for leadership and who thus have proven their qualifications to serve
the people of Maryland in public office. It is upon them, and others
like them, that the Democratic Party depends for its successes now and
in the years ahead. It is to them, and others like them, that we look
for guidance as we plan our efforts to face the contest of next year
and the elections to come.

As everyone here knows, I think, my experience in political affairs
stretches back over many years, maybe too long, but I have had a
greater opportunity than most of you to observe the vicissitudes —
the fortunes and the misfortunes — of the Democratic Party in the
early and middle years of our century. I have seen it rise to the highest
peaks of triumph and success. And, sadly, I have seen it plunge to
the utter depths of adversity.

You will recall that when I took the oath of office in January,
1959, 1 succeeded eight years of Republican occupancy of the Gover-
norship of our State. In that year, Maryland was represented in the
Senate of the United States by two Republicans, both of whom had
defeated the most illustrious of the statesmen Maryland has produced
in this century.

As you know, since that time we have had, and we hold, the Gov-
ernorship. And may I add that we intend to keep it. We have replaced
the two Republican United States Senators, so that Maryland is
represented by Democrats, and Democrats only, in the upper chamber
of our Congress. Six of our eight Maryland members of the House of
Representatives are Democrats. I think we can better that next year,
and I hope all of you will work with me toward that end. We have
consistently maintained clear and effective Democratic majorities in
both houses of our General Assembly. In the area of local government,
we have suffered some rather disturbing setbacks over the past few
years, but the fact remains that most of the local governments in our
State remain in the hands of Democrats. The point I would like to
make here is that in every instance of failure that I have seen, in all
my experience and from all my observation, there is a distinct and
clear-cut cause. It is party disunity. On the record, a vast majority
of the voters of Maryland are registered as Democrats. And not only
that, there is no doubt in my mind that a vast majority of the voters
of Maryland are Democrats at heart — by persuasion and by con-
viction. So that, when we lose, as we have too frequently in recent
years, we have no one to blame but ourselves. For we lose only when
we allow our Party to deteriorate and disintegrate by disharmony and
internal dissension. When we battle with a united front we are all
but invincible.

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