Evening star., 1940-10-23

of humility. These are days
when much is at stake in every
choice we make. We must not
alone think clearly. We must
find the strength to abide by
difficult decisions.
For that strength We must
look to each other. I say it to
you from the bottom of my heart;
stand with me now and in what
ever is to come.
1 know that there is in your
minds, as there is in mine, grave
concern for events beyond our
shores. Over there, except on
one small, heroic island, democ-
racy has fallen. The fact is
almost unbelievable. People who
lived lives not unlike ours, who
had aspirations similar to our
own. who loved peace just as
much as we do, who believed in
justice and freedom: people of
that sort are now slaves to bloody
dictators who have gone back to
the dark ages for their basic
philosophy of government.
Pledges to Keep Foreign Affairs
From Partisan Politics.
In this fateful hour I stand
before you as candidate for
President of the United States.
With regard to those events
beyond our shores I will make
you solemn promise. I prom
Use that that responsibility of
government known as foreign
affairs will be protected by me
from partisan politics.
To fill the post of Secretary Of
State I shall choose the ablest
man in the United States on
foreign affairs. I shall choose
him for his knowledge, his abil-
ity and his integrity-and not
for any other considerations
whatever
That man will make use of
the ablest career men in the
diplomatic service - men who
have devoted their lives to the
study and practice of diplomacy.
And we shall send out to rep
resent us in the capitals of the
world ambassadors chosen for
their diplomatic qualifications.
It's safer to keep the playboys
right here in America.
I pledge you that our party
will not pay off its financial obli-
cations with the safety of the
American people by appointing
springtime ambassadors. I have
never owed any man that much.
And I never shall.
Tonight we are gathering to-
gether on historic ground. A
short distance away, in the old
wigWam, on May 18, 1860, Abra-
ham Lincoln was nominated in
free and open convention.
And then, in 1882, right here
in this hall, there was adopted
by the Democratic party the
platform of that year-one of
Americas great liberal docu-
-mepts.
I, for one, believe that Demo
cratic platform of 1882. I still
believe in the principles that it
laid down.
I also believed at that time
the Statement of the Democratic
candidate of 1882. In his accept
ance speech he said: That ad-
mirable document. the platform,
which you have adopted. is clear.
I accept it 100 per cent"
Good Faith Is Necessary
To Keep Democracy Alive.
Now. my fellow Americans,
there is a secret hidden in de-
mocracy. Those who hate de-
.nocracy do not know that secret.
Those who love democracy must
find it and must guard it with
their lives.
That secret is good faith. De-
mocracy lives in the faith that
people keep with one another. 1t
lies in the faith that their lead
ers keep with them and the faith
that their Government keeps
with them. Without good faith
a liberal document is worthless.
Without good faith no laW-no,
not even the Constitution-can
stand.
I want to examine tonight the
good faith of those who have
been responsible to US, as our
Government, for the past seven
and half years. I want to ex-
anime that record standing here
where the promises were made
And I want to examine it in the
light of the world situation-the
threat against democracy-that
I have already mentioned.
The Democratic platform of
1882 declared:
I'VE favor the maintenance of
the national credit by a Federal
budget annually balanced. >"
Then it went on to say:
I'VE advocate an immediate
and drastic reduction of govern
mental expenditures by abolish
ing useless commissions and Off
ces."
That was the promise. The
candidate accepted it. He
pledged to reduce the cost of the
Federal Government by Is per
cent. Since that day he has re-
iterated II times a promise to
balance the budget.
But not once-not once-in
eight years has the Federal
budget even approached bal
ance. So far from abolishing
useless commissions and Offices,
the New Deal has multiplied
them as never before in our his
tory. 1t has increased the num-
ber of employees on the Govern
ment pay roll from 100000 to
more than a million.
The Democratic platform of
1882 said:
I'VE advocate a sound cur
rency to be preserved at all
hazards I" ."
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