and political matters with the members of the United Democratic
Women's Clubs and their guests. You have paid me a high honor by
asking me to come here and speak to you today.

The year that has past since last we met has been one of the most
eventful ones in the history of the Democratic Party in Maryland.
The greatest single victory in Party annals was achieved last November
when Republicans were swept out of office everywhere, leaving us in
undisputed control of the executive and legislative branches of our
State government. Our majorities in the State House and the House
of Delegates are the largest any of us can recall. We captured all
seven of Maryland's Congressional seats in contests that stunned
Republicans and even surprised some Democrats.

This tidal wave of popular approval moved on, and last May a
Democratic ticket in Baltimore, headed by J. Harold Grady, repulsed
what the Republicans thought was their most formidable challenger
in a triumph as brilliant and as impressive as that of November. There
is every reason for Democrats to feel elated by this string of successes,
but as much as we deserved this indorsement of our Party, its prin-
ciples and its candidates, it would be foolhardy on our part if we
considered it something to which we are entitled, without respon-
sibility. The voters who went to the polls last November not only
sanctioned our program and our candidates, but they also wrote a
mandate in which we were enjoined to establish and maintain a
strong, sound, progressive State government at a cost the taxpayers
of the State can afford. It was no simple task we were called upon to
perform.

It is only seven months ago now that we assumed the authority
in Annapolis, and any attempt at this time to pass definitive judgment
on what has been done by this Administration would be premature.
The record is being written, however, and I believe enough has been
achieved already to indicate that if we continue on the course that
has been set, we may expect fruitful results. I began my term as
Governor on a general assumption that the people of the State were
entitled to a tax breather. Additional sales and income taxes had just
been imposed upon them by the preceding administration, and I
felt it would be an undue hardship upon them to ask them to pay
still more. I was determined, however, that State institutions should
not be weakened nor State services impaired, but on the contrary, that
these institutions and these services should be strengthened and im-
proved wherever possible. This posed a difficult problem, for, as you

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