410 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

that states are necessarily regressive in their thinking and about the
idea that the only way things are going to get done in the big cities
is a direct artery from the Federal government to the city. We think
as long as the State is innovative, is aggressive and attempting to solve
its problems, it should never be short-circuited. And I think that the
Eney statement was directed to the point that, after all, the Federal
government came into existence because of the action of the sovereign
states, and we have got to drift away from this idea that it's going to
preempt all the power.

Q. Well, do you agree with him now that Maryland as well as other
states is losing its power to the Federal government?

A. I certainly don't. And I think it's a dramatization of fear that if
we at the state level don't stand up and fight for our participating
status in Federal programs that we're going to have this happen. But
it's certainly not true now. It's a dramatization and exaggeration, I
guess.

Q. Is Mr. Eney known for dramatization and exaggeration?

A. Well, he wasn't before he got into the public eye, but I think he
finds that in order to get the attention of the people, sometimes it's
necessary to make, just as all of us have been guilty of making, un-
suitable dramatic statements to attract attention to what we think is
a very important point.

Q. Governor, have you gotten any reports or any information from
your commission which you appointed to study the abolition of the
death penalty?

A. I want to confess something to you. I haven't appointed that com-
mission yet. I have it on my desk right now, and I haven't appointed
it in spite of the fact that I've been turning it over in my mind for
some time. I expect I will appoint it very shortly. There was a ques-
tion as to whether I was going to appoint it because it's been studied
into an almost placid condition. But I think we ought to have an up-
to-date look at it, and I'm going to make the appointment of that
group, soon.

Q. One of the things that you pointed out in an earlier press con-
ference was that you want some assurance and some determination, if
the death penalty is abolished, that there will be some provision to
keep those who committed particularly heinous crimes in jail the
rest of their lives. I was wondering if there has been any progress on
that bill on those lines or any further thought about it.