Evening star., 1938-10-13
FREDERICK FAIR
DRAWS GOV. NICE
Candidate Says Reception
in Montgomery, Democratic
Stronghold, Gratifying.
BY JAMES e. CHINN,
Star Stad Correspondent.

The annual FTederlcK COuIlty rdll az.
tracted Gov. Harry w. mice today
and he came here on his campaign
tour of the State to appeal to the
crowd of spectators to re-elect him for
another four years
The Governor said he would urge all
"fair- minded" Democrats to support
his candidacy because. without their
aid he would not be returned to An
napolis as chief executive for another
term.
I'm q Republican and don't expect
to be reelected without the help OF
r the Democrats" he admitted. But
I'm sure the air-minded Democrats
in this State will come to my rescue.
And, if they do. they will help all the
people of Maryland"
Gov. Nice brought his campaign
tour of Montgomery County-a Demo-
cratic stronghold-to a close last night
with an unannounced appearance be-
fore 400 colored men and women at
political rally in Fishermen's Hall in
Rockville. There he promised, if re-
elected, to establish State university
for the colored, comparable to the
University of Maryland.
Hits O'Conor's Criticism.
An hour before, Gov. Nice spoke at a
political rally at Silver Spring, during
which he attacked his Democratic sop-
ponent, Attorney General Herbert R.
OConor, for his recent criticism OF
Maryland's magistrate courts system.
This speech came as a climax to a
130-mile tour of the county, which
gave the Governor the opportunity he
wanted to stop at all cross-road gaso-
line stations and general stores and
shake hands with any one who was
willing to greet him.
Montgomery County may be Demo-
cratic" he declared at the conclusion
of the trip, "but I know there will be
a lot of Democratic votes in that
county cast for Harry Nice November 8.
The people of Montgomery County
gave me a wonderful reception-far
better than anticipated"
Pointing out that Mr.. O'Coner had
proposed to reform" the lower courts
ri elected Governor Mr.. Nice declared
in his Silver Spring speech that his
opponent evidently got the idea from
en- article he wrote last May Is.
Sees Vagueness on ABUSES"
After quoting largely, and almost
exactly from my article of May IS as
to the origin and history of Marylands
magistrate court system-a system
which has been in vogue since the
>Constitution of 1776," Gov. Nice de-
clared, he (Mr O'Conor) attempts to
particularize certain instances which
I had already mentioned in my article
of May Is, as, for instance, that GER
tain abuses naturally have arisen in
our magisterial system, but that these
abuses have been most conspicuous
during the>past four years. Not only
does he fail to specify what these
most conspicuous abuses are, but he
must know there is not shred of
truth to support that statement"
Gov. Nice also declared Mr.. O'Conor
had said few Of his appointees failed
to turn in fines paid them, and that
Only prompt action on the bonds Of
these justices had prevented financial
loss to the State But, he said, his
.anponent failed Ito tell you that not
one cent of loss had occurred to the
State from any magistrate appointed
by me-
Points to Prior Losses.
He failed to tell you," Gov. Nice
continued, "of the many thousands of
dollars the State has lost through
failure to pay over fines collected by
magistrates appointed by my prede-
cessors in office"
Andthen, the Governor added:
Attorney General OConor, surely
you must know the meaning of the
legal maxim de minnimis non curat
lei II not, let me translate it for
you. In plain English it means the
law does not concenn itself with
trlf1es'; and let me tell you the thinking
people of this State will not think
highly of the qualifications of a can
0date for Governor who deals in such
trivialities."
Gov. Nice admitted, however, the
magistrate system is weak" because of
the present method of compensation,
under which most of the justices of the
peace are dependent upon the COL
lection of fees and costs in cases heard
by them.
But I am satisfied" he declared,
that steps should be taken to elm
mate this fee system Of compensation
a to justices of the peace To do this will
require constitutional amendment. My
opponent, the attorney general who
has had such influence with the Legis-
lature and who naturally would be
called upon to draw a constitutional
amendment, never once during his
term of office as attorney general, and
until this campaign began, thought OF
even attempting to remedy the Situa-
ton"
Candidates Accompany Nice.
Gov. Nice and his party, which in
cluded Dr. William G. Jack, Repub-
lican nominee for controller, and E.
RAY Jones, candidate for clerk of the
Court of Appeals; Judge Oscar Lesser
OF Baltimore, Republican candidate for
the Senate, and Republican candidates
for offices in Montgomery County made
the Bonnie tour. Walter johnson,
former pitching ace of the Washington
baseball team, and candidate for
Montgomery County commissioner, was
among those who took the trip.
Stops were made at Beallsville,
Gaithersburg, Poolesville, Germantown,
AClarksburg, Damascus, Laytonsville,
Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Kensing-
ton. During the stop at Beallsville, L.
r. Stewart, Republican nominee for
Congress from the 5th district, slipped
on a stone as he stepped from an auto
mobile and was cut above his right eye.
Av,t tnyAc 1nI hvy
Mat Katz, secretary to the Governor.