Evening star., 1944-07-20
Text of Kens Keynote Speech to Democratic Convention
Governor As Republicans for Allowing Old Guard Regain Control Por
Declares Democrats Cool Is ind

from the wars to take their place
as the most respected and bes,
loved among us, can we vote t<
return to power the political part,
whose national leaders were so In
different to the welfare of the vet
Grams Of World War II You saw
those veterans compelled to sell
apples and pencils on the streets Of
our cities because no Jobs were avail
able anywhere in the land.
You saw them 90 to Washington
to petition their Government, fol
which they had fought at Chateau
Thiery. at Belleau Wood, in the
Meuse Argonne and on . dozen other
battlefields. You saw that same
Republican administration turn q
deaf ear to their petitions and order
Its military forces to drive those
veterans from the streets Of the
Capital OF the Nation they and theil
comrades had saved.
You saw the military armament
guns, rifles and tanks
OF the Government for which they
had offered their lives turned or
them by the unwilling hands OF
their own comrades because of the
stupid and brutal orders of a Re-
publican President-you saw some
OF them killed-you saw their pitt
full personal belongings, evidences
OF their poverty, taken from them
and burned.
Benefits for Service.
II you oppose this kind of bitter
ingratitude, and l know you do
can you oppose the Democratic ad-
ministration, which. has already
recommended and helped to bring
about legislation providing lasting
and constructive benefits to the re-
turning service men and women OF
this war? Can you fail to support
this Democratic administration that
has declared so unequivocally its
purpose of providing the opportu-
nifty for profitable peacetime en-
ployment to our returning service
men and women?
The American fighting man aims
to win this war and then come
home to Nom and Dad and to Mary
and the kids, and he wants a job
the opportunity for honorable ane
profitable employment. Where 1!
the American who would give hin
less? The Republican administra.
tion gave him much less after thu
other war, at the very time Andrew
Mellon, without even an act OF
Congress, was returning billions Of
dollars from the Federal Treasury
to great corporations already wal
wealthy.
Vague Promises.
The Republicans made some vague
promises to our fighting men here
in this hall last month about wha,
they will dc for them after the war
That's pretty good from a bunch
that wouldn't even give them the
to vote during the war
I've seen the Constitution used for
a lot of fine purposes, but that is
the first time l ever saw it misused
as cudgel to drive millions of
fighting Americans away from their
own ballot boxes.
Many Republican leaders. sound
ing the real keynote and purpose of
the Republican party in this fateful
year, say: There has not been a
single constructive accomplishment
brought about by the Roosevelt ad.
ministration." Reactionary Repub-
licans have resisted every progress
sive measure of this administrat tion
and bitterly oppose them now. They
remind me Of the cantankerous old
grumbler who on his 92d birthda,
was asked: Uncle, you have lived
to the ripe old age of 92-you must
have seen a lot of changes in your
time, haven't you?" Replied the
uncle: Yes, and I'm agin' every one
of them
l read a graphic If not elegant
poem the other day describing the
Republican opposition. 1t read al
follows:
Twelve Long Years."
The Republicans for II long wear,
Have shed their coats and skin,
and tears
To tell their comrades how they fee
Regarding Roosevelt's New Deal.
For IL long years they've pied 70,
votes.
But never mention Scent oats.
They say, This New Deal stuff |.
rotten,
But never speak OF Accent cotton.
For IL long years they've wep,
aloud,
And cussed this money-spendine
crowd:
They say, OF liberty We are shorn,
But not breath OF l2-cent corn.
For IL long years they've been al
sea,
And now they come to you and mt
And offer us as bait for votes,
More 3-cent steers and 9-cent oats
For II long years they fume anc
fret,
Hammer and slander the New Dea
set;
They say to all: What a cheat
But forget to talk of two-bit wheat
"They offer as in days of old
A crown of thorns, a cross of gold,
More gilded promises, you cam
beat 'em!
Well, one thing certain is, you CAM
eat 'em!'
My friends, the Democratic party
has proved its worthiness of the
peoples continued confidence.
Results of leadership.
Time and again we have seen thu
results of our Presidents leadership
Time and again our opponents have
sought to fill the minds of the people
with doubt and confusion, and tint
and again successes have dispellec
the doubts, confounded the con.
fusers and confused the dcubters.
The people have not been-they
will not be misled! They are doing
a magnificent job. Men and WON.
en-, boys and girls Of all politica
parties, of every race and color ane
religious faith are proving them