SKETCHES OF STATE OFFICERS. 197

Attorney-General: ISIDOR RAYNER, (Democrat,) of Balti-
more City.

Mr. Isidor Rayner was bprn in Baltimore fifty years ago.
He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1870, and
then studied law. Soon after his admission to the bar he
attracted public attention by his ability as a lawyer and an
advocate. In 1878 he was elected to the Maryland House of
Delegates. In 1886 he was elected to the State Senate. In
that body his course was so brilliant that in 1888 he was
nominated for and elected to Congress from the Fourth Dis-
trict. His record there was a splendid one, and he was
returned in 1890 and 1892. He was, while in Congress, a
member of Committees on Foreign Relations and on Coinage
and Currency, and took a most prominent position before the
country in the important debates upon the floor. Mr. Rayner
is known to the general masses of the people by his powers
as a public speaker, always commanding attention, whether
in court or on the hustings. He has taken a leading part for
his party in the State and the country in all political discus-
sions of the times.

Clerk of the Court of Appeals: J. FRANK FORD, (Democrat,)
of St. Mary's County.

Mr. Ford was born at Leonardtown, St. Mary's county, on
the 8th day of January, 1846. His father was Robert Ford,
of that county, who was Associate Judge of the Seventh
Judicial Circuit of Maryland from 1867 to 1882; and his
mother was Ellen Baltzell, daughter of Dr. John Baltzell, of
Frederick, Maryland. He was educated at the public schools
of St. Mary's county, and Calvert College, New Windsor,
Carroll county, Maryland. After leaving college, Mr. Ford
taught the public school at Leonardtown for several years,
and read law, but never applied for admission to the bar. In
January, 1872, he was appointed Secretary, Treasurer and
Examiner of Public Schools in his native county, which posi-
tion he retained until December, 1873, when he became Clerk
of the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County, to which office
he had been elected at the preceding election in November of
that year. He was re-elected clerk in 1879, and again in
1885. In 1891 he was nominated by the Democratic Party of
the State for the office of Clerk of the Court of Appeals of
Maryland, and elected at the election that year. In 1897 he
was again nominated by the Democratic State Convention for
the position of Clerk of the Court of Appeals, but was
defeated at the election which followed that year, by the
Hon. Allan Rutherford. Upon the death of Mr, Rutherford,