Evening star., 1936-10-31
Ey the Associated Press.

Landon's speech in Charleston las
night:
Last night in New York City
summarized my position on the
major issues of this campaign.
I pointed out that basis essen.
tial of representative government
is for the candidate to take the
people into his confidence - that
representative governments rests
upon the combined wisdom of the
people-and that in this election
we will decide the future of our
form Of government by the COM
bined wisdom of the people.
Tonight here in West Virginia I
wanted to talk quietly about a few
Of the issues as they relate to the
home. I want to do this because
one of the outstanding points Of
this campaign has been the in
terest of thousands of men and
women who in ordinary years take
no active part in political contest.
This interest is not the result Of
a sudden outburst of party en-
thusiasm. 1t Is a result of the
realization that the choice to be
made in this election will vitality
affect their homes.
For many months the people of
West Virginia have been in the
forefront of those working to make
this election reflect the real wishes
Of the people. am happy to be
with you as we bring this stirring
campaign to close.
Peoples Efforts Needed to
Keep Government a Republic.
Let me remind you of re-
mark made by Benjamin Franklin
following the constitutional con-
vention Of 1887. A friend asked
him: What kind of a govern
ment have you given us?" and he
replied: "A republic-if you can
keep it So"
That was a profound remark.
1t reflected the homely wisdom
that is one Of our heritages from
horse and buggy days. Its mean
ing is quite plain. A republic-a
government of the people-cannot
be a republic except through the
efforts of the people.
Now it is obvious that a govern
ment Of l30,000.000 people must be
handled in the periods between
elections by the peoples servants
their elected representatives. Dur
ing these periods, through error or
misguided actions of those repre-
sentatives, government may wan
der of the course. This is always
possible.
But so long as the voters of the
Nation are interested in the man
agement of the government, so
long as they are jealously deter
mined to keep the government
their own, they can always bring
it back on the course. They do this
by exercising their rights on elec-
tion day.
Women Must Take
Up Task as Well as Men.
We have been living for $50 years
under our Constitution. We have
maintained our Republic. And we
have achieved a high measure of
prosperity and happiness. But we
have not done this merely because
our ancestors drew up a great doc
ument. We have done it because
we were determined to keep a re-
public.
And our determination to keep a
republic will be the measure Of
our success in the future.
In this task our women must
play their part as we'll as our men.
More than our men, indeed, for
always, over all the world, it has
been the women rather than the
men who have been the mainstays
of the home.
Men in pursuit of varied interests
sometimes get away from the fun
damentals. This is natural. But
the women, through their devotion
to the ideals OF the family, never
lose sight Of these fundamentals.
This is just as true, in my observa-
ton, of those women who today
areVtaking positions of leadership
in our business and public life.
But men and women alike must
never forget that our Constitution
is the charter of our liberties. 1t
is the charter that keeps our homes.
Glance Overseas Shows Result
OF All-P0werful Governments.
We have only to look across the
ocean to see what can happen
when the people have no such pro-
lection against the power Of gov
ernment. To these people home is
no longer a place to which they
can retire in security-a place in
which they can think and speak as
they please; in which they can
worship as they please: in which
they can bring up their children
as they please. In these countries
homes are no longer protected by
the law against invasion by the
agents Of an all-powerful govern
ment.
We must never forget that the
loss Of liberty in these countries
followed depressions; that the
trends in government which pre-
ceded this loss Of liberty were SINH
lar in many respects in govern
ment which we see in America
today.
Outstanding among these trends
was the disregard of the old
fashioned principle of making both
ends meet, a principle which we
follow in our homes, and which
our women know even better than
our men.