NEWS CONFERENCE 707

No one's tried to get me. I think my position is so completely crystal
clear on this question that I will not receive any more approaches.
I think the attitude that this is some sort of political vendetta, and
the defense that nothing should be done about this because I didn't
prosecute diligently through the use of the county police raids against
illegal pinball operations while I was in the county, doesn't answer
the question: If this is to be censured why didn't the incumbent
County Executive with equal diligence prosecute such raids against
pinballs? And I say the reason is you can't afford, with a county police
force of the size we had, to take these people off policing operations
to do it. Now with the State Police and raids that were made, at the
request of the Miles Commission, it was possible for a limited purpose
only to pull these people to make these raids. But the county can't
run around trying to pull its people off criminal jurisdiction on a
constant basis and make these raids. And even more important, there's
not a man on the county police force that these people can't identify
with great facility. It would be an exercise in frustration to try to
catch anybody with county policemen.

Q. Are you aware, Governor, that Judge Turnbull was supposed to
have ruled, or will rule, that the State Police were in violation of
some kind of law by going into Baltimore County?

A. I don't think that's true. I am supposed to testify tomorrow morn-
ing in Baltimore County. What I testify about may affect this ques-
tion. I don't want to comment on it today. But I don't think it's true
at the moment.

(Opposition to the Constitution)

Q. Governor, have you any guess or knowledge as to why the county
organization of the Democratic Party and the government organiza-
tion out there is opposed to the Constitution?

A. I think this — and this doesn't reflect only on the organization in
Baltimore County: As you look to the opposition that is developing
to the Constitution you find almost unanimously that those who are
the most outspoken are those who have vested political interests to
protect. In short, where there are closely knit, highly disciplined party
organizations which control through the exercise of the vote, their
influence on the voters in certain areas, that's where the Constitution
is doing the worst because the Constitution is instituting reforms that
take away many bits of political patronage, take away certain local
elective offices that have been used to stimulate party participation
through appointment without merit system protection to certain jobs,