The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-08-26
PWA Administrator Be- comes Standard Bearer
 of The American Way


 I have been summoned by your distinguished committee to appear before this convention, and in your presence tell you that I &C., cept your nomination as our party,s candidate for the office of Governor of our State.
 I was born and reared in this State, educated in it's primary and secondary schools, and have long carried on my daily work in its cities and in it's towns.
 The personal honor which you have bestowed upon me far tram scends my ability to convey in speech, my gratitude. And yet, to be called by that great party which today most truly represents and mirrors the Connecticut ideal of freedom, to accept it's nomina- ton for the office which will de- rect the policies of its govern ment, is to me no cause for per- sonal pride. Rather is my heart filled with humility. Only from the tolls and struggles of men and women who sought and created our structure of self-government and our standards of personal freedom shall I be able to draw the inspiration I shall need. pledge my strength and ability to their preservation and to their translation from abstract con- cepts into the daily life of men and women.
 Facing Challenge
 Today we face a crisis, and 8 challenge to our way of life. If we are to survive, we can not and dare not permit ourselves to re- main static, or to view the prob- lens confronting us with any de- gree of complacency. The world has moved forward and obliga- tions of men towards government must keep apace with the realities of the present, or the structure which we have erected will col lapse.
 No plan for the conduct of man in society can be imposed without the consent and cooperation of the overwhelming majority of the people. Certain basic truths and beliefs must be adhered to. But the nature of the control to be exercised must depend on the. problems confronting the people and the degree to which they in- sist that solutions be four for these problems.
 Today we must contend with tfle results of an economic up- hDaval which historians have truly termed the Industrial Rev. olution. Unrestranied competition had led to monopoly, to the de- vslopment for private gain of what appeared to be unlimited natural resources, to the forma- ton of giant combinations of capital with no object but per- sonal profit, to unconscionable treatment of labor, and to eras of unbridled speculation followed by panic and depression.
 International Problems
 International problems were brought nearer to us by the search for and protection of foreign mar kets, and as the econoimc ma chine grew larger and larger, tar- iff walls grew higher and higher, until with crescendo that seemed to come from the machine itself, all of the evils which had been imposed or were inherent in the system came to the surface. The very fabric of society seemed to quiver and threatened to tear itself to pieces, and in this coun- try commerce came to a dead stop on March 4, 1883. The excesses of an industrial era which in a century had transformed an ag- ricultural society into the greatest industrial nation in the world, had brought suffering and disas- ter to countless millions of people, and retribution to those who in their grasping for personal gain were indifferent to the public welfare.
 In other nations, this same cy- cle led to revolution and dicta- torship. Here the problem was to rehabilitate the system of private enterprise eliminate abuses which were cancerous in effect, and to restore dignity and purpose to the individual human being. To achieve these ends peacefully, CO., operatively and quickly, was the American way of dealing with the situation. The necessities required measures of governmental coop eration in accordance with the demands of the time, and broad programs were enacted designed to strengthen the banking struc- ture, to eliminate stock market speculations, and to create secur- ity for labor. All this was neces- sary in order to complement the functioning of private enterprise, and equally necessary was a farm policy frankly recognizing the po- sition of agriculture in an era of closed foreign markets.
 On every occasion when these programs have been placed before the people, the approval has been overwhelming. To such an extent is this true, that opponents no longer dare to contest an election on these issues, but find fault in language couched in generalties and banalities.
 Injustices
 Blind indeed is he who will not see that the economic growth of the country brought with it evils and injustices of such magnitude that. were they not corrected, the entire structure of private en- terprise would have collapsed. The true function of government has been fulfilled by the Roosevelt administration. To talk about Q crusade to restore the American way is to ignore the outstanding events of our recent history, wherein men of great patriotism