Evening star., 1954-10-17
md Gubenotorio Candidates Had Humble Beginnings
M'Keldin. Ex-Grovedigger,
Is Counting on His Record
To Win Him Reelection
By Sidney Epstein

About 10 days ago Gov. Theouore
r. McKeldin Of Maryland shocked
himself into a temporary silence he
hasn't known since he was Is.
He was stumping through Princes
Frederick. Md, and was answering
charge made by DR.. H. c.. Byrd,
his Democratic opponent in the
election for the governorship of
Maryland next month. He turned
livid. shouted. and then stopped
short:
well, that's about as angry as
I've gotten in this campaign" he
told his audience.
Losing his composure and then
finding himself at loss for words
were two unique phenomena for
Theodore r. 6or Roosevelt) Nc
Keldin, who took a course in public
speaking at Is and literally talked
himself into the Governors man
sion at Annapolis.
His oratorical skill not only car
ried him to the floor of the Repub-
lican National Convention to nomi-
nate Gen. Eisenhower, but today IS
providing him a healthy five-figure
income.
$500 in q Hurry
"Sure I'm talking for money" he
told The Star last week. Figure this
one out. My salary from the State
of Maryland is $4,000 year. Not
long ago I left Baltimore at
o'clock; was in Washington at Z
to talk to the scrap iron dealers,
and by the time got back to An
napolls at 1880 I was 1900 richer"
Maryland's $4,000 salary for it's
Governor is the rock-bottom low for
the great 48. But it's niggardlineSS
is more apparent than real, because
a spate of living amenities-such as
a mansion in Annapolis high-rent
district-go with the job.
Nevertheless, there is a question
on the November ballot which, if
answered afirmatively. will hike the
Governors salary to respectable
$4,000 beginning January l. But
Gov. McKeldin is living in the pres
ent. not the future, and with a
college-age son and a daughter now
finishing high school, he makes ends
meet by talking for his supper.
His principal aim today, however.
is to be the first Republican Cover
nor in Maryland history to succeed
himself. Until his outburst in South
ern Maryland early this month. he
1Al irvSN kI1A
efficacy Of which (his opponents
chided) was based on the number Of
autographed pictures and lollypops
he could distribute.
On the Offensive
But. that's all behind him now.
he says.
"We're going on the offensive,
even though I don't want to resort
to his CDR. Byrd's) kind of tactics.
The people of Maryland don't need
filth and innuendo.".
The Star asked Gov. McKeldin
last week why he thought he would
be reelected. He thought for min
ute and came up with this answer:
We've had a good administration.
Our record of accomplishment is q
non-partisan one and won the ap-
proval of the Democratic Legislature.
When you give the people of the
State what they want. they will
show their appreciation by re-elect-
ing you."
Later, he repeated that he was
good at getting along" with people.
Last year, during the Jewish high
holidays, the Governor "a Method
ist who attends the Episcopal
church) hit newspapers all over the
country by fasting for "a hours on
Yom Kippur. Asked where he spent
Yom Kippur two weeks ago, Mr.. Nc
Keldin laughed. and said:
Nobody has asked me about that,
but it's funny story. My chauffeur,
Sam Culotta-he's Catholic-and I
drove down to Queen Annes County
that evening. Sam noticed that I
didn't go to breakfast the next
morning and wanted to know why.
When told him, he said he'd join
me in fasting, too. BY 5 o'clock his
tongue was hanging out. At $40. he
announced that that was official SUM-
down according to the papers, and
could he please have a drink Of
water. We ate turkey at q nearby
Protestant church"
Twice Defeated
Born in Baltimore, the son of a
stonecutter on November 20. 1900,
Gov. McKeldin shot to political prom
inence in Maryland when he was
elected Mayor in 1943. He ran for
Governor twice before he made, it,
having been defeated by Herbert r.
O'Conor in 1912, and by William
Preston Lane, jr., in 1916.
One of II children. young Nc
Keldin started to work as a $2O-a-
month bank Office boy. He took high
school courses at night and supple
mented his income as a $2.50-a-day
gravedigger. When he was IS, he
prepared a seven-minute speech for
delivery at an Epworth League
meeting and promptly forgot all but
the first two minutes Of it. Undis-
mayed, he asked for another chance
and Immediately enrolled in a pub
lic-Speaking course. Later, the school
hired him ASA teacher and he
became known as ,"the boy orator."
In 1852. the Governor Joined
forces with an artic,,1oto ,,y,orv,o