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7340732
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Excerpts from Remarks by the President at Statewide GOP Luncheon, Seattle Center, Seattle, Washington [Ford Speech or Statement]
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7340732
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document
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Excerpts from Remarks by the President at Statewide GOP Luncheon, Seattle Center, Seattle, Washington [Ford Speech or Statement]
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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7340732
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1975-09-04
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9
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1975
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Digitized from Box 15 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY (Approx.
SEPTEMBER 4, 1975
3:35 p.m. EDT, Thurs,. 9-4-75)
Office of the White House Press Secretary
(Seattle, Washington)
THE WHITE HOUSE
EXCERPTS FROM REMARKS
BY THE PRESIDENT AT THE
STATEWIDE GOP LUNCHEON
SEATTLE CENTER
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
I know that Washingtonians are some of the most independent-minded
people in America. And I think that is just great.
I also think the Republican Party has a lot to say to the independent-minded
voter--so let us reach out to these independents and bring them into the
Party which most closely reflects their views and their philosophy.
The independent voter, it seems to me, is concerned more with the
future of his country than with the fortunes of one political party or another.
He is concerned with economic progress, energy independence, national
defense, the pursuit of justice and the protection of society in America. He
wants a good education, good housing, good health care and good food for
his family--and at prices he can afford.
These are basic concerns that affect all our lives--regardless of our
political persuasion. These are the elements that help determine the
quality of our private lives, far more than determining the issues for
political debate.
Improving the quality of life in America is the great challenge we face as
we enter our third century of independence just ten months from today.
In our first hundred years, our most urgent goal was to establish firmly
and securely a system of government and an order of society that would
safeguard our liberties and allow progress to flourish in our land.
Our freedoms and our form of government were marvels for the world, and
the promise of America gave hope to millions of oppressed people all
around the globe.
America's second century of independence was devoted to increasing our
material wealth, making the most of the industrial revolution, expanding
westward. Our civilization advanced during this period at an incredible
pace, with a host of inventions and discoveries that made our lives more
pleasurable and our work more profitable.
America's past, like its present, is a mixture of successes and setbacks,
of good and bad. The future, in this sense, will be no different. And yet
the future must be different. We must reclaim our independence from
those hugh institutions of society which have come so close to snuffing
out the fire of personal initiative and individual achievement.
We must rededicate ourselves to those great principles of freedom and
equality which first gave life and purpose to this great nation, We must
demonstrate that, far from being in a state of decline, America and its
people are prepared for adventures and achievements far excelling any
we have seen in the past.
(MORE)
- 2 -
We must agree that a successful blend of personal initiative, private
enterprise and public service will come closer to solving our problems
and realizing our potential than will total reliance on the massive, muscle-
bound bureaucracy of government.
Too many Americans have relied too much, for too long on the government
in Washington to meet their demands, grant their wishes and solve their
problems. I think it is time we look elsewhere--more to Washington State,
for example, and less to Washington, D. C. We should look in the offices
and shops, the factories, the farms, the laboratories, the homes, the
schools and the churches of America.
There is where the real strength and promise and potential of America
reside. There is where to find the creative genius, the knack for problem-
solving, the pioneering spirit, and the Yankee ingenuity for which this
country is so well-known.
I am convinced that if we shoulder more of life's responsibilities ourselves,
and take a more personal stake in the life and success of this nation, we
can truly make a fresh start in America, even as we celebrate our 200th
birthday. In our third century, we should seek to enhance the individual
freedom of each of our citizens and strive to make America's civilization
the wonder of the world. And we should gauge the progress of our
civilization not just by our standard of living but by the quality of our lives.
The Republican Party is prepared to help guide that progress. Perhaps
more than at any time in our history, our Party's principles and objectives
match the hopes of the American people.
Our Republican commitments to fiscal responsibility in government, to a
vigorous free enterprise system, to a strong national defense, to local
control over local concerns, and to personal freedom for the individual--
are commitments shared by the vast majority of Americans and
Washingtonians.
We believe, as Abraham Lincoln said, that government should only do for
people what they cannot do as well for themselves. We believe that the
American people have grown weary of government's overblown promises
and overbearing controls.
We believe the American people are ready to do great things for themselves
and for their country.
We are prepared to govern--butnot to dominate--the American people.
That is our pledge for the coming campaign and for the years ahead.
We can make those years great ones for America--so much so that we
and our children and their children may say with new meaning and fresh
enthusiasm the words of Daniel Webster: "Thank God. I am an American."
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