Evening star., 1952-07-24
Before Convention
Only as American

Neither am I here tonight as
the Vice President of the United
States. though I have the honor
to hold that distinguished Office.
I am not here as delegate
from the State Of Kentucky.
though I am delegate from the
State of Kentucky. I am here
tonight as an American, talking
to a great body of Americans
who represent a greater body
of Americans interested in what
we want to do in this great
convention.
And I should like to say to
my friends Of the press and radio
that I regret that I have no
manuscript and have therefore
been unable to give them an
advance on what I shall say.
What I shall say. therefore,
shall be spoken from the heart
and not from a piece Of paper.
I have not had time since I
received this invitation to write
a speech and I know from my
own experience sometimes I
make better one when I have
never written it out.
My friends, we who today
represent the Democratic Party
in this convention are charged
with a profound obligation.
Millions of men and women are
at this very hour watching the
proceedings Of this assembly.
-Four years ago, there were
approximately l million tele-
vision sets in the United States
with an average of about four
people looking on in a million
homes in the land. Today, there
are II million television sets in
the United States with five or
six looking on, so that tonight
and during this entire conven-
ton, IS or 80 million people
will be listening and looking at
our deliberations here in this
great convention and the tele-
vision and radio will have a more
profound effect upon the verdict
which the American people will
render next November than at
any other time in the history of
this Nation.
-Four years ago, when I had
the honor to be the temporary
chairman Of the Democratic
convention in Philadelphia and
to deliver the keynote address.
I said to those assembled there
that if we could get our mes
sage to the American people
by every means at our disposal,
If we could give them the truth
Of our record and of our pro-
gram, they would respond in
1948 as they had responded for
16 years since 1892. We were
able to get our message to the
people. We were able to bring
to them the truth of our type
Of democracy, of our type Of
government. and they responded
in 1948 as they had done since
1882. And I will make the same
prediction here tonight-that If
we can get our cause and the
truth before the American peo-
pie in 1852, they will again
respond as they did in l94S.
Because they know and you
know and I know that truth
will make the people free. They
can be enslaved only by false
hood. And it is our duty as
Democrats and as Americans
charged with the responsibility
Of government. charged with re-
sponsibility Of bringing govern
ment to the people-it is our
duty and our responsibility by
every means by which we may
bring that truth to them, to
bring 1t to them in all sincerity
so that they may know from
us and not from our enemies
alone the record Of the Demo-
cratic Party under the Roose-
velt and Harry Truman ad-
ministrations for the last 20
years.
My friends. democracy is not
a mere political formula. De-
mocracy and the yearning for
democracy among the people.
not only Of America but of the
world, is not bound by state
borders or by national borders
or international boundaries.
Democracy and freedom as we
understand them and want to
enjoy them are not circun1-
scribed by religious denomina.
tions: they are not circum-