The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-08

IDEA is PREPOSTEROUS
EUGENE c. MAssIE AND FRIENDS
or OTHERS WHO WISH Ap-
P0INTMENT JOIN TOGETHER
KN OPPOSITION.

| The call for meeting of the mem
jbers of the city bar today to discuss
the advisability of uniting on a Rich
mond candidate for q place on the
Federal Circuit Court of Appeals does
not meet with the approval of the
majority of the local candidates, and
O small hornets nest has been
stirred up over the affair, the intima-
ton coming from some sources that
the proposed action is in the interest
Of certain candidates
Colonel Eugene c. Massie, who is
supporting A. w. Patterson for the
appointment, calls the proposal to
have the local bar endorse any one
candidate ''preposterous"
WIN Not Participate.
His candidate will refuse to par
ticipate In the meeting as will Willis
II. Smith and Henry r. Pollard. IT is
expected also that r. E. Byrd. r,
Carter Scott, Samuel A. Anderson and
Colbert r. Prentis and their friends
will also refuse to participate. Col
onel Massje gave out the following
statement yesterday afternoon:
Several days ago Mr.. James Caskie,
representing Hon. Charles V. Mere
dith. invited a conference of the
friends of certain other gentlemen
whose names have been mentioned to
&uECeeu Ju0&G f1OH. AT the IlFSI CON-
ference there were no representatives
present except those friendly to Mr..
Mredith and Hon. II. X, Pollard. No
one was present to speak for Mr.. Ar
chibaid W. Patterson, Mr., Wills b.
sEmith, Hon. r. Carter Scott Mr.. Sam
uel A. Anderson, Hon. Richard Evelyn
Byrd. and Hon. Robert II. Prentis.
whose names have been mentioned by
friends for the position.
Second Conference.
A second conference was invited at
MIR. Caskie's office. at which II APP
peared that four out of five of the
gentlemen mentioned above who were
then represented, objected TO the call
ing of any meeting OF the Richmond
bar TO endorse q successor to Judge
Con. The friends Of Mr.. Meredith
alone expressed a desire to submit the
question 10 a meeting OF the bar,
and insisted that they would do So
whether any sof the other gentlemen
mentioned desired it or not
At meeting Of some Of the friends
Of Messrs. willis II, Smith, II. r. Pol
lard and A, w Patterson held this
morning. IT was decided that none of
them cared to participate in the meet
ing of the Richmond bar proposed to
he called by the friends Of MIR. Mere
dith. Messrs. BYRD and -AndssrsoEa IA. were.
communicated with. and they A.tAa
Ne ia that they would take no part in
Me meeting. These gentlemen do not
see why n question involving five
States should be converted into
small local question and be left 10
the determination Of such member
Of the bar Of the city Of Richmond
as may feel inclined to attend a called
meeting 1t liz possible that one might
get the endorsement Of the Richmond
bar and get nothing else. a gentle
man who might stand the best
chances for the appointment at the
hand Of the president or the attorney
general, might fail to receive the en-
dorsement OF the majority of the
Richmond bar.
What is needed is a Judge TO repre-
sent 1--WE great States. and not Ia rep
ssescnt a majority Of the Richmond
bar One might be strong locally and
not receive such support as might be
necessary outside OF Richmond and
outside of Virginia Why should the
Recommendation of the Richmond bar
he of any more weight than the rec
omrnendatlon of the Norfolk bar, or
of the I.ynchburg bar, or Of the Roam
oke bar or OF any other local bar
And If this matter is 10 be determined
by local recommendation, tho local
bars Of all the other States would
have to he consulted. The gentlemen
mentioned above, therefore. fan to see
any reason to submit this question TO
a called meeting OF the Richmond
bar. The result Of the proposed meet
ing might depend upon the early ac~
tiyities OF the friends Of some one as
pirant All have not been equally
active, and some have declined to
make any general canvass to secure
pledges.