Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1924-07-19
Striking Interview With
Governor Of Maryland
Continued from Page 2

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been sent about his business. And it
struck me suddenly that the whole
procedure was astonishingly free from
political Chunk" I could have closed
my eyes, and believed that l was in
Detroit or Chicago-so business like
was the atmosphere of this political
office.
In one of the bookcases, found a
copy of "Who's Who," and turned to
the "R's" in that revealing guide to
see if l could find in this mans an
cestry and experience any reason for
his super-devotion to the business of
government. He was born in Rich
mond, Va. Certainly, there was moth
ing businesslike about that. His
father was a professor and jurist;
his mother a Cabell of Richmond.
Obviously, the Governor did not come
of commercial forbears. And he,
himself apart from the practice of
law, has had no unusual business
training. There was, however, a long
record of public service: Assistant
City Solicitor of Baltimore, Peoples
Counsel to the Public Service Com
mission, Attorney General of Mary
land, General Counsel to the United
States War Industries Board, and
since November, 1919, Governor of
Maryland.
One thing was translucently clear:
this man, Albert Cabell Richie, who
might have made fortune as a prac-
ticing lawyer, was unselfishly devot-
ing his earning lifetime to the ILL.,
paid, underrewarded service of the
people
Tirelessly, the Governor labored
through the hours, seeing more ad-
visers, reading more bills, setting
more hearings, debating more tele-
grams. Morning blossomed into noon.
Noon faded into twilight. The Gov
ernor-and his guest-remained un-
fed. At length he looked at his watch,
and began tidying up his desk for the
evening session.
Governor Richie lives right a.
cross the street from the Capitol in a
red brick Executive Mansion, beauti-
full in the homely Southern way. Its
windows Command the sleepy, un-
changing town. Its doors, massive
and ornate, are emblazoned with a sea
OF crabs and other Maryland water
wonders. Inside, the house is very
fine. The great central hall rises i'm
pressively four stories to the roof, its
walls softened and beautifed by a
gracefully curving staircase-solid
and dignified like the house itself.
/ ventured to rally my cookbook
ing host on his failure to provide so
beautiful a mansion with an equally
beautifudl mistress.
"Wait," he said, simply, "until you
see my mother"
AS we walked through the lofty
hall, a sweet, solicitous voice floated
out to US from the warmly cozy sitting
room.
"Had hard day, Alberto"
The Governor didn't seem to think
that he had had hard day-though
admit that the lunsheonless job of
watching him work had exhausted me
utterly.
Mrs. Richie is the story-book type
OF Southern mother, old-fashioned in
comparison with the bobbed-haired
and bob-skirted grandmothers to
whom we are becoming accustomed;
but young immeasurably younger
than her son. Indeed, the mother is a
big factor in the sons popularity with
the Maryland electorate.
Of this popularity, there is no
doubt. "Albert is the only man in the
history of the State" the little old
lady proudly informed me, "who has
been eleced twice to the Governor
ship"
"That wasn't the other Governors
fault, Mother" explained Albert; and
then, to me: "You see, the bosses die
tate the nominations. But after the
Governors get in, they break
with the bosses. Then of course, the
bosses break with them. And there
you are"
"You broke with them, too, AL
BERT" insisted loyal Mrs. Richie,
"only you were strong enough to
beat them"
"They wer getting DID," said Albert,
modestly.
At dinner, conversation turned, as
conversations sometimes do, on the
subject of prohibition. And the Gov
ernor told with much relish some OF
his experiences with the Eighteenth
Amendment. Richie belongs to that
vroun If GoyernorS which does moi