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Remarks of the Vice President at the Winrock Farm Reception on Petty Jean Mountain, Morrilton, Arkansas [Speeches by Others]
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7340859
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Remarks of the Vice President at the Winrock Farm Reception on Petty Jean Mountain, Morrilton, Arkansas [Speeches by Others]
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1975-09-12
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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 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12, 1975
Office of the Vice President
Morrilton, Arkansas
REMARKS OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
AT THE
WINROCK FARM RECEPTION ON PETTY JEAN MOUNTAIN
MORRILTON, ARKANSAS
(AT 8:40 P.M. CDT)
To Win Paul and Debbie and to Lynn and to all of you, I just want
to tell you what a nostalgic evening this is for me. We in the
family -- I don't have to tell you -- loved Win; we respected him;
we admired him.
We are proud of what he has done in this great State of Arkansas,
and what you did for him: your affection, your confidence in him
was the most important thing in his life. He loved this State
and he loved the land and he loved the people.
I want to tell you the thing that makes me and all of the
family --- and I just talked to Happy on the phone before coming
over here; she is having dinner with my brother, Laurance and his
wife, and she just sent their love to everybody here -- I want to
tell you we are so thrilled that Win Paul and Debbie and their
two children are here and carrying on the tradition, and have
the same love and affection for the State and for the people of
this great State that Win did, that I can't tell you, and to
Odel and Leona, and to all of you who are members, all of us who
are members of the Golden Tusk, I would just like to say thank
you because, let's face it, the greatest strength this country
has is the two-party system.
This is something Lynn really devoted himself to. You all are
carrying this to new heights under the leadership of Lynn, and no
political organization, no matter how good it is, can really
function without some financial support. Let's put it very simply.
So the fact that you would come all the way here tonight, that you
have joined this little group, is making possible the building of
an organization.
I had the pleasure this afternoon of meeting with many of the
County chairmen and the workers of the Party, and I must say it
is a tremendously impressive group; people who care, who are
concerned, who want to see coming into politics because they
believe in good government.
That is really the essence of democracy. Politics is a great
thing. But politics is a means to an end and not an end in
itself, and the end is good government.
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That is what Win tried to do; that is what you are doing; that is
what you are making possible, and there is no question that
competition is a very healthy thing, whether it is in business or
whether it is in politics.
We need the two-party system; we need to keep everybody on their
toes, and you are doing it. More and more, you are going to be
electing more and more officials and you are going to have the
kind of political vitality which makes for the strength in the
government of the great State like yours.
As one who had the privilege of being Governor for a good many
years, I am just thrilled to be here.
We have got tough times in the world; we have got tough times at
home, but I happen to feel -- and I think a great many people are
feeling more all the time that we -- maybe it is sort of hand of
God or destiny, but events have brought and placed in the
presidency of the United States a man who did not seek the
office; a man who, because he didn't seek it, feels that he is
there to serve this country and he is one of the most courageous,
one of the most dedicated people it has been my privilege to meet.
I didn't know him before he asked me. I knew him but not at all
well, before he asked me to come down and be his Vice President.
After some struggle with the Congress -- the real problem was they
postponed it because Carey, who is a friend of mine, who was in
the Congress and helped me get through Revenue Sharing, was
running for Governor of New York.
He knew if I got confirmed and I could get around the campaign,
he didn't want to come up and campaign against me because my
Lieutenant Governor was running. Of course, I am immobilized
in the Senate of the United States because I can't speak without
the unanimous consent of all the Senators. It is very rarely
that I get that job.
If I talk a little long tonight, you will know it is just because
of the excitement and enthusiasm. But this man that we have as
our leader is a man who deeply believes in the heritage of this
country, in basic values on which this country was built,
individual responsibilities, freedom of the individual, the
worth and dignity of the individual, equal opportunity for all
individuals.
He believes very strongly that the strength of America is in the
free enterprise system, whether it is in agriculture, industry
or business or the professions. He recognizes that we have
serious problems and that we have overpromised and underdelivered
now for the last 10 or 15 years and we are in financial trouble.
Maybe you are not, but I won't speak for New York City or the
Federal Government which has got a deficit of $60 billion. He
is trying to hold it down. He is vetoing measures which are very
popular, housing, education, jobs for unemployed.
He knows that if our deficit goes beyond a certain point, it is
going to refuel the fire of inflation and inflation is the most
serious and insidious tax that can be placed on anybody.
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3
It destroys the savings of those who retire. It destroys the
earnings of those who are working. Therefore, his number one
objective is to hold down the forces of inflation.
He just figures out what is right and then he does it. He does
it because he thinks it is in the best interest for American for the
long term and the short term political conversations he just
doesn't pay attention to them.
This is a gutsy guy. After they tried to take a potshot at him
the other day, he was on his way to see Governor Brown of
California. He went into his office, sat down and talked to him
45 minutes and never mentioned it.
Some of the party were so upset, some of them couldn't stay in the
room.
That man is a man of courage, a man of conscious and a man of
total dedication and all he wants to do is the best job. He said,
I did not seek this office; I am here. I will do my best. If
the country wants me, I will serve again. If they don't that is
fine with me.
If he can restore the fiscal integrity of this country, believe
me I am glad to help him, and go through some of these programs
in the Federal Government and they are all well meaning and all
designed to try to help somebody, but we have got 863 categorical
grants and those of you in government know how difficult it is for
State and local governments to try to cope with this, and you all
know in private life the regulations we have got, all well meaning,
all designed to protect people and help people but if we destroy
the basic system which has given us our strength, and which has
provided the money for the government to do the things we are
doing, then we destroy the society.
That is what he understands. So I am thrilled to be back here
because Win loved this State and he started out trying to help
attract industry here.
He used to come into New York and raid us. Down in South
Carolina, they were telling me all about these wonderful
industries they got. I said, "You should tell me about them.
You got most of them from New York."
We have supplied a lot of fine industries to other States. We
are trying to struggle along on our own now having lost these.
But that is part of the democratic system.
I would just like to say thanks to all of you for coming here;
thanks for supporting the Party; thanks for your courage because
it takes courage to stand for a two-party system, in a State
where that hasn't been the tradition. I would like to say,
especially to Win, Paul and Debbie, thanks for having us all
here and for what it means to all of us to be back in a place
where the tremendous personality, the tremendous dedication, the
tremendous devotion of Winthrop Rockefeller is felt and will
always live on.
Win would be awful happy about tonight, happy that his son is here
and his son's wife and two beautiful children are standing here.
This is a happy night.
END
(AT 8:50 P.M. CDT')