The Washington times., 1936-01-09

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rate as q whole, was compelled
to combat epithets, generalities,
Misrepresentation and the sup
preston Of facts by the process
Of asking his supporters, and
indeed all citizens, to conSti-
tute themselves into informal
committees for the purpose Of
obtaining the facts and Of
spreading them abroad among
their friends, their associates
and their fellow-workers.
I am aware that some wise
cracking columnist will prob
ably say that good old Jackson
no doubt realized that every
red-blooded American citizen
considered himself q committee
Of one anyway. Nevertheless,
Jackson got his ideas and his
ideals across, not through any
luxurious propaganda, but be-
cause the man on the street
and the man on the farm be-
heved in his ideas, his ideals
and his honesty, went out and
dug up the facts and spread
them abroad throughout the
land.
History repeats am becom-
ing dimly conscious Of the fact
that this year we are to have
Q national election. Sometimes
at the close Of o day say TO
myself that the last national
election must have been held a
dozen years ago so much
water has run under the bridge,
so many great events in our
history have occurred since
then. And yet 81 months, less
than three years, have gone by
since March, 1888.
Rebirth of Interest
History repeats-in these
crowded months, as in the days
Of Jackson, two great achieve
mentS stand forth-the rebirth
of the interest and understand
ing Of a great citizenry in the
problems Of the nation and an
established government which
by positive action has proved
its devotion to the recovery and
well.being Of that citizenry.
Whatever may be the plat
form, whoever may be the nom
inee Of the Democratic party
and I am told that q con.
vention is to be held to decide
these momentouS questions
the basic issue will be the re-
tention of popular government
an issue fraught once more
with the difficult problem Of
disseminating facts and yet
more facts, in the face Of an
opposition bent on hiding and
diStorting facts.
That is why organization, not
party organization alone-im-
portant as that iS-but an or
ganization among all those, re-
gardleSS Of party, who believe
in retaining progress and ideals.
Is so essential.
Organization Vital
That is why. in addition to
organization, I make this Spe-
cific recommendation-that each
and every one Of you who are
interested in obtaining the facts
and in spreading those facts
abroad. each and every one Of
you interested in getting at the
truth that lies somewhere be-
hind the S smoke screen Of
charges and counter-charges Of
q national campaign, constitute
yourself committee Of one. To
do this you need no parchment
certificate, to do this you need
no title. To do this you need
only your own conviction, your
own intelligence and your own
belief in the highest duty Of the
American citizen.
To act as such q committee
of one you will need only your
own appointment, an appoint
ment which carries with it
some effort, some obligation on
your part to carry out the task
you have assigned to yourself.
You will have to run down state
ments made to you by others
which you may believe to be
false. You will need to analyze
the motives Of those who make
assertions to you, to make an
inventory in your own commu.
nifty, in order that you may
check and recheck for yourself
and thereby be in q position to
answer those who have been mis-
led or those who would mislead.
Flood of Letters
After my annual message to
the Congress last Friday eve
ming. received MANY aOpreci4-