Franklin Roosevelt's Radio Address—Second Half of New Deal
by Franklin Delano Roosevelt (excerpt)

Campaign Address at Madison Square Garden, New York City. "We Have Only Just Begun to Fight." October 31, 1936

[1] Senator Wagner, Governor Lehman, ladies and gentlemen:

[2] On the eve of a national election, it is well for us to stop for a moment and analyze calmly and without prejudice the effect on our Nation of a victory by either of the major political parties.

[3] The problem of the electorate is far deeper, far more vital than the continuance in the Presidency of any individual. For the greater issue goes beyond units of humanity-it goes to humanity itself.

[4] In 1932 the issue was the restoration of American democracy; and the American people were in a mood to win. They did win. In 1936 the issue is the preservation of their victory. Again they are in a mood to win. Again they will win.

[5] More than four years ago in accepting the Democratic nomination in Chicago, I said: "Give me your help not to win votes alone, but to win in this crusade to restore America to its own people."

[6] The banners of that crusade still fly in the van of a Nation that is on the march.

[7] It is needless to repeat the details of the program which this Administration has been hammering out on the anvils of experience. No amount of misrepresentation or statistical contortion can conceal or blur or smear that record. Neither the attacks of unscrupulous enemies nor the exaggerations of over-zealous friends will serve to mislead the American people.

[8] What was our hope in 1932? Above all other things the American people wanted peace. They wanted peace of mind instead of gnawing fear.

[9] First, they sought escape from the personal terror which had stalked them for three years. They wanted the peace that comes from security in their homes: safety for their savings, permanence in their jobs, a fair profit from their enterprise.

[10] Next, they wanted peace in the community, the peace that springs from the ability to meet the needs of community life: schools, playgrounds, parks, sanitation, highways- those things which are expected of solvent local government. They sought escape from disintegration and bankruptcy in local and state affairs.

[11] They also sought peace within the Nation: protection of their currency, fairer wages, the ending of long hours of toil, the abolition of child labor, the elimination of wild-cat speculation, the safety of their children from kidnappers.

[12] And, finally, they sought peace with other Nations-peace in a world of unrest. The Nation knows that I hate war, and I know that the Nation hates war.

[13] I submit to you a record of peace; and on that record a well-founded expectation for future peace—peace for the individual, peace for the community, peace for the Nation, and peace with the world.

[14] Tonight I call the roll—the roll of honor of those who stood with us in 1932 and still stand with us today.

[15] Written on it are the names of millions who never had a chance—men at starvation wages, women in sweatshops, children at looms.

[16] Written on it are the names of those who despaired, young men and young women for whom opportunity had become a will-o'-the-wisp.

[17] Written on it are the names of farmers whose acres yielded only bitterness, business men whose books were portents of disaster, home owners who were faced with eviction, frugal citizens whose savings were insecure.

[18] Written there in large letters are the names of countless other Americans of all parties and all faiths, Americans who had eyes to see and hearts to understand, whose consciences were burdened because too many of their fellows were burdened, who looked on these things four years ago and said, "This can be changed. We will change it."

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Read the excerpt from Roosevelt's radio address.

"Tonight I call the roll—the roll of honor of those who stood with us in 1932 and still stand with us today." (paragraph 14)

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