The Wilmington morning star., 1941-01-09
BY W. JOYNES MACFARLAN

The depression era heaped troubles
on the shoulders Of two predecessors,
j. G.. B. Ehringhaus and o. Max
Gardner. Gardeners program of cen
\ t~ralization of power here and the
, fiscal program of Ehringhaus, who
insisted on a balanced budget, hung
over them as they left office but now
draw unstinted praise.
From start to finish, however, the
with the state if public expression
means anything.
Nosed Out Mcdonald
The Shelby barrister won the gov
professor, DR.. Ralph Mcdonald, in
one of the bitterest democratic pri-
mary fights in North Cardinals his
tory. He was elected by a ire
mendous majority but when his vote
fell far below that of President
stormy administration.
They did not know the ability of
the long-haired, self-made man, who
started working as a printers devil
at 81 a week and became n Of the
states outstanding attorneys.
Immediately after he took office,
Governor Hoey started travelling
over the state. He visited each of
the 100 counties, and practically
every sizeable town.
He not only made speeches in
every county, sometimes at the rate
of even or more a day, but he shook
hands with rich and poor, big and
little, by the scores of thousands.
Always he emphasized coopera-
ton, good feeling, and a love thy
neighbour policy. His teachings bore
fruit.
The first Hoey legislature complet-
ed its work on a record state budget
and other matters in II days. The
Y second legislature of his term sat for
80 days. Many recent governors had
trouble with their second legisla-
lures.
Il Practically every major recommen-
dation made by the governor to the
legislature was enacted into law. In
y stead Of having a stormy admins.
tration he had the smoothest in the
recollection of the Oldest veterans N
q state service.
No Veto Power
North Cardinals governor has nc
veto power. He and his council of
state, consisting of constitutional Of
ficers, have broad powers, however
$ and during the entire four years OF
the Hoey administration every decis.
:. ion of the council was by an unani
nous vote.
Hoey's domination over state af-
fairs was virtually complete. Re-
. porters found that it was hard tc
u get even routine news from state de-
partments if Governor Hoey was
away. When he was in Raleigh he
o continually made news.
He Travelled a great deal but neve1
took an extended vacation, ane
It usually spent the night at the execu,
v tive mansion if he could possibly ar
6 range his travel schedule to allow it
r He gave state employees longer holi
= day periods than had been the Gus
tom, but if he was in Raleigh or
ia holiday he could always be found
at his office.
Throughout his term the governor
i expressed his own personality in his
\ work. He issued many statements
e about various things but steadfastly
S refused to issue a formal proclama
ton except when required to by law
Z: or requested to by the President.
He sat out early in his term tt
catch up all the loose ends of gov,
n eminent quickly. He found thai
predecessors had let various state
boards run without checking on the
> membership for years, and that nu
merous vacancies existed. He
brought each board up to date.
Most appointive officials who were
in office under Governor Ehringhaus
Y were retained by Governor Hoey, but
he made a clean sweep of the high
o way and public works commission
! He said he returned the roads lear
er to the people" by having highway
commissioners represent divisions OF
the state instead of the state as a
whole.
No Scandal
If there was any real friction in
the state governmental setup during
, the Hoey administration it was
1 ironed out without becoming a public
: scandal.
l Governor Hoey was such a popu-
liar party figure even before his cleo
2 ton that proceedings at more than
one democratic state convention had
been disrupted by the insistent de-
mand I'VE want Clyde Hoey" which
7 was quieted only by a speech. But,
: he was best known in the west.
; Now there is hardly a North Caro-
linian from the ocean to the noun
: tains that would not instantly spot
the governor, with his stand-up col
, lar and old-fashioned high lace shoes.
t He always years a frock coat, and
3 his silvery locks are long. Most Tar
Heels probably have shaken his hand
and exchanged a word with him in
these last four years.
His friendliness, a trait which also
marks Mrs. Hoey, who herself is the
sister of former Governor Gardner,
has won him the love n esteem
even of his former political enemies.
Doctor Mcdonald, his bitter pri-
mary foe, has been outspoken in