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    "title": "New Basic GOP Speech, Houston, May 14, 1965",
    "description": "This file contains material relating to Lyndon Johnson.",
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        "Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers",
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        "Republican National Committee (U.S.)",
        "U.S. Congress. 1789-"
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box D18, folder \"New Basic GOP Speech, Houston,\nMay 14, 1965\" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the\nGerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\n7n hourd.\nNew basic GOP speech\n[May 14, 1965]\nHoustn\nmay14\nHouston\nRumblings of discontent and disenchantment with the way things are\ngoing in the alleged \"Great Society\" are spreading across the land.\nThe sounds of unrest, signalling a great awakening of the American\nelectorate, offer the Republican Party one of the great opportunities in\nyears to regain strength at all levels of government.\nWe appear to be witnessing some sort of a political miracle, which\nis working in our favor. To keep things going our way, the Republican\nParty must move with calculated speed, work together, accentuate the\npositive, take sound and strong positions on pertinent issues.\nLet's take a sharp look at what has happened to and in the\nopposition party to discover the direction Republicans must take almost\nimmediately.\nThe 89th Congress so far--- with Democrats slam-banging through\nlegislation under the powerful political fist of the White House has\nset\na record of rubber-stamping that is long on quantity and short on quality.\nUnwittingly, perhaps, the party in control has given us just about all\nthe political ammunition we need to win victories in 1966. Now we must use it.\nFor example, millions of Americans are learning with dismay that the\nDemocrat-controlled Congress has sand-bagged them with more taxes arbitrarily\ntaken from their paychecks.\n-more-\nFORD & LIBRARY GERALD\nDigitized from Box D18 of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nGOP SPEECH\nCongressional action so far-- with Democrats cringing under White House\npolitical whip-lashing- means Americans will have less money to spend on\nnecessities, slimmer bank accounts, and more choking federal control of their\nlives.\nWhile Republican constructive alternative proposals have been hidden\nin the shadow of the White House, buried under the heavy-handed voting strength\nof Democrats, and limited to fleeting exposures in the spotlight of publicity,\nwhat has happened?\nIgnoring Republican proposed legislation that has been more encompassing,\nfiscally-sound, and within the framework of the Constitution, the Democrat-\ncontrolled House has ignored millions of Americans.\nWith President Johnson riding herd, the house has adopted an extremely\nwasteful and inequitable aid-to-education bill that gives millions of dollars\nto the wealthiest C ounties and cold-shoulders the poorest areas by handing\nthem relatively little help.\nBowing to the will of the White House, Democrat Representatives voted\noverwhelmingly in favor of the Administration's \"medicare\" scheme. Economists\nare already jittery about the possible depressive economic impact because\nthe payroll tax increase will take an estimated five billion dollars out of\ncirculation the first year. At the same time, millions of Americans will have\nless take-home pay, meaning fewer dollars to buy goods and services. And,\nbusiness will have less incentive to expand.\n-more-\nGERALD LIBRARY\nGOP SPEECH\n-3-\nActing again with wasteful haste, our Democratic friends knuckled down\nto the White House and passed the Appalachia bill to compound problems\ncreated last year when the Administration's alleged \"anti-poverty\" program\nwas launched with trumpeting fanfare.\nMeanwhile, a rip-roaring political family brawl erupted in the ranks\nof the \"emocrats while we wére peasefully achieving more unity.\nThe donney-brook was triggered by the President when he ordered\nstepped-up military operations in Viet-Nam. While Republicans take book a widely-\nheraled bi-partisan position in support of the White House, powerful\nDemocrats hurland verbal brickbats at the President.\nThe beefing and stewing among Democrats on such an important issue\nis helping to reflect the Republican philosophy that we think first of the\npeople, refusing to put politics ahead of national interest.\nProudly, we are extending the bi-partissnship of the late Senator\nArthur H. Vandenberg, who was responsible for my decision to make a career\nin the political world.\nPerhaps one of our greatest streng ths in winning 1966 victories is the\ngrowing concern in many parts of the Nation and among members of the press\nthe\nthat the United States is rapidly-headed toward the end of\ntwo-party\nsystem.\nNaturally, there must be both a majority party and a minority party.\nHowever, if the over-balance of power in both the legislative and executive\nbranches gives either party too much\npolitical muscle, the very\nfoundations of freedom crack and crumble.\n-more-\nGOP SPEECH\nThe United States as a country--every citizen as a member of a free\nsociety our form of government- all would be in jeopardy of being\nwithout freedom if one political party becomes so strong that it is\nunchallenged.\nAmericans can be rightfully and justly concerned whenever there is\na brazen display of raw political power in the executive strong arm and\nin the houses of Congress.\nWhen a President with finger-pointing- appear before a Joint\nSession of Congress and virtually orders passage of a voting rights\n\"law\" that was still being drafted\nin the White House, Americans should do some political\nsoul-searching.\nIn fact, the way Iyndon Johnson is running the Congress most Democratic\nRepresentatives don't know whether to clap their hands or click their heels.\nWhile the party in power is ram-rodding legislation under the President's\nthumb, Republicans in Congress are proving to be a constructive opposition.\nmaintained\nAlthough we are outnumbered two to one, semenow we have\na sense of purpose and somehow kept a sense of humor.\nPerhaps we are in the S ame position as the Indian yogi lying on a bed\nof nails who x described the experienze as painful only when he laughed.\nare rapidly\nAmericans, I believe, 7 discovering that Republicans in\nCongress are from from being a bitter, obstructionist minority. Instead,\nwe are a forceful, optimistic, united, articulate majority, compared to the\naisle.\nother side of the\nFORD & LIBRARY GERALD\n-more-\nGOP SPEECH\nTo put the mood of Congress in a capsule, I would say that when President\nJohnson tells Democrats to \"Come let us reason together,\"\nthey\ntroop to the White House and he reasons. Republicans on the other hand\ninvest their time and energies in creating proposed legislation keeping\nthe American people first in mind.\nI have tried to present the evidence clearly and honestly to you without\nbeing an obstructionist or critic just for the sake of opposing the\nAdministration.\nThe proof stands by itself. The evidence indicates growing and\nnational concern about the present over-balance of power in goverhment.\nThere is spreading doubt that the alleged Great Society falls far short of the\nlofty political oratory that sold the grandiose idea to more than half the\nAmerican electorate.\nIn the face of all this---and with a great opportunity at hand\nwhat ctions should be taken by the Republican Party?\nWELL, /ithout hestitation we should recover the fumbles made by the Administration's\nweakened political team.\nWe should take the offensive and stop playing a defensive game.\nWe can outflank, outrun and outscore the opposition with a flashing,\nimaginative, colorful attack using news ideas and better legislative proposals.\nThe Republican Party must be a constructive, responsible force. This\nis the way to earn the trust and respect of the electorate, while capitalizing\non errors made by our political opponents.\n-more-\nGOP SPEECH\nWe need more members in the ranks. They must be recruited with an\nenthusiastic, united effort. The campaign must be all encompassing\nwe\nwelcome all citizens to our Party. Some of our stronger\npromiting\naction\nshould be in the direction of younger persons those in the early 20's\nage group.\nOur Party needs to enlist more intedigent, articulate, and personable\ncandidates, who believe in our fundamental tepublican philosophies, yet are\nfree to express their own political views.\nWe must establish bed-rock basic positions, broaden the base of our\nParty, andre-assert Republican principles that demand preservation of\nindividual freedom and human dignity.\nWe need money. A political party cannot function without adequate\nfinances. However, we must earn financial support by demonstrating that our\nprograms deserve the backing of contributors everywhere.\nThe Republican Party desperately needs better comminication with the\npublic at large. I believe that elected 1 epublican officials and all persons\nin responsible party positions must have an \"open door\" policy for the working\npress and news executives. We must talk with the American people in\na\nfriendly, neighborly way.\nBy and large, the American news media is a vital link between the\npeople and government. Unlike the President, W ho has attacked\nthe American press for \"waywardness\" in his\nwords , and has somekhat disdainfully treated editors of the Nat ion when they\nvisited Washington, Republicans must respect reporters and photographers as\nmore\nGOP SPEECH\n-7-\ndedicated, professional craftsmen.\nthink\nWhile the Johnson Administration seems to XXXXXXX the first r esponsibility\nof the American press is to support its policies, Republicans take an opposite\nview.\nspoon-feed\nI strenuously object to the way the White House tries to\nthe press and to the high-handed censorship imposed by Democrat-controlled\nbureacracies.\nThe Republican Party must welcome constant xummin scrutiny of news media.\nElected officials\n2n have a responsibility to live their political lives in the\nopen.\nmust reach the American\nThe philosophies and the actions of our Party\npeople. An informed news media is the most sound, the quickest and the surest way\nto accomplish our objective.\nRepublicans need\nAt this point, I will repeat what to win\nvictories and to insure a strong two-party system.\nFirst, I revall what a young minister was told by a senior member of\nthe clergy in the way of goodadvice.\n\"Tell the congregation what you intend to tell them,\" the older minister\nsaid. \"Then tell them what you said you would tell them. When you've finished,\ntell them what you've told them.\"\nNow to repeat.\nThe Postage to resungence of strongt mash\n-more-\nGERALD R.FORD LIBRARY\nGOP SPEECH\n-8-\nThe Republican Party-=-to have a resurgence of strength and win victories\nmust:\n* Recover the fumbles made by the Adminsitration.\nmounting\n* Be a constructive, responsible force a fla shing attack using\nnew ideas and better legislative proposals.\n*\nRecruit more members in the ranks and enlist more intelligent,\narticulate, and personable candidates.\nEstablish basic bankc positions, broaden the Party's base and re-assert\npur principles that demand preservation of individual freedom and\nhuman dignity.\n*\nRaise money to beef-up our financing for a strong effort.\n*\nBuild better communications with the public at large.\nThe size and the scope of the job are obvious. This is neither a time to\nfalter nor to stumble.\nIf we fail, we will fail the American people.\nWinning means contributing in great measure to the strength, the welfare,\nthe health, the growth, the prosperity, the well-being of every citizen in\nthe United States and in the society of free world nations.\n# #\nHARRIS COUNTY\nHARRIS COUNTY\nREPUBLICAN\nREPUBLICAN\nPARTY\nPARTY\n522 WAUGH DRIVE\nHOUSTON, TEXAS 77019\nOPERATION:\nGRASSROOTS\nRE-ELECT\nSENATOR\nJOHN TOWER\nIn 1966 REPUBLICAN Senator John Tower will\n1965\nface re-election. Already the oppostion is beginning\nto campaign against him. We must build financial\nsupport for his campaign. Senator Tower has repre-\nsented us well in Washington - he has a strong\nconservative voting record. His voice has never\nREPUBLICAN\ngiven comfort to the enemies of America. All\nTexans can be proud of every vote cast by John\nTower.\nYour contribution now to the Harris County\nNEIGHBOR\nRepublican Party will help finance a planned,\nR,FO\neffective program of support for the re-election of\nJohn Tower - Texas' No. 1 U. S. SENATOR.\nGERALD\nLIBRARY\nTO\nDYNAMIC GROWTH OF YOUR REPUBLICAN PARTY\nThe Republican Party is growing in Harris County and in\nTexas, from 91,000 congressional votes in 1958,\nNEIGHBOR\n297,000\n\"\n\"\n\"\n1960,\n490,000\n\"\n\" \" 1962, and\n820,000\n\"\n\" \" 1964.\nWith your support, Republican Congressional, State Legis-\nlative and County candidates will be elected in 1966 to\nFUND DRIVE\nhelp Senator Tower bring better government to you.\nH\nYOU ARE BEING\nOPERATION BUILD-UP\nGOOD GOVERNMENT\nASKED TO CONTRIBUTE\nBEGINS WITH YOU\nBECAUSE\nIf you believe in good government, you also know\nthe value of a vigorous two-party system. The\nThe Harris County Republican Party has no income\nRepublican Party is YOUR party. It offers you the\nother than contributions from you and other\nbenefits of good government. It also depends on\npatriotic citizens. The Party has continuing ex-\nYOU - on your volunteer work, on YOUR con-\npenses - - for Headquarters, supplies, organization,\ntribution.\nresearch and education programs. To perform its\nMake your voice heard. Dig down for a strong\nvital role, to be politically effective, the Party must\nRepublican Party. Now is the time to build for\nmeet its financial commitments.\nEFFICIENT, FRIENDLY HEADQUARTERS\nsuccess.\nHere is the planned program of expenditures for 1965:\nThis centrally located headquarters provides a con-\nvenient place for meetings, for volunteer work, for\nWhat Will Your Dollar Buy?\nrecords, for the research library, and for the multi-\nBANNER 9%\ntude of typewriters, file cabinets, desks, tables, tele-\n%6 PDP\n6%\n$ 5.00 will pay for 30 seconds of radio time\nphones, duplicating machines, and other equipment\nwhich is used daily. You are urged to stop by\n$ 12.00 will buy 200 candidates' brochures\nRepublican Headquarters, 522 Waugh Drive, when-\never you have minutes or hours for political work.\n$ 24.00 will buy 100 yard signs\n0/67\nA warm welcome awaits you there!\nFUND\n$ 36.00 will buy 150 placards\nE.D.P. SYSTEM\n$ 50.00 will buy 500 bumper stickers\nADMINISTRATION\nThe Data Processing system will be expanded in\n1965 to provide for more accurate, up-to-date infor-\n$ 56.14 will pay for a large billboard for one\nЯО, QUOTA\nDESCRIPTION\n16%\nmation in a readily accessible form. This modern\nmonth\nbusiness system will enable the Party to be ready\nfor immediate campaign action.\n$ 80.00 will buy one hour of data processing\n0/04\ntime\noT\nTHE REPUBLICAN BANNER\nWith a circulation of more than 9,000 community\n$350.00 will pay for 20 seconds on TV\nleaders, \"The Banner\" rivals Houston's newspapers\nas an effective voice in Harris County. Published\nAnd listen to \"Washington Report\" on KXYZ,\nmonthly, in a lively style, with comments and\n1320 on your dial 6:10 - 6:15 p.m. and KIKK,\nEvery cost represents a vital Party function, and\neditorials about national events, it gives full cover-\n650 on your dial 5:10 5:15 p.m. each Mon-\nage of local political activities. \"The Banner\" car-\nan effective two-party system is vital for good\nries a full schedule of planned political events; so\nday. Sponsored by the Harris County\ngovernment.\nevery Republican should read \"The Banner\" to be\nRepublican Party.\ninformed.\nExcerpts from a speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford (R-Mich)\n\"Republican Opportunity\"\nHouston, Texas May 14, 1965\nRumblings of discontent and disenchantment with the way things are going in the\nalleged \"Great Society\" are spreading across the land,\nThe sounds of unrest, signalling a great awakening of the American electorate,\noffer the Republican Party one of the most important opportunities in years to\nregain strengthc\nFor example, millions of Americans are learning with dismay that the Democrat-\ncontrolled Congress has sand-bagged them with more taxes arbitrarily taken from\ntheir paychecks,\nCongressional action so far--with Democrats cringing under White House\npolitical whiplashing means Americans will have less money to spend on necessities,\nslimmer bank accounts, and more choking federal control of their lives.\n*\n*\n*\nThe United States as a country, every citizen as a member of a free society,\nand our form of government would be in jeopardy if one political party becomes so\nstrong that it is unchallenged,\nAlthough outnumbered 2 to 1 in Congress, Republicans are a forceful, optimistic,\narticulate, and united team that will have more members after 1966 elections.\n*\n*\n*\nThere is growing national concern about the present imbalance of power in\ngovernment. A strong two-party system and more balance of strength are essential to\nthe protection of the individual and his best interests,\n*\n*\n*\nThe Republican Party to have a resurgence of strength and to win victories must:\nrecover fumbles made by the Administration--- be a constructive, responsible force\nusing new ideas to create better legislative proposals recruit more members and\nenlist more intelligent, articulate and personable candidates establish basic\npositions to broaden the base reassert our principles that demand preservation of\nindividual freedom and human dignity build better communications with the public\nat large raise money to finance a strong effort.\n*\n*\n*\nIf we fail, we will fail the American people. Winning means contributing in\ngreat measure to the strength, the welfare, the health, the growth, the prosperity,\nthe well-being of every citizen in the United States and in the society of the free\nworld nations.\n#\n#\n#\n#\n#\n#\nExcerpts from a speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford (R-Mich)\ng\nThe 89th Congress faces giant-sized jobs and some of the most important\ndecisions in modern history.\nWe must move ahead with vision, dedication and wisdom to help guide our\nNation toward the goals of freedom, security and peace. At the same time we must\nhonestly advocate and effectively achieve federal fiscal responsibility.\n*\nThe national debt has increased by $10 billion in two years to an all-time\nhigh of $318 billion,\nAt the present rate of spending by the government, our children and the\ngenerations to come will be buried under a financial load that can only adversely\naffect their way of life.\n*\n*\n*\nWe should throttle the rapidly-expanding trend of too much federal control\nover States, counties, cities and smaller communities.\nAmong the major issues today is whether excess concentration of federal power\nand sovereignty is to destroy State, local and individual freedom and\nresponsibility.\nState and local officials have the answer, Simply stated it is---\"We will do\nthe job.\" Perhaps, it must be done at times in partnership with a federal agency.\nIf there is a will and capability at the local level, there is no reason to\nhave a federal monopoly with a bureaucratic jungle and a tangle of red tape,\n*\n*\n*\nA bi-partisan effort is needed in two major areas.\nWe must maintain a balance in the legislative, executive and judicial branches\nof government as intended in the Constitution.\nAt the same time, we must preserve the two-party system, which has been celled\nthe genius of the American Democracy.\nUnder our political system, the President represents the views of the people\nwho elect him. There is great power in the executive branch.\nCongress is the voice of the people, It cannot experience a slow erosion of\nits bal anced power without cracking the foundations of our Democracy.\nThe Federal Judiciary's function is to interpret laws, not to make them,\nThere is evidence that the Judiciary Branch is arbitrarily elbowing its way to new\npositions of authority, disregarding the wise suggestions of judicial restraint\nmade by the late Justice Frankfurter and others.\n-more-"
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