Here are some excerpts from Harry Truman's speech in Elizabeth, New Jersey on October 7, 1948. This is one of 275 speeches he gave between Labor Day and the elections. He was speaking of the 80th Congress, but he could have been speaking about the 112th.
...The Republicans are trying to hide the truth from you in a great many ways. They don't want you to know the truth about the issues in this campaign. The big fundamental issue in this campaign is the people against the special interests...
...Well now, you have had experience with them running the government. In 1920 to 1932, they had complete control of the government. Look what they did to it!
This country is enjoying the greatest prosperity it has ever known because we have been following for 16 years the policies inaugurated by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Everybody benefited from these policies - labor, the farmer, businessmen, and white-collar workers.
We want to keep that prosperity. We cannot keep that if we don't lick the biggest problem facing us today, and that is high prices.
I have been trying to get the Republicans to do something about high prices and housing ever since they came to Washington. They are responsible for that situation, because they killed price control, and they killed the housing bill.
If 2/3 of the people stay at home again on election day as they did in 1946, and if we get another Republican Congress like the 80th Congress . . . The same men would be the bosses the same as those who passed the Taft-Hartley Act, and passed the rich man's tax bill, and took Social Security away from a million workers.
Do you want that kind of administration?
...When a bunch of Republican reactionaries are in control of the Congress, then the people get reactionary laws. The only way you can get the kind of government you need is by going to the polls . . .
*
http://www.dupage88.net/aths/resources/AT%20MCweb02/Pathfinders/AmSpeeches/Index.htm
Above is a link to a chronological list of
historic American speeches & letters, from
Powhatan's speech to Cap.John Smith in 1609 to
Elie Wiesel's "The Perils of Indifference" in 1999,
and lots in between, plus links to more.
...The Republicans are trying to hide the truth from you in a great many ways. They don't want you to know the truth about the issues in this campaign. The big fundamental issue in this campaign is the people against the special interests...
...Well now, you have had experience with them running the government. In 1920 to 1932, they had complete control of the government. Look what they did to it!
This country is enjoying the greatest prosperity it has ever known because we have been following for 16 years the policies inaugurated by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Everybody benefited from these policies - labor, the farmer, businessmen, and white-collar workers.
We want to keep that prosperity. We cannot keep that if we don't lick the biggest problem facing us today, and that is high prices.
I have been trying to get the Republicans to do something about high prices and housing ever since they came to Washington. They are responsible for that situation, because they killed price control, and they killed the housing bill.
If 2/3 of the people stay at home again on election day as they did in 1946, and if we get another Republican Congress like the 80th Congress . . . The same men would be the bosses the same as those who passed the Taft-Hartley Act, and passed the rich man's tax bill, and took Social Security away from a million workers.
Do you want that kind of administration?
...When a bunch of Republican reactionaries are in control of the Congress, then the people get reactionary laws. The only way you can get the kind of government you need is by going to the polls . . .
*
http://www.dupage88.net/aths/resources/AT%20MCweb02/Pathfinders/AmSpeeches/Index.htm
Above is a link to a chronological list of
historic American speeches & letters, from
Powhatan's speech to Cap.John Smith in 1609 to
Elie Wiesel's "The Perils of Indifference" in 1999,
and lots in between, plus links to more.
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