The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-06-04
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEES FOR
MISSOURI SUPREME COURT
(By A. T. Edmonston.)

Jefferson City, Mo, June 4.-The
filing time for three vacancies on the
State Supreme Court, created by the
Resignation of Judge c. B. Faris, the
,death Of Judge Henry w. Bend and
the expiration of the short term of
Judge Fred l.. Williams closed today
with Judge William T. Ragland, now
1 a Supreme Court Commissioner, and
Judges Fred L. Williams of Joplin and
John /. Williamson of Kansas City as
the aspirants for the nomination on
the Democratic ticket. Judge Will
liams. candidate for reelection. was
elected to the Supreme Court bench
in 1915 for term of four years to
fill the unexpired term of Judge John
c. Brown, deceased. That it is the
unanimous opinion of Missouri De-
mocracy that he is entitled to a long
term of ten years is indicated by the
fact that no one filed against him for
the party nomination. Judge Viii
liams, before he was elected Supreme
Court Judge, was, since Jan. 3, 1913, a
period of three years, member of the
Supreme Court Commission. His
brilliant Supreme Court record, COW
ering a period of seven years, amply
supplies the argument why he will be
reelected in November.
Judge Ragland was appointed a
member of the Supreme Court Com
mission about year ago, resigning
as Judge in the Tenth Judicial Cir
cult after ten years of efficient SER
vice, to accept the higher State hon.
or. He is a native of Missouri, born
Oct. 5, 1866, in Marion county. His
wife was Miss Mary E. Watson of
New London, Mo. The legal and Of
fetal record CT Judge Ragland fully
details the story of why he is EMIT
led to the Democratic nomination for
Supreme Court Judge, and why he
1 will easily be elected in November.
He is a graduate of the law depart
ment of the Washington University of
St. Louis. His elementary education
was in the public schools of Missouri
and he is graduate of the Kinks
vile State Normal School. Judge
1889 and ever since. period of thir-
ty-one years, has followed that pro-
fession. He was prosecuting attorney
Of Monroe county from 1898 to 1897
and member of the State Board of
Law Examiners for six years. from
July /, 1905. to Jan. l, 1911. In No
vember, 1910, Judge Ragland was
elected Circuit Judge, the Tenth Ju.
dicial Circuit, for term of six years
and therethrough became ex-Officie
Judge of the Court Of Common Pleas
of Hannibal, Mo-, ascending to the
Circuit bench January 1, 1911. In
1916 Judge Ragland was reelected to
the same bench for another six years,
resigning in 1919 to become Supreme
Court Commissioner.
Judge Richard L. Goode of ' St.
Louis, appointed in October, 1919, by
Gov. Gardner to fill vacancy On the
Supreme Court bench created by the
death of Judge Bond, having definitely
announced a month ago that he would
not seek the nomination for the con-
tinued short term. Judge Ragland was
persuaded by his friends and asso-
ciatcs in the Supreme Court to, be-
come candidate. Many influential
members of tho Missouri Bar Asso-
citation, prominent business men Of
St. Louis, Kansas City, st. Joseph and
Hannibal, ana Bafakefss and sfiAansfers
of the State, Joined in a movement to
draft Judge RaglAnd to- asEesesthe
race, pledging that aftehshe Is nomi-
= - Z 81 b 4