Should I Stay in Politics? - Page 3

Abstract

Personal recollection of Hays' campaign defeats of 1928, 1930 and 1933 and career in government administration positions ; -3- Just thirty days before the 1924 state primary, I was called to Little Rock to manage the campaign of a lawyer twice my age for attorney general of the state. He was elected and I became the assistant in charge of civil law litigation. For two years I had a hectic time defending state officials. An energetic governor provoked some interesting litigation and thanks to him a friendly reporters I received more than sufficient publicity. In February of 1928 Governor John E. Martineau, in his first term, resigned to accept an appointment to the Federal bench, leaving an open field for the governor's office. I announced my candidacy because a lot of influential political leaders thought I could win and I was sure I wouldn't be permanently damaged if I lost. The Lieutenant Governor, who automatically stepped into the governor's office, became a candidate and with his opposition divided among six opponents won the nomination. I was the runner up. The next election year (1930) presented a more difficult situation. I postponed a decision about the race as long as I could. I had opposed the highway financing program in 1928 and it appeared by 1930 to many that my predictions regarding its improvidence were correct, but I knew the odds were against me. The highway program involved an expenditure of more than a hundred million dollars and with a depression on it looked like an impossible task to beat the machine. Deciding whether to run or not was a hard job. A college man put it, "The ball was tossed to you - you had to carry it," and it is true that I had to run or