Press Release, Speech of President Harry S. Truman, Fostoria, Ohio

IMMEDIATE RELEASE IMMEDIATE RELEASE IREA REAR PLATFORM REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT "NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND AT FOSTORIA, OHIO - OCTOBER 11, RECORDS SERVICE" 1948 - 4:05 P.M., E.S.T. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen of Fostoria: I can't tell you how very much I appreciate this turn out. I am delight- ed to be here this afternoon, and the reason I am delighted is because of your interest. When you turn out like this in a cold breeze of this sort, I know you have got the welfare of the country at heart and you want to learn the facts. All day long I have been riding through the finest farm land in America. Why, your forms here are almost as good as those back in Missouri. I have had a good opportunity to talk over the problems of your State with your next Governor, Frank Lausche, and with your fine Denocratic candidates for Congress, Dwight Blackmore and Andrew Durbin. Dwight and Andrew tell me that Fostoria used to be two towns. In 1854 they united nd became the prosperous community of Fostoria. Unity has helped you people here build a strong community, the kind of community that some of these Ohio Repub- licans call, "whistle stops." well, I say thank God for the whistle stops of our country. They are the backbone of the Nation. They have got the people who produce the Neticn's goods and the Nation's food -- and they have got the people who are going to keep the Democratic administroticn in the White House and elect a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate in the coming election. The kind of unity that built Fostoria is something that I can go for. It is the kind of unity that helped build this Nation. It's the kind of unity that helped win the war. I can understand that and I like it. ThatIs why I had that kind of unity in this ad- ministration. But I'll tell you frankly, I don't understand the phony unity that the Republican candidates are talking about. I expect that's just E phrase he picked up because he doesnIt dare telk about anything else. He doesn't dere tell you what the real plans of the Republican Party are. He's afraid that if he says anything, he will give the whole show away. The Republican Party still is wrestling with its old problem: it has to figure cut how to fool the many into voting for the interests of the few. That is why the Republican condidate is talking in generali- ties. That is why the leaders of this Republican do-nothing 80th Congress have been sent off into the bushes to hide until the campaign is over. They are afriad to bring them out. Well, I think the people have got a right to know where the candidates stand. That is why I am here today, and that is why I have be going all over the country telling the people about the issues. You are entitled to know what those issues are and I mm satisfied that if you know the issues you are going to vote in your own interests. And I am trying to tell the people as sincerely and as plainly as I know how; and I am going to tell them again tonight over the radio from Akron. I am really going to tear the mask off the Republican Congress and the Republican candidates. We have got to have housing for our people. We have got to do something to get the price structure on a sound level so our working people can buy from the farmers and the farmers can buy from the working people without the profiteers getting in the way. We have got to keep the prosperity we have gotten under the Democratic administrution. They tell me that Seneca County is a Republican county. Well, that's all right with me. I went the Republicans of Seneca County to know what I think -- and I think if they have open minds, they will vote in their interests, just the some as the Democrats will, and that will be to vote the Democratic ticket. (OVER)