REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION 879

(Threat of Civil Disorders to Civil Liberties)

Q. Governor, one social critic has commented that public reaction
to crime, to civil disorders and general permissiveness, can be so
strong that this country will end up losing a great percent of our
civil liberties.

A. You know that's something that a lot of people are worried about,
and I think I share some of that concern, too. When I was at the
University of Maryland commencements at Munich and Heidelberg
there was an attempt to transfer from the Allied powers to the West
German Government certain riot control measures. And I said to
some of the people I talked with — Mr. Kiesinger and others — we've
done this in nearly all of our states, and no one's concerned about this.
And of course, he said, "Yes, but you've got to understand that over
here we're more sensitive because you've never had a Hitler. " I think
this is a good point and one we shouldn't forget — that in attempting
to deal with the breakdown of the authority, and to bolster law and
order, that we don't get pushed over the line to the point that we
have an authoritarian government. And, of course, the balance in a
democracy is a very delicate one and one that requires the best efforts
of all concerned to keep it an equitable balance. It's not an easy thing
to do. I think the point you raised is a valid one — that we have
to watch very carefully against drifting so far to the right that we have
authoritarianism and that legitimate dissent and protest are drowned
out in the rigors of our system.

GREETINGS TO REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION,
STATE HOUSE, ANNAPOLIS

June 22, 1968

May I extend a warm and most enthusiastic welcome to the dele-
gates of Maryland's Republican State Convention. It is a pleasure,
and I hope a measure of my clairvoyance, that I see all those seats
filled by good Republicans. I only wish you could occupy them for
the next two and a half years.

Certainly, the setting of today's meeting is significant and symbolic.
We have struggled often and arduously for control of this State
House; and with greater frequency and in greater numbers, we have
met with success.