The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-08-25
JACKSON I'll. RALSTON

jackson II. RGlston, Democratic
candidate for Congress from this dis
trict. was born in California. . His
father was Judge James II. Ralston,
who took a very prominent part IN
the affairs OF the Far West, and was
OF Virginia and Kentucky stock.
Mr.. Raiston came East about thirty
years 9 so and took up his residence
in EVANSVILLE. Prince George county,
Nd. During the years that nave fol-
lowed the est& blishment OF HIS resi-
dence, he has devoted himself TO the
practice OF law, as q profession, ana
the study and solution CT public ques-
tons as a citizen.
He has gained almost World-Wlde
reputation as an authority on inter
national Arbitration. He was Umpire
of the controversies existing between
Venezuela and Italy in 1903 and sat
et Caracas, Venezuela, tor SIX months,
settling the disputes between these
two nations, where he had to finally
pass upon claims against Venezuela
and in favor of Italy Tor more than
$4,000 900. The Venezuela Claims
Commission consisted of two Com
nissioners and an Umpire and the
duty developed upon the Umpire TO
render a decision for it in a great
many instances. He had previously
been counsel for the United States IN
what has become known as "Ihe
Pious Fund Case" The controversy
there was between the United States
and the Republic of Mexico, growing
out of certain missionary properties
which Mexico had seized prior to the
cession of California to the United
States. The contention ran over
number of years, and finally, at the
demand of the United States, was re-
ferred to The Hague Tribunal for set
cement. Both sides were represent
ed in the argument before this In
ternational Court, the United States
being represented by Mr.. Ralston.
The opinion Of the Court IN making
it's award adopted to a large extent
tra argument made by Mr.. Ralston
ON behalf of the United States. AS a
result of this hearing, which was held
at The Hague in Holland, Mexico was
compelled to pay to the United States
a considerable sum of money and a
perpetual annual sum of $4,000.
Growing out of these two expert
ences, Mr.. Ralston became SO thor
oughly acquainted with arbitral law,
that a demand was made upon him to
put these in such definite form as
might be used in the future. AS
result he is the author of ''Venezuel-
an Arbitrations OF 1903" and Inter
national Arbitral Law and Proceed
ure," both of which have been often
cited by the State Department and
are regarded as authority by Euro
pean International Lawyers. 1t would
seem that in view of his exceptional
experiences along this line, If elected
to Congress, he ought to be of equally
unusual service to the Nation.
Not only in foreign affairs has Mr..
Ralston been prominent, but in do
nestle matters.
He was counsel for the American
Federation of Labor in the Buck
Stove and Range case. There the
officers of the American Federation
of Labor were charged with contempt
in violating an Injunction of the Su-
preme Court of the District OF Co.
lumbia, prohibiting the publication of
the name of the Buck Company, in the
eve Don't PatroniZe List" and main
tanning a boycott M. Ralston's con-
tentions in the trial Court were over
ruled. He received comparatively
little satisfaction from the Court of
Appeals for his clients, but the Su-
preme Court of the United States de-
cided the case in his favor upon the
very points urged by him in the trial
court. The trial judge attempted to
adjust himself to the decision of the
Supreme Court of the United States,
and in a second proceeding the latter
Court decided in favor of Mr.. Raj
ston's clients, who were thus freed OF
the contempt charge.
His connection with the now
famous Federal employees Liability
Act" ought not to go unmentloned.
In 1906, Congress had attempted to
remove some of the bardships then
existing in the law of negligence, and
the Supreme Court in 1908 had de-
clared this act unconstitutional. Mr..
Ralston was asked by Mr.. Fuller, rep
resenting the Railway Trainmen's
Union, to recast the act in such way
as to meet the objections of the SUI
preme Court and to draft an act that
would be constitutional. The neces-
sity for such an act to railway en-
ployees consisted in this. Under the
law as it existed before the act,
railway employee injured by the neg
ligence of fellow employee was
powerless to recover from the rail-
road for such injury. This was under
what was technically known as the
Fellow Servants Doctrine. A rail-
way employee injured by the negli-
gence of the railway primarily and
partly by his own negligence, how
ever small, was likewise barred from
recovery under what was known as
the Doctrine of Contributary Negli-
gence. Both of these doctrines were
of common law origin and both work.
ed manifest injustice. It was the ap-
parent desire of Congress to change
these hard technical rules, making
them more consonant with reason.
The first attempts at it had failed by
reason of the Supreme Courts decla-
ration of it's unconstitutionality. Mr..
Ralston framed an act to meet these
difficulties, and it has withstood at
tacks upon it from many directions
and accomplished the purpose de-
sired. 80
In the recent election in Maryland,
wherein the constitutional amend
ment regarding the referendum was
involved, Mr.. Ralston took very &C
tive part The referendum had been
the subject of much study by Mr..
Ralston and he made many public
speeches upon it at that time. The
amendment carried in the State by
an enormous majority.
Mr.. Ralston's wife is the daughter
of the former senior partner of the
late Justice T. Miller, of the United
States Supreme Court,
If Mr.. Ralston is elected to Con-
gress, the Fifth District can be as
sured of his active work for the bet
terment of the Nation and the Con-
gressional District. The Baltimore
Sun published Of him on May Sd the
following editorial: THE Democrats
of the Fifth Congressional District
are to be congratulated upon the
nomination of candidate such as
Jackson H. Ralston. All of us do not
agree with some of Mr.. Ralston's eco
nomic theories, but there can be 10
disagreement as to his intellectually.
He is one of the strongest lawyers in
The State and a man of commanding
ability in nearly every direction. 1t
is not often that we get man of such
caliber on our lists of Congressional
candidates. If Congress were com-