Evening star., 1948-09-21
by the Assoeiefsd Press

, 4IDS is StTalBQL-IrOm-Cn -Cne-SnOul-
der country, and it has produced
great breed OF fighting men. I am
going to call upon your fighting
qualities. For you and have a fight
on our hands, fight for the future
of this country and for the welfare
of the people OF the United States.
The other day, a cartoonist for .
Republican newspaper drew q car
toon OF me that I enjoyed. He
showed me dressed up as Paul Re-
we're, riding through a Colonial town
yelling to the townspeople: Look
out. The Republicans are coming" !"
Not Quite Accurate.
THAT was good cartoon. There's
lot of truth in 1t. But it's not quite
accurate. What am really telling
you is not that the Republicans are
coming, but that they are here.
They have been In Washington for
the last two years, in the form Of the
notorious Republican Eightieth Con-
gress.
Today I want 10 talk TO you about
what that Republican Congress has
been doing to you, to your families,
and to your country.
Understand me, when I speak Of
what the Republicans have been do
ing, I'm not talking about the aver
age Republican voter. Nobody knows
better than 1 that man for man, in
dividually, most Republicans are fine
people. But there's big distinction
between the individual Republican
voter and the policies Of the Repub-
licans as a party.
Something happens to Republican
leaders when they get control of the
Government or even Of part OF
the Government - something that
shocks and dismays many of their
own loyal supporters.
Deaf to Voice of People.
Republicans in Washington have
habit OF becoming curiously deaf
to the voice of the people. They
have a hard time hearing what the
jordinary people of the country are
saying. But they have no trouble at
all hearing what Wall Street Is
saying. They are able to catch the
slightest whisper from big business.
When I talk to you here today
about Republicans, I am talking
about the party that gets most of
its campaign funds from Wall Street.
l am talking about the party that
gave US the phony boom of the 192Os
and the Hoover depression that fol-
lowed 1 am talking to you about
the party that gave us the Repub-
lican Eigthtieth Congress.
The Republican Party today is
controlled by silent and cunning
men who have a dangerous lust for
power and privilege. These men are
now reaching out for control of the
country and its resources.
1t is your votes which will decide |
whether or not they have their way.
That is why have come here today.
1 want you to know the facts.
1 repeat: The most reactionary
elements in the country today are
backing the Republican Party in its il
effort to take over your Government
on election day. /
Choice of Way of Life.
II they succeed, I predict that they
will try Ito turn back the clock toi
the day when the West was an
economic colony of Wall Street.
On election day this year, your
choice will not be merely between
p0liticol no rtioc vo., mill Lo ot,ooe
ing way of life for the years ahead.
This is fateful election. On it will
depend your standard of living and
the economic independence of your
community.
You can choose to be governed
by Republican puppets of big busl-
ness-the same breed that gave you |
the worst depression in our history.
Or you can choose to be governed |
by Democratic servants of the peo-
Pile, who are pledged to work for
the increasing welfare of the people.
Some of you may feel that I am
attacking the leaders of the Re-
publican Party pretty sharply. I
am. I have good reasons for it
reasons like the obstacles placed in
the way of conservation of our nat
ural resources; reasons like the
housing conditions in this country;
reasons like the high cost of living;
reasons that are close to your
hearts, and to mine.
You people out here have been
thinking about these problems. You
have a right to know what your
Government Is going to do about
them.
Let's 60 into them. Let's see where
the Republicans stand on these vital
issues, and where the Democratic
Party stands.
We all know that the housing sit
uation in this country is national
disgrace. 1t is almost unbelievable
that we should have made so little
progress in providing decent hous-
ing conditions for millions of Amer
ican families.
From the first day of the Repub-
lican Eightieth Congress, there was
housing bill before 1t which would
meet the problem. That bill was a
full-scale program to provide hous-
ing for all our people and not just
for those who can pay high prices.
But the Republicans refused to act.
The situation became worse and
more desperate. Veterans groups,
labor groups, mayors of cities, gov
ernors of States, pleaded with the
Republicans to pass the housing
bill. They still did nothing
The Republican stand on housing
was clearly exposed last July. when
I called the Congress into special
session and demanded again that
they enact housing legislation. The
bill was ready. 1t had been studied
and discussed thousand times. It
was supposed to be nonpartisan.
But what happened? There was
a certain real estate LOBBY which
had its high-priced agents operat-
ing in Washington. These men,
representing big real estate inter-
ests. were in close touch with Re-
publican leaders. The Republican,
leadership in the House OF Repre-