NEWS CONFERENCE 125

Senators, notably bachelors, were rather upset. One of them even
said that party loyalty sometimes asks too much. I want to emphasize
this, that the purpose of this veto was not under any circumstances
to make it certain that when a merit system came, Republican ap-
pointees would be frozen rather than Democrats. The purpose was to
simply remain consistent with an oft stated point of view that I made
during the campaign, that Supervisors of Elections and their em-
ployees should be immediately responsive to the political party in
power, and on some sort of apportioned basis, 1/3 to 2/3 or whatever
the case may be. And that it's a mistake in my opinion to freeze into
a job a person, purporting to represent a particular party, who may
not any longer be responsive to that party's wishes by reason of being
frozen in under a previous faction of the party in the merit system.
And I don't think this is good for the Supervisors of Elections, so I'm
against the merit system in this one respect. I would be very much for
it in Register of Wills' offices and in Clerks of the Courts and in all
these other things that Senator Pine indicated that I had indicated
previously that I was for. I'm still for them, but I don't think the
Supervisors of Elections is a place to protect people with a merit sys-
tem status while those people in a political function are no longer
responsive to the political party they are supposed to represent.

Q. Governor, will you act during the session on the bill that permits
the Executive of Baltimore County to appoint the Board of Liquor
Licenses' Commissioner?

A. Will I act on it?

Q. Will you sign or veto it?

A. Well, I could do it right now without any danger. I'll get to it
in the normal course of events. I don't consider it a very important
bill.

Q. Do what right now?

A. I could look at it.

Q. Have you decided to veto it?

A. Of course, I'm going to veto it.

Q. Have they come up with a name that's acceptable to you for the
Liquor Board?

A. Who?