October 1, 1952
I AM very grateful for that kind introduction by George Jessel and Bette Davis. It is good to have our old friends and new recruits working together this year to elect Adlai Stevenson.
I want to talk to you very plainly tonight about the issues in this campaign. This is a year of decision.
In this national election, the American people are going to decide for themselves where their country is going in the next 4 years. The way we mark our ballots in November will determine, in large measure, whether we have good times or bad times, whether we have good wages or poor wages, whether we have runaway prices or stable prices, whether we have a strong national defense or a weak national defense, whether our children will have opportunities to get ahead, or whether they will face the kind of economic collapse and confusion that we ourselves faced in the early 1930's.
These are the real issues down beneath all the slogans and the scare words, the billboards, the advertising, and the hullabaloo of the campaign. These are the real issues which the American people will be deciding.
The American people have the same choice today that they had in 1948, and in the national elections before 1948. It is the choice between the liberal program of the Democratic Party and the pullback program of the Republican Party.
Democratic Presidents and Democratic Congresses have worked for 20 years to build a strong economic system and to provide security and freedom for all of our citizens. The results show how successful we have been. We have 62 million jobs today. Our families have 40 percent more real income, after taxes, than we had before World War II. And we have come a long way toward the enjoyment of equal rights by everyone.
This progress has been made over the consistent opposition of the Republican Party. At almost every step of the way, they have fought against our efforts to improve the condition of the people. The Republican Party opposed our system of social security. The Republican Party opposed the growth of a trade union movement free of employer interference. The Republican Party opposed Federal minimum wage laws. The Republican Party has worked against establishing a system of firm price supports for the farmer.
This is the record of the past, and the attitude of the Republican Party has not changed. The Republican Party is still against measures that will benefit the people. Let me give you a few examples.
When I spoke to you on this program of the campaign committee of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union in 1948, I told you a few of the things that the Democratic Party proposed to do, if we were elected. We carried out those pledges. We did almost all those things. We would have done all of them, if it had not been for Republican opposition. We had to fight the Republicans every step of the way.
I told you in 1948 that we should increase the minimum wage from 40 cents an hour to at least 75 cents an hour. We did that. We did it in spite of the fact that about 80 percent of the Republicans in the House of Representatives tried to block this action, and to limit its effectiveness.
In 1948 I told you that social security should be extended, and social security benefits should be increased. We did that. We did it in spite of Republican attempts to load on a lot of restrictive and crippling amendments.
I told you that we should expand our facilities for looking after the Nation's health. We did that. We are building new hospitals and new health centers, and we would have gone even further in improving our system of medical care if it had not been for the opposition of the Republican Party.
In 1948 I told you that we should provide aid for slum clearance and low-rent housing. We did that, in spite of the resistance of 80 percent of the Republicans in the House of Representatives and the diehard opposition of the real estate lobby.
I told you in 1948 that we should do something about high prices. In 1950 the Congress enacted price control legislation. Since that time we have been fighting, against Republican opposition, to keep effective controls. Time and again, Republican Members of Congress have ganged up to break down the control of prices and the control of rents. Just a few months ago, a majority of the Republican Senators, and almost 60 percent of the Republican Representatives, voted to end all price and wage controls. The Democratic votes in the Congress kept this from happening.
During the last few years, this country has lived in the shadow of a terrible danger-the danger of aggression and war. The Democratic Party has risen to meet that danger. It has devised programs and measures to protect this country.
But the Republicans in Congress have been hacking away at the appropriations we need to make our defenses strong. Time and again they have voted for less protection-less security for our country. Time and again they have shown that they are more concerned about the danger to their pocketbooks than they are about the danger to the life of our Nation.
No one should deceive himself about what would happen if there were a Republican victory in November. The Republican Old Guard would take such a victory to mean that they had a blank check to tear down the things that have been built up in spite of their opposition during the last 20 years. That's what they started to do in the 80th Congress, but I was in the White House and I was able to hold them back. If a Republican President were in the White House, the people would have no defense against them.
This is the basic issue in the campaign. This is the danger that the American people face.
But I am sure the American people are not going to be misled. I am sure they will vote to go forward with the Democratic ticket-to improve upon the gains we have made in the health, welfare, and prosperity of our people. I am sure that they are going to vote for the party which has been out in front, building up our national defenses, strengthening our allies, striving for world peace.
I am sure that the American people are going to elect Adlai Stevenson of Illinois as our next President.
But just remember one thing: You can't vote unless you have registered. There is still time to register in many of our States. If you haven't registered yet, go out and register tomorrow. Unless you are a registered voter, you can't help your country to choose the path toward progress and peace.
NOTE: The President's prerecorded address was broadcast at 10:15 p.m., e.s.t. The recording had been made in the White House before the start of the President's campaign trip.
In his opening remarks the President referred to entertainers Bette Davis and George Jessel.
For the President's 1948 address sponsored by the International Ladies Garment Workers Union Campaign Committee, see 1948 volume, this series, Item 247.
I AM very grateful for that kind introduction by George Jessel and Bette Davis. It is good to have our old friends and new recruits working together this year to elect Adlai Stevenson.
I want to talk to you very plainly tonight about the issues in this campaign. This is a year of decision.
In this national election, the American people are going to decide for themselves where their country is going in the next 4 years. The way we mark our ballots in November will determine, in large measure, whether we have good times or bad times, whether we have good wages or poor wages, whether we have runaway prices or stable prices, whether we have a strong national defense or a weak national defense, whether our children will have opportunities to get ahead, or whether they will face the kind of economic collapse and confusion that we ourselves faced in the early 1930's.
These are the real issues down beneath all the slogans and the scare words, the billboards, the advertising, and the hullabaloo of the campaign. These are the real issues which the American people will be deciding.
The American people have the same choice today that they had in 1948, and in the national elections before 1948. It is the choice between the liberal program of the Democratic Party and the pullback program of the Republican Party.
Democratic Presidents and Democratic Congresses have worked for 20 years to build a strong economic system and to provide security and freedom for all of our citizens. The results show how successful we have been. We have 62 million jobs today. Our families have 40 percent more real income, after taxes, than we had before World War II. And we have come a long way toward the enjoyment of equal rights by everyone.
This progress has been made over the consistent opposition of the Republican Party. At almost every step of the way, they have fought against our efforts to improve the condition of the people. The Republican Party opposed our system of social security. The Republican Party opposed the growth of a trade union movement free of employer interference. The Republican Party opposed Federal minimum wage laws. The Republican Party has worked against establishing a system of firm price supports for the farmer.
This is the record of the past, and the attitude of the Republican Party has not changed. The Republican Party is still against measures that will benefit the people. Let me give you a few examples.
When I spoke to you on this program of the campaign committee of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union in 1948, I told you a few of the things that the Democratic Party proposed to do, if we were elected. We carried out those pledges. We did almost all those things. We would have done all of them, if it had not been for Republican opposition. We had to fight the Republicans every step of the way.
I told you in 1948 that we should increase the minimum wage from 40 cents an hour to at least 75 cents an hour. We did that. We did it in spite of the fact that about 80 percent of the Republicans in the House of Representatives tried to block this action, and to limit its effectiveness.
In 1948 I told you that social security should be extended, and social security benefits should be increased. We did that. We did it in spite of Republican attempts to load on a lot of restrictive and crippling amendments.
I told you that we should expand our facilities for looking after the Nation's health. We did that. We are building new hospitals and new health centers, and we would have gone even further in improving our system of medical care if it had not been for the opposition of the Republican Party.
In 1948 I told you that we should provide aid for slum clearance and low-rent housing. We did that, in spite of the resistance of 80 percent of the Republicans in the House of Representatives and the diehard opposition of the real estate lobby.
I told you in 1948 that we should do something about high prices. In 1950 the Congress enacted price control legislation. Since that time we have been fighting, against Republican opposition, to keep effective controls. Time and again, Republican Members of Congress have ganged up to break down the control of prices and the control of rents. Just a few months ago, a majority of the Republican Senators, and almost 60 percent of the Republican Representatives, voted to end all price and wage controls. The Democratic votes in the Congress kept this from happening.
During the last few years, this country has lived in the shadow of a terrible danger-the danger of aggression and war. The Democratic Party has risen to meet that danger. It has devised programs and measures to protect this country.
But the Republicans in Congress have been hacking away at the appropriations we need to make our defenses strong. Time and again they have voted for less protection-less security for our country. Time and again they have shown that they are more concerned about the danger to their pocketbooks than they are about the danger to the life of our Nation.
No one should deceive himself about what would happen if there were a Republican victory in November. The Republican Old Guard would take such a victory to mean that they had a blank check to tear down the things that have been built up in spite of their opposition during the last 20 years. That's what they started to do in the 80th Congress, but I was in the White House and I was able to hold them back. If a Republican President were in the White House, the people would have no defense against them.
This is the basic issue in the campaign. This is the danger that the American people face.
But I am sure the American people are not going to be misled. I am sure they will vote to go forward with the Democratic ticket-to improve upon the gains we have made in the health, welfare, and prosperity of our people. I am sure that they are going to vote for the party which has been out in front, building up our national defenses, strengthening our allies, striving for world peace.
I am sure that the American people are going to elect Adlai Stevenson of Illinois as our next President.
But just remember one thing: You can't vote unless you have registered. There is still time to register in many of our States. If you haven't registered yet, go out and register tomorrow. Unless you are a registered voter, you can't help your country to choose the path toward progress and peace.
NOTE: The President's prerecorded address was broadcast at 10:15 p.m., e.s.t. The recording had been made in the White House before the start of the President's campaign trip.
In his opening remarks the President referred to entertainers Bette Davis and George Jessel.
For the President's 1948 address sponsored by the International Ladies Garment Workers Union Campaign Committee, see 1948 volume, this series, Item 247.