Evening star., 1950-02-17
Text of Presidents Speech at Democratic Dinner

S CAL vi ICSI
The tert OF President Tru-
mans address to the Democrats
S100-a- plate Jeferson-JackSon
Day dinner last night:
Fellow Democrats: -
This is a most remarkable dinner
: This dinner and others like i
! throughout the land are evidenc.
5 of the growing strength of tn,
Democratic Party. They show tina
/. our party is determined, more thar
ever before, to carry its message
, to the voters of this country
1t is very significant that such
great interest and enthusiasm are
being shown in congressional
election year. We know that con.
gressional elections are as import
ant as presidential elections We
found out in 1916 how much harm
Ican be done to cur country when a
congressional election goes wrong
We are not going to let that happen
again. We don't want another do
nothing 80th Congress.
These dinners carry forward a
great tradition. The original JEFF
ferSon-Jackson dinner was held in
this city in 1880, 120 years ago. 1t
was given in memory of Thomas
Jefferson, and its guest of honor
was President Jackson. At the first
Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, President
Jackson gave his famous toast
Our Federal Union, it must be
preserved"
Tonight, we meet again to think
of our Federal Union, to be thank
full that it has been preserved, and
that it has grown in strength and
in service to the people. AS in
Jackson's time, we meet to discuss
some of the problems that our
country faces.
We have some very serious prob
lens today. We are living in a
troubled period of the worlds his
tory. Our responsibilities, as a ma
ton, have never been so great, and
the decisions we face have never
been more difficult. We confront
serious questions of foreign policy
We have the problem of maintain
ing an adequate national defense
We have the task of maintaining
prosperity and protecting our econ
omy from depression. We have the
question of handling the Nations
finances and the national debt.
Called Grave Issues.
These are grave issues. And the
Democratic Party is meeting them
squarely. We do not believe in
trifling with the people about these
issues. We do not offer to solve
them with vague generalities OF
worn-out slogans. We know that
the solution of these problems re-
quires all the wisdom and energ;
we possess as a nation. We know
that their solution requires heavy
expenditures. The Democratic Party
does not propose to deceive the
/ people, either about the problems
we face or the cost of solving them
The Democratic Party has conf.
fdence that the United States will
meet these great responsibilities. II
knows that the United States is 8
dynamic, growing nation. We be.
lieve that this country will make
as much progress in the next 81
years as it has made in the last
so years.
But we cannot meet the response.
bilities of today or the challenge
of the future by following the out.
moded concepts of SO years ago
The promise of the Goth century
cannot be fulfilled by those whit
would like to return to the days o.
Mckinley.
We must go forward with oul
programs for peace through defense
and foreign aid. We must proceed
with our domestic programs fol
health, education, social security
and economic stability. Both GU
foreign programs and our domesti,
programs are necessary to answer
the demands which this critica
period of history makes upon us
We cannot have prosperity at hom.
unless we play our full part in tn.
defense and the revival of othel
free nations. We cannot have peace
abroad unless we increase tn,
strength, the freedom, and the well.
being of our people at home.
There are some who would like *
see us turn our backs upon the res
: of the world and drop our effort.
to strengthen our domestic economy
At the present time, they ar.
: spreading the mistaken idea thai
we can save money by going back.
, ward. They advocate slashing oul
expenditures for peace and for oul
domestic programs. These people
+ are blind to the problems tina
; confront US. They can see that {
!, tax cut would help their own pock.
etbooks temporarily. They fail t.
see that, in the long run, falls,
: economy would endanger, not onl,
their pocketbooks, but their live
and the continuation of civilization
/ itself.
1t is true that our present ex.
penditures are large. But the Dem
ocratic Administration is workin,
g, toward a balance in the Fedora
budget. I wish We could balance tn,
budget Immediately by the simpl'
expedient of cutting expenses. Blu
that is out of the question. Nor
4 than 10 per cent of our Fedora
). budget goes to pay for past war
S and to work for peace in the future
a Any one who says that these ex
penditures are less than one thir,
q of the budget-and less in proper
, ton to the national income thai
!, they were 10 years ago.
: To Cut Expenditures.
would like to cut expenditure
further, and I intend to do so a
every opportunity. But I do not pro
g pose to weaken the strength an
v security of this country. / DO no
,,ro,,oee To ,,la "a the y,neca If IN