Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-08-12
Somerset Man Goes On
The Air For Mr.. O'Con0r

1 have been invited to speak over
the radio in support of the candidacy
of Attorney General Herbert R. O'Con
or for the Democratic nomination for
Governor, and I appreciate the privi-
lege afforded me. I hope 1 have a
large invisible audience in my home
county of Somerset, and in the other
tide-water counties of Maryland and
throughout the State.
It had been my thought to speak to
you tonight on the startling revela-
tions of the past week concerning
Mayor Jackson's political insurance
from which he has grown wealthy by
writing policies for persons having
business with, or hoping to have busi-
ness with the City of Baltimore.
The people of my county do not like
this tie-up of politics and business and
they fear an extension of it if Mayor
Jackson goes to Annapolis. But my
thought were expressed so very well
in an editorial in the Baltimore Even
ing Sun on July 29th that do not
feel like taking up this valuable time
to discuss it further. The Evening
Sun said:
"Does Mr.. Jackson profit by the city
business that his firm writes for its
solicitors?
Isn't Mr.. Jackson drawing a dis
tinction without proving difference !
"The Rail Jackson Company, ac-
cording to its own statement as OF
February of this year, writes $685.
034.O6 of city business.
"The fact may as well be faced that
politics and the insurance business
are deeply involved one with the 9TH
er. This is clearly indicated by the
fact that a lot of small-time polite
ians become insurance solicitors mere
ly to get share Of the city's busi-
ness. This circumstance alone sug-
gests the need for a careful investiga-
ton of the whole procedure.
"Such an investigation would do
well to inquire into the matter of
writing bonds for contractors doing
business for the city. This business
amounts to more in premiums than
fire insurance. Who writes these
bonds and why?"
To my mind this editorial puts up to
Mayor Jackson several important con-
siderations which in fairness, he owes
it to the Democratic voters to answer
and explain, if he can.
Rather than go farther into this
matter, would prefer to discuss with
you tonight some of the issues of this
campaign in which the people of the
tidewater counties of the State are es-
pecially interested.
am delighted to support Mr.. O'Con
or for three major reasons, not to
enumerate lesser ones.
First, regard Mr.. O'Conor the out
standing candidate for Governor and
I say this with a positive desire to
avoid invidious comparisons. He is
prominently equipped by training
and experience to make Maryland a
great Governor and a great leader,
and there never has been time in
my remembrance when leadership in
this Stat was more sadly needed than
at the present time. Though compar-
atively young, he has already estab-
ished a record for marked achieve
ment even before he has reached the
zenith Of his power and development.
His whole career has demonstrated
that he is a man of unimpeachable in
tegrity, young enough to be forward
loking and yet not old enough to be
backward-loking, he offers himself for
service in the wider and larger field
of endeavor for the progress and ad-
vancement of the State and the pro-
motion of the best interests of the
people, not seeking the Governorship
of his State as crowning honor to
life upon which the shadows are al