartial judicial temperament.
/ But, in addition to this, he should be
, known among the people and should not
consider himself above the people who
make him. The many people in this
circuit who for many years have been
familiar with the personal character
and legal attainments of Mr.. Sloan feel
confident that if elected he will make
one of the ablest, fairest and most popu-
lar judges who has ever sat upon the
bench
/ When it comes to consideration of
those things which go to make up a
judge, comparisons, are largely mat
ter of personal opinion, based on obser-
walton. No person of sound Judgment
will believe for minute that either of
the great political parties would or could
afford to nominate for the bench a man
not duly qualified for that important
Office. With wealth of timber from
which to make judicial nominations, it
has always been and is now the policy
OF both the Republican and Democratic
parties to put forward as their candi-
dates for the bench men who represent
the highest traditions of the bar and
who, along with lofty personal charac-
ter, combine all the requisites of ripe
legal learning and experience. Any
other policy would be suicidal. 1t there
fore seems thankless task to compare
the qualifications of the present Repub-
lican and Democratic nominees for the
bench. To say that one is the superior
of the other would be to expose ones
self to the accusation of undue favorit-
ism and partisanship.
The Democratic party, by the cir
culation of anonymous campaign litera-
ture in behalf of its candidate, has not
hesitated to lay itself open to this
charge to his great detriment in the
minds of all thoughtful and impartial
people. 1t would have been better for
the Democracy not to have tried to in
fluence the minds of the people by the
circulation of false reports, for the level
Of intelligence in the three counties of
the circuit is so high that such methods
can only react to the injury of the pro-