Evening star., 1936-09-30
~ the Associated Press.

velt's speech last night before the
Democratic State convention:
Tonight you and I join forces
for the 1896 campaign. We enter
it with confidence. Never was
there greater need for fidelity to
the. underlying conception OF
Americanism than there Is today.
And once again it is given to our
party to carry the message of that
Americanism to the people.
The task on our part is two
fold: First, as simple patriotism
requires, to separate the false from
the real issues; and secondly, with
facts and without rancor, to clari-
fy the real problems for the Ameri-
can public.
There will be-there are-many
false issues. In that respect this
will be no different from other
campaigns. Partisans, not willing
to face realities, will drag out red
herrings-as they have always
done-to divert attention from the
trail Of their own weaknesses.
This practice is as old as our
democracy. Avoiding the facts
fearful of the truth-a malicious
opposition charged that George
Washington planned to make him.
self king under a British form Of
government: that Thomas Jeffer-
son planned to set up guillotine
under q French revolutionary form
Of government; that Andrew Jack
son soaked the rich of the Eastern
Seaboard and planned to sur
render American democracy to the
dictatorship Of a frontier mob.
They called Abraham Lincoln a
Roman emperor; Theodore Roose-
welt a destroyer; Woodrow Wilson
o self-constituted messiah.
In this campaign another her
ring turns up. 1t has been British
and French-and variety of other
things. This year it is Russian.
Desperate in mood, angry at fall
ure, cunning in purpose, indi-
vduals and groups are seeking to
make communism an issue In an
election where communism is not
q controversy between the two ma
jor parties.
Time to Bury
Communism Herring.
Here and now. once and for
all, let us bury that red herring
and destroy that false issue. You
are familiar with my background;
you know my heritage. And you
are familiar, especially in the
State OF New York, with my public
service extending back over q
quarter of century. For nearly
four years I have been President
of the United States. A long
record has been written. In that
record, both in this State and in
the National Capital. you will find
O simple, clear and consistent ad-
herence, not only to the letter,
but to the spirit of the American
form of Government.
To that record, my future and
the future of my administration
will conform. have not sought,
I do not seek, I repudiate the
support of any advocate of COM
munism or Of any other alien
ism" which would by fair means
or foul change our American de-
mocracy.
That is my position. 1t always
has been my position. 1t always
will be my position.
There Is no difference between
the major parties as to what they
think about communism.
There is a very great difference
between the two parties in what
they do about communism.
Communism is a manifestation
OF the social unrest which al.
ways comes with widespread eco
nomic maladjustment. We in the
Democratic party have not been
content merely to denounce this
menace. We have been realistic
enough to face it. We have been
intelligent enough to do something
about 1t. And the world has seen
the results of what We have done.
In the Spring Of 1888 we faced
Q crisis which was the ugly fruit
of II years of neglect of the causes
of economic and social unrest.
1t was q crisis made to order for
all those who would overthrow
our form of Government.
Do I need to recall to you the
fear of those days-the reports of
those who piled supplies in their
Easements, who laid plans to get
their fortunes across the border.
who got themselves hideaways in
the country against the impending
upheayal?
Do I need to recall the law-abid-
ing heads Of peaceful families who
began to wonder, as they saw their
children starve, how they could
get the bread they saw in the
bakery window?
Do < need to recall the homeless
boys who were travelling in bands
through the country seeking work
and food-desperate because they
could find neither?
Farmers and Business
Leaders In Plight.
Do need to recall the farmers
who banded together with pitch
forks to keep the sheriff from SELL
ing the farm home under fore
closure? Do I need to recall the
powerful leaders of industry and
banking who came to me in Wash
ington in those early days of 1888
pleading to be saved?
Most people in the United States
remember today the fact that star
vation was averted, that homes
and farms were saved, that banks
were reopened, that crop prices
rose, that industry revived and the
dangerous forces subversive of our
form of Government were turned
aside.
A few people, few only-un-
willing to remember, seem to have
forgotten those days.
In the Summer of 1888 a nice
old gentleman, wearing a silk hat,
fell of the end Of pier. He was
unable to swim. A friend ran
down the pier, dived overheard and