36 State Papers and Addresses

whether we continue to enjoy the full measure of liberty the citizens of our
Country have ever enjoyed.

They passed through many troublous times, these hardy forefathers of
ours—they weathered many a severe storm. But I question if ever they faced
such threatening conditions as we of America face in common with all the
world today. There are "isms" galore in the world, and the one final aim and
purpose of each of these new doctrines is to undermine and destroy the great
principles of democracy and liberty that have come down to us untarnished
from the days of George Washington.

May the Almighty who gave George Washington to the Colonies in their
great hour of need give to the people of America, and to our duly elected
leaders, the wisdom and the fortitude of Washington, to lead us safely out of
the labyrinth of dangers that surrounds us today.

CONSERVATION

Radio Station WFBR, March 10, 1939

Baltimore

I WELCOME the opportunity this evening to discuss with you certain phases
of the State's government that merit, I believe, more than ordinary considera-
tion. I come before you as the Governor of the State with but one idea in my
mind, and that is, to achieve for all the people of the State the greatest good
that can possibly be attained.

Before devoting myself to a discussion of the matter of Conservation, which
is the really important problem before the people of the State, let me dismiss
one relatively unimportant and unusual phase of the matter. That is the
distorted presentations made by the Baltimore Evening Sun of the program
which I have proposed. Much publicity has been devoted to impugning my
motives, without factual basis, but this has served only to divert attention
from the fundamental problem confronting us.

Honest differences of opinion do not justify personal attacks by the General
Assembly and myself. I resent the unwarranted imputation of bad faith and
the gratuitous injection of personalities when we are striving to bring about a
satisfactory solution of this serious problem.

While we all welcome constructive criticism, yet I am forced to adopt this
unusual means of discussing the Conservation problem because of the unfair
way in which it has been handled by the Baltimore Evening Sun. Their
methods cannot help but lead openminded persons to wonder what part of their
news story is really news and what part is editorial policy, so woven into the
news story that the reader cannot tell which is which. What is even worse
is the closing of the columns of the Baltimore Evening Sun to legitimate news.
The paper prints a purported statement from a member of the Legislature in
opposition to my plan. His public denial on the floor of the House that the
statement was unfounded is not even mentioned in the columns of the Baltimore
Evening Sun. When, as Governor, I asked them to substantiate their state-
ment that I had surrendered to politicians they could not justify their notice to
the public.