Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-10-20
Text Of Aft IA. Landon's Speech
By the Associated Press.

TOPEKA, Kans, Octobe: 20.-Fol-
lowing is the text Of an address last
night by All M. Landon, 1896 Repub-
lican presidential nominee:
I have called meeting Of the IT,
900 900 men and women who voted
for the Republican ticket last Fall. I
have taken it upon myself to call this
meeting because l held the honor OF
being the standard bearer Of the cause
for which your votes were cast.
I wish to suggest ways and means
by which we, the minority party, can
b. of outstanding service to our coun-
tr.-. This demands unity in our party,
the laying aside OF all petty differences
an all personal feeling. OF course, In
every great party there are those who
differ on details. plans and procedure,
but these fade to insignif1cance under
the shadow of the growing threat to
our Republic. This major issue is so
great that 1t dwafs all minor differ
ences and transcends party labels.
The challenge to our country today is
that citizens lay aside all personal.
factional and party prejudices and
join in the fight to preserve the
Republic.
Through the modern miracle Of
in one great gathering, even though
we be spread from one end of the Ma
ton to the other. And so l am using
this vehicle to discuss informally with
you two events OF great importance.
But first, let me digress for a mo-
ment to review some of the circum-
stances leading up to these events
which so vitality affect the lives of all
of us.
Makes Answer 10 Letters
Inquiring Into Long Silence.
During the past months T have re-
ceived hundreds and thousands of
letters, earnestly inquiring why have
remained silent so long I would like
to take moment to tell you why.
First. l believe that under normal
conditions, when man has been
elected to public office. good taste and
good government demand that we give
him free rein to establish those poll
cies which he promised the voters in
order to secure their votes. Frankly,
l had hoped that after the election we
might consolidate the gains this coun-
try had made in q new vision of civic
righteousness. Last December, after
oil 11nd tho prociIont in
Washington and told him that
wished to do my part to create a spirit
of harmony and solidarity among us
as people.
Then suddenly last February. with
out warning, the President made an
attempt to control the decisions of
the Supreme Court of the United
States. just at the time when We
were trying to heal the scars of class
consciousness, just at the time when
We hoped a world torn by war and
threats of war would feel that we
were a country at peace at home. he
instituted bitter controversy that
shook this Nation to its foundations
But once more I remained silent.
felt it my patriotic duty to do nothing
which would give any one an oppor-
tunity to make partisan issue out
Of this great crisis.
But now the time has come to act.
Why Docs Progress Lag
Is Today's Important Question.
In a recent speech Mr.. Roosevelt
stated that progress lags in this coun-
try. He said that the lawyers Of our
country and the Constitution have
kept us 20 years behind the times.
Now, I agree with Mr.. Roosevelt that
progress Lays. think all of you agree
that progress lags. That makes it
unanimous. So one of the outstand-
ing questions in America today Is
why does progress lag?"
The President has said that we
must accept one Of two alternatives.
We must take his personal form OF
government-we must give him more
and more power. We must eoerce
Congress. We must submerge the
Supreme Court. We must strike down
any one who raises a voice of objec-
ton to the way he does things. We
must do all of these things or else 60
back to the old order Of things-back
to manipulation by "malefactOrs of
great wealth." back to sweat shops,
back to starvation wages. OF course,
if people believe that we must either
have a one-man Government or So
cial and economic chaos. there is no
question as TO what their choice Is
going to be- The manner in which
Mr.. Roosevelt puts the question re-
minds me of the lawyer who said to
witness, Have you stopped beating
your wife? Answer yes or no."
The real question facing this coun-