that should Senator Kennedy feel that to enter the Maryland primary
would enhance his prospects as a presidential candidate, I certainly
would defer to his analysis of his own personal situation and, despite
my expressed views, would welcome him as a candidate in our pri-
mary. I hope to explore this matter further with the Senator after
he has given public affirmation of his candidacy, which he tells me will
be done shortly after the first of the year.

I have no desire and no intention of entering such a primary
myself. I feel that Senator Kennedy and I share common views on
many important subjects which concern our Party and our nation.

ADDRESS, NATIONAL WOMEN'S DEMOCRATIC CLUB
WASHINGTON
October 29, 1959

It is to me, as I am sure it is to others, a great delight to come
here to talk public affairs and political matters, with the members
of the National Women's Democratic Club and their guests. You have
paid me a high honor by asking me to be present and speak to you
today. Politically speaking, let me say at the outset, the year of 1958
was one of the most eventful ones in the history of the Democratic
Party in Maryland.

When your Board of Governors assigned a topic for me to discuss
at this meeting, I was pleased that it thought I should talk about
"Maryland's Heritage and Objectives, " but I must confess it also
frightened me a little. I was pleased because it offered me the oppor-
tunity to speak proudly of Maryland's past and present and con-
fidently of its future; I was frightened because of the magnitude of
the task of treating properly a subject so broad and all-embracing.
Your chairman of Regional Events offered me a certain amount of
what she termed "free range" on points to be covered under the
topic and hinted that this assemblage of Democratic women might
not be averse to hearing a little politics. I am practical enough to
believe that Maryland's past has been affected by its politics and
that its future will continue to be influenced by the political affiliation
of the men and women it chooses for public office.

I, therefore, do not believe that I may be accused justly of blind
partisanship if I attempt to identify our Democratic Party with some
of the finest of Maryland traditions and assert that in my belief my

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