Evening star., 1937-03-05
Text Of Presidents Victory Dinner Address
DHE text of President Roose-
velt,s address before the
Victory Banquet" last night
follourc.

follows:
On this 4th of March, 1887, IN
millions of homes. the thoughts Of
American families are reverting to
the March 4 of another year. That
day in 1888 represented the death
Of one era and the birth OF another.
At that time we faced and met
4 grave national crisis. Now we
face another crisis-of d11erent
kind, but fundamentally even more
rraye than that of four years ago.
Tonight want to begin with you
4 discussion of that crisis. shall
continue that discussion on Tues
day night in Nationwide broad
cast and thereafter, from time to
time, as may be necessary. For l.
propose to follow my custom OF
speaking frankly to the Nation
concerning our common problems. q
speak at this victory dinner :
not only as the head of the Demo-
cratic party but as the representa- >
tive of all Americans who have
faith in political and economic
democracy. =.
Our victory was not sectional. 1t
did not come from compromises
and bargains. 1t was the voice
OF 27,0O0000 voters-from every
part of the land.
The Democratic party, once a
minority party, is today the ma
jority party by the greatest major
ity any party ever had.
Fate Depends on
Making Democracy Work.
1t will remain the majority party
30 long as it continues to justify
the faith of millions who had al
most lost faith-so long as 1t con-
tinues to make modern democracy
work-so long and no longer We
are celebrating the 1896 victory.
That was not final victory. 1t
was a victory whereby Our party
won further opportunity to lead in
the solution of the pressing prob
lens that perplex our generation.
Whether We shall celebrate in 1888.
1910 and in 1914, as We celebrate
tonight, will deservedly depend
upon whether the party continues
on its course and solves those
problems.
And if I have aught to say. it
will continue on its course and it
will solve those problems.
After election day in 1885 some
Of our supporters were uneasy lest
we grasp the excuse of false era
of good feeling to evade our obli-
cations They were worried by
the evil symptom that the propa-
ganda and the epithets of last
Summer and Fall had died down.
Today, however, those who placed
their confidence in us are reas-
sured. For the tumult and the
shouting have broken forth anew
and from substantially the same
elements of opposition. This new
roar Is the best evidence in the
world that we have begun to keep
our promises: that We have begun
to move against conditions under
which one-third of this Nation is
still ill-nourished, ill-clad, ILL
housed.
"Just Begun to Fight"
Was Not an Idle Phrase.
We gave warning last November
that we had only just begun to
fight. Did some people really be-
lieve we did not mean it? Well
I meant it, and you meant it.
A few days ago, distinguished
member of the Congress came to
see me to talk about national prob
lens in general and about the prob
lem Of the judiciary in particular.
I said to him:
John, I want to tell you some
thing that is very personal to me
something that you have right to
hear from my own lips. have
great ambition in life"
My friend pricked up his ears.
I went on: Il am by no means
satisfied with having twice been
elected President of the United
States by very large majorities. I
have an even greater ambition"
BY this time my friend was sit
ting on the edge of his chair.
I continued: John, my ambition
relates to January 20, 1941." I
could feel just what horrid
thoughts my friend was thinking.
So in order to relieve his anxiety,
I went on to say: my great am
bition on January 20, 1941. is to
turn over this desk and chair in
the White House to my successor.
whoever he may be, with the assur-
ance that am at the same time
turning over to him as President, a
Nation intact. a Nation at peace, a
Nation prosperous. a Nation clear
in its knowledge of what powers it
has to serve its own citizens, Ma
ton that Is in position to use
those powers to the full in order to
move forward steadily to meet the
modern needs of humanity-a Ma
ton which has thus proved that
the democratic form and methods
Of national Government can and
will succeed.
In these coming years I want to
provide such assurance. want to
get the Nation as far along the road
Of progress as I can. do not want
to leave it to my successor in the
condition in which Buchanan left
1t for Lincoln"
Ambition Recommended
To Each and Every American.
My friends, that ambition of mine
for my successor car well be the
serious ambition of every citizen
who wants his United States to be
handed down intact to his children
and grandchildren.
Ispoke in the dead earnestness Of
anxiety, I speak to you tonight in
the same earnestness. For no one
who sees as whole today's picture
Of this Nation and the world can
help but feel concern for the future.
To the President of the United
States there come every day thou
sands Of messages of appeal, of pro-