The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-07
Birmingham's City Attor-
ney Expected to Make
Announcement
DISTRICT is NOW
NOT REPRESENTED
Neither Birmingham Nor Mobile of
the Larger Urban Centers Has
Representative on the
Supreme Bench
ByRALPH n. SILVER


City Attorney Romaine Boyd is ex-
peoted to announce soon as candi-
date for associate justice of the Ala
bama state supreme court.
Mr.. Boyd declines to be interviewed
on the subject at present, but 1t Is
known that he is considering the step
and that his friends not only in this
city but in other sections of the state
are urging him to make his announce
ment
In the matter of state offices the
gressional district for that matter, oc-
cupies a position which, to say the
least, Is unique. It's uniqueness lies in
the fact that from this most populous
district In the state there is at present
but one state official. And that unique
ness is further emphasized by the fact
that from neither the Birmingham dis
trict nor the Mobile district, the two
largest urban communities in the state,
is there a member of the state su-
preme court, nor, to go further, has
there a candidate from these two large
cities announced for the supreme court
bench
Lack of Representation
1t has been stated that from the
Birmingham district and Mobile comes
probably the great majority of cases
which arise before the state supreme
court and 1t Is upon the basis that the
lro:.
tion of approximately 100000 or $50, 900
deserves representation in this highly
important branch of the state govern
ment that Captain Boyd is being urged
to make the race Carrying the conf
parison further, with Mobile and Bir-
mingham both unrepresented upon the
supreme court bench, the general urban
population of the state might be said
to be not fairly represented In the ju-
dietary department
There appears little doubt but what
the two associate judges of the su
preme court will be elected the coming
year by the state democratic conven-
tion. In another column in today's is
sue of The Age-H Herald, p. G. Bowman
and Judge John C. Pugh both state
| that they are in favor of that method.
| They are the two local members of the
| state democratic executive committee.
| The supreme court judges to be
chosen will be successors to Judges
Mayfie1d and De Graffenreid, both of
whom are already announced as cam
didates to succeed themselves. Besides
Judges Mayfield and De Graffenreid
two other candidates have announced,
Judge w. H. Thomas of Montgomery
and r. T. Simpson of Florence.
Court as Now Constituted
AS the supreme court and also the
court of appeals at present are con-
stituted the following counties are
| represented: Chief Justice Dowdell.
Opelika, Lee county; Justice Anderson,
Demopols Marengo county; Justice
Mcclellan, Athens, Limestone; Justices
Mayfeld and Sommerville, Tuscaloosa /;
Justice Sayre. Montgomery; Justice De
Graffenreid, Greensboro. Hale; Presid-
ing Judge Walker of the court of ap-
peals, Huntsville, Madison; Judge Pei
ham, court of appeals, Anniston, Cal
houn Judge Thomas, court of appeals,
Eufaula, Barber.
By keeping In mind these locations
upon the state map, it is seen thot
the black belt and the wire grass sec
tions of the state and the extreme
northern end of the state supply the
judges for the supreme court and the
court of appeals and also the candi-
dates far announced for those Of
| fices The Mobile district and the Bir-
mingham district are not only without
representation but up until this time,
| they are without candidates.
| AS to Mr. Boyd's personal fitness for
| the supreme court bench, his friends
state there can be no question. His long
service with the city city attorney
and prior to that in the same capacity
with the city of Ensley has been
marked with efficient mad able accom-
plishments AS city attorney of Bir-
mingham in the last few years he has
made an especially notable record, a
| recent addition to which might be
mentioned as the reversal by the su-
preme court of quo warranto proceed =
1ings by which the city seeks to iu-
validate the franchise of the Birming-
| ham Waterworks company, claimed by
the city commissioners to be n notable
victory
1t is freely predicted that Mr.. Boyd's
| candidacy will be announced within the
near future and that If he once an
nounces there is strong indication of
| his election.