Evening star., 1938-08-12
Text Of Presidents Georgia Speech


other detail and. at the same time. he
utterly fails to offer substitute that
is practical or worth while.
The task of meeting the economic
and social needs of the South, on
the broad front that is absolutely
necessary, calls for public servants
whose hearts are sound, whose heads
are sane-whose hands are strong,
striving everlastingly to better the
lot of their fellow men.
This, then, is the synopsis clear
listing of the economic and social
problems of the Southland. It suggests
the many steps that must be taken
to solve the problems.
Some of these steps, it is true, can
be taken by State governments, but
you will readily realize that action
by the States alone. even if such
action could be simultaneously and
Immediately obtained. would be wholly
inadequate. The reason is that most
of these problems involve inter-
state relationship not only between
the States of this region, but between
each and all of these States and the
rest of the Nation.
State Sovereignty Lives
With Federal Government Action.
1t is not an attack on State
sovereignty to point out that this
national aspect of all these problems
requires action by the Federal Gov
ernment. I do not hesitate to say
from a long experience that during the
last five years there has been closer
and more effective peacetime CO.
operation between the Governors OF
the 48 States and the President of the
United States than at any other time
in our whole national history.
You are familiar enough with the
processes of government to know that
the Chief Executive cannot take action
on national or regional problems unless
they have been first translated into
acts of Congress passed by the Senate
and the House of Representatives.
OuCIl dCClOll Wy VIC SOAA6A ASe~oS AS ~'
equally clear, must be vigorously sup
ported by the Senators and Repre-
sentatives whose constituents are
directly concerned with Southern eco
nomics and Southern social needs.
Senators and Representatives who are
not wholeheartedly in sympathy with
these needs cannot be expected to give
them vigorous support.
Translating that into more intimate
terms, it means that If the people OF
the State of Georgia want definite &C
ton in the Congress Of the United
States, they must send to that Congress
Senators and Representatives who are
willing to stand up and flght-fight
night and day for Federal statutes
drawn to meet actual needs-not
something which serves merely to
gloss over the evils for the time being,
but laws with teeth in them which 60
to the root of the problems; which re-
move the inequities, raise the stand
ards and over a period Of years give
constant improvement to the condi-
tions of human life in the State.
Tells Right to Tell
How He Would Vote in Georgia.
You, the people of Georgia, in the
coming senatorial primary, for ex-
ample, have a perfect right to choose
any candidate you wish. 1 do not seek
to impair that right-but because
Georgia has been good enough to call
me her adopted son and because for
Georgia as my "other State" I feel
no hesitation in telling you what l
would do if l could vote here next
month. I am strengthened in that
decision to give you my personal
opinion of the coming senatorial pri-
mary by the fact that during the past
few weeks have had many requests
from distinguished citizens of Georgia
from people high and loW-from the
chief justice of the highest court of
Georgia and from many, many others.
Let me preface my statement by say
ing that have personally known three
of the candidates for the United States
Senate for many years. All of them
have had legislative or executive ex-
perience as Government servants. We
may justly. also, seek to determine for
ourselves what is their inward point
of view in relationship to present and
future problems of government
1t has been pointed out by writers
and speakers who do not analyze
public questions very deeply that in
passing through the State of Ken
lucky a month ago I gave as reason
for the reelection of Senator Barkley
that he had had very long and sue