Evening star., 1948-09-19
Text of President Trumuns Address at Dexter, Iowa
Ay tho Asseeiated Prass

I am glad to be here.
1t does my heart good to see ths
grain fields of the Nation again
They are a wonderful sight. Tit
record breaking harvests you have
been getting In recent years have
been a blessing. Millions of people
have been saved from starvation BY
the food you have produced' Th'
whole world has reason to be ever.
lastingly grateful to the farmers ol
the United States.
In very real sense, the abundant
harvests of this country are helping
to save the world from communism
Communism thrives on human mis-.
cry. And the crops you are pro-
ducing are driving back the tide o1
misery in many lands. Your farm!
are vital element in Americas for.
eign policy.
And while I am on that subject
I know that the war talk which Il
prevalent today is causing all of you
deep concern. 1t is plain enough
that We are facing very disturbing
international situation. I should like
every American to realize that this
country is making every possible ef-
fort to preserve the peace.
Points to Motto.
In this critical situation, my motto
has been Keep your temper and
stand firm" We have kept our tenn
pers. We have stood firm. And we
have been reasonable and straight
forward at all times.
It is the policy of this Government
to continue working for peace with
every instrument at our command
At the same time, we have been
rapidly building up our strength
The peace of the world and the
prestige of the United States require
that the Nation be strong and vigi-
liant.
But that is not the main point
wish to cover today. In addition to
the issue of peace, there is another
important reason why this is criti-
cal period for America. I am talking
about our economic future-you1
economic future.
Will this Nation succeed in keep
ing its prosperity? Will 1t preserve
it's high standards OF living next
year, and the year after, and The
year after that?
Urges Cooperation.
IF oy,1,, nfoo NAV m ryof q {.
sured prosperity. That Is by CO.
operation among agriculture, labor
and business, large and small.
When these groups work together
in a common cause, this country
can achieve miracles. We saw that
during the war. We saw 1t before
the war. BY common effort, in the
last Is years, every group In the
Nation steadily increased its in
come. Our people rose from despair
to the highest living standards In
our history.
So long as the farmer, the worker
and the businessman pull together
in the national interest, this coun.
try has everything to hope for.
But it is terribly dangerous tt
let any one group get too much
power in the Government. We can
not afford to let one group shape
the Nations policies in its own in.
terest, at the expense of the others
Recalls Republican Rule.
That is what happened in the
1920's, under the big business rule
of the Republicans. Those were
the days when big corporations hao
things their own way. The policies
that Wall Street big business
wanted were the policies that the
Republicans adopted. Agriculture
labor, and small business played
second fiddle, while big business
called the tune.
Those we're the days of Repubii-
can high tariffs-tariffs that penal
lied the American farmer by max
ing him pay high prices for manu-
factured goods, while he was
receiving low prices for his crops
You remember the results of
that Wall Street Republican policy
You remember the big boom and
the great crash of 1929. You re-
member that in 1882 the position
of the farmer had become SO des-
perate that there was actual vio-
lence in many farming communities
You remember that insurance COM
panies and banks took over much
of the land of small independent
farmers.
Calls 1t Painful Lesson.
That was a painful lesson. II
should not be forgotten for a mo.
ment.
Since then, the farmer has come
a long way. The agricultural pro.
gram of the Democratic administra-
ton in 16 years has enabled farmers
to attain decent standards of living
Interest rates on farm credit have
been sharply brought down.. Farm
mortgage Indebtedness has beer
reduced by more than so per cent
Farm mortgage foreclosures have
almost disappeared.
All this was done under and by
Democratic administrations.
Today the world needs more fooo
than ever before. There is every
reason for the American farmer tt
expect a long period of good prices
if he continues to get fair deal
His great danger is that he may be
voted out of fair deal, and into g
Republican deal.
The Wall Street reactionaries are
not satisfied with being rich. They
want to increase their power ano
their privileges, regardless of what
happens to the other fellow. They
are gluttons of privilege.
These gluttons of privilege are nov
putting up fabulous sums of money
to elect Republican administration
Why do you think they are doing
1t? For love of the Republican can
didates? Or do you think it is be.
cause they expect -epublican ad'
ministration to carry out their will
as 1t did in the days of hat
Coolidge and Hoover?
Know Answer, He Says.
think we know the, answer.
think we know that Wall Street ex
poets its money this year to elect
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