Evening star., 1936-02-24

right to regulate the public utilities
company. Ritchie studied the books
of the gas company and started utili-
ties organizations and aroused the
State by countering the demand for
an increase in gas rates by calling on
the commission to reduce the rates
then existing.
A furious struggle followed. Ritchie
showed from the company's own fig
ures that it was making high profit.
He won his fight, and the company
not only was denied the right to in
crease its rates, but was compelled to
reduce them. A corresponding slash
in electric light and power rates fol-
lowed.
Ritchie made no secret of the fact
that he engaged in the fight with the
hope that it would lead to his po-
litical advancement. He said, with
his characteristic frankness, that he
had deliberately entered politics to
seek high Office and the way to do SO
was to satisfy the public. He let it be
known that he would be candidate
for the Office of State attorney gen.
eral. His triumph made him State
figure and in 1915 he was nominated
for attorney general and was elected
oy $4,000 majority.
AS attorney general. Ritchie stated
quite frankly that he was candi.
date for the governorship. He set
about to justify his desire for ad-
vancement. He organized the first
law department the State ever had
a move that ended the employment Of
special counsel and saved the State
great deal of money.
While serving as attorney general,
Ritchie also continued as professor OF
law at the University Of Maryland.
where ne took his law degree. When
the war came he was drafted as gen.
eral counsel of the War Industries
Board and served in this capacity
throughout the remainder of the war.
After the war Ritchie continued his
plans for capturing the Office Of chief
executive of Maryland On the basis
of his achievements as attorney gen.
eral, he came out as candidate on
a platform of reorganization Of the
costly and antiquated State govern
ment.
Encountered Heavy Odds.
He had struck up fast friendship
through his war service with Bernard
Baruch, New York financier and
chairman of the War Industries
Board, and this friendship figured
largely in his campaign for election
to the governorship. Ritchie wasvun-
ming against heavy odds. Sentiment
was swinging strongly to the Repub-
licans In 1919 and Baltimore, for the
second time since the Civil War. had
q Republican administration.
Ritchie's Republican opponent as
sailed him vigorously as "tool OF
Wall Street" because of his associa-
ton with Baruch. Ritchie made no
reply, confining himself to discussing
his proposed State reorganization pro-
gram. Every time his opponent as
sailed him as a friend of Baruch,
however, he would clip newspaper
accounts of the speech and send them
to Baruch with little note: "See
what this fellow Is saying about you.
Barney"
Baruch would reply with vigorous
letter: "Go after him. Bert. Lick him:
he can't say that about me-"
With each letter Baruch would send
$1,000 check for Ritchie's cam
paign. He received five patches Of
clippings and sent $4,000.
Ritchie was elected by the hairline
majority of 145 votes. He promptly
went to work to carry out his plat
form program of reorganization and
as promptly began his campaign for
reelection. He became known as an
unusually good Governor. and when
he set about breaking down the walls
Of tradition he succeeded so thorough
ly that he came back for his second
term with a majority of more than
10000. His second term was marked
by reduction of 80 per cent in the
State tax rate.
Ritchie now began broadening his
political horizon. He began to estab-
lish contact with party affairs of the
Nation. He went to the national con-
vention in 1916 as delegate at large
and began to attract national atten-
ton. He increased his national status
and In 1920 took a more prominent
part in the national convention. In
1924, at the New York convention,
his followers were almost as insistent
for him as Alabama was for Under
wood.
Became National Figure.
Ritchie was thinking and talking
IN Federal way. He began pleading
the old cause Of the rights Of States
on national platforms He championed
the rights Of States to regulate their
own affairs: to build their own roads,
handle their own agricultural prob
lens. educate their own children and
handle their own health problems free
from Federal supervision and control.
Now q national figure, Ritchie ran
Tor his third term as Governor and
was returned to Office with majority
OF $1,000 He won his fourth term by
q vote Of $4,000.
Ritchie's firm hold ON his State was
gained without the aid Of the old-time
political organization. He had no Or
ganization when he first ran for the
governorship. but huilt up his own