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This file contains material relating to Abraham Lincoln.

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4526011
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Lincoln Day, Seattle, WA, February 11, 1967
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4526011
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document
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Lincoln Day, Seattle, WA, February 11, 1967
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This file contains material relating to Abraham Lincoln.
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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Revenue sharing
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4526011
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1967-02-28
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1967
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1967-02-01
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1967
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The original documents are located in Box D21, folder "Lincoln Day, Seattle, WA, February 11, 1967" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Copyright Notice The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Digitized from Box D21 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library CONGRESSMAN NEWS GERALD R. FORD HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER RELEASE FOR RELEASE AT 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY, FEB. 11, 1967 EXCERPTS FROM A LINCOLN DAY SPEECH BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH., AT SEATTLE, WASH. We are paying tribute tonight to a great President of the United States, the 16th President, a great Republican, Abraham Lincoln. It is particularly appropriate that we do so at this time. Now, just as in 1860 when Lincoln was nominated and elected, this Union of States is in crisis. And now, just as in the crisis year of 1860, the Republican Party offers the American people a way out of the wilderness of disunity, discord, disorder and moral decay we are lost in as a Nation. I firmly believe a Republican will be elected President of the United States in 1968. I believe we have an opportunity to gain control of the House of Representa- tives and to strengthen our forces in the U.S. Senate. In my view, the 1966 elections marked a turning point in American political history, and the Republican Party has no place to go but forward. We have the right answers to the problems of the dynamic sixties and seventies, and the people have sensed it. We made the comeback of the year in 1966, because we are the party of individ- ualism, opportunity and truth. And because we are the party of the people. Lincoln said--and we subscribe to these words: "I believe each individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases with himself and the fruits of his labor, so far as it in no wise interferes with any other men's rights." At another time he stated, and this is basic Republican philosophy: "That men who are industrious and sober and honest in their own interest should after a while accumulate property and after that should be allowed to enjoy it in peace is right." *** (MORE) -2- Lincoln aptly expressed a fundamental principle of our American democracy and not only a personal belief when he said: "The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do at all, or cannot do so well for themselves, in their separate and individual capacities. In all that the people can individually do as well for themselves, government ought not to interfere." A recent Gallup Poll indicated that seven out of ten adult Americans--Democrats and independents as well as Republicans--favor federal revenue-sharing. Another way of putting it is that Americans are beginning once more to realize that many of their problems are best solved at the state and local levels. Exponents of federal grants-in-aid argue that the federal government has to dictate solutions because state and local governments have shirked their responsi- bilities. State and local leaders contend they simply are short of money to do the job properly. Let's join the issue. Let's give the states and local communities a goodly portion of federal income tax revenue (in lieu of grants-in-aid) with a clear challenge to make good on their problem-solving promises. I think this is the main thrust of the mandate expressed by the American people at the polls last November 8th. *** The American people are intrinsically a moral people and have a deep devotion to the truth. This creates difficulties for a political party which seeks to deceive them. There is a famous Lincoln statement about fooling the people but I will not quote it here for fear of being accused of petty partisanship. We must take the field against what we believe to be mistaken policies. We need only be mindful of Lincoln's call to duty: "Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith let us to the end dare to do our duty as we understand it." #### CONGRESSMAN NEWS GERALD R. FORD HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER RELEASE FOR RELEASE AT 6:30 p.m. SATURDAY, FEB. 11, 1967 EXCERPTS FROM A LINCOLN DAY SPEECH BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH., AT SEATTLE, WASH. We are paying tribute tonight to a great President of the United States, the 16th President, a great Republican, Abraham Lincoln. It is particularly appropriate that we do so at this time. Now, just as in 1860 when Lincoln was nominated and elected, this Union of States is in crisis. And now, just as in the crisis year of 1860, the Republican Party offers the American people a way out of the wilderness of disunity, discord, disorder and moral decay we are lost in as a Nation. I firmly believe a Republican will be elected President of the United States in 1968. I believe we have an opportunity to gain control of the House of Representa- tives and to strengthen our forces in the U.S. Senate. In my view, the 1966 elections marked a turning point in American political history, and the Republican Party has no place to go but forward. We have the right answers to the problems of the dynamic sixties and seventies, and the people have sensed it. We made the comeback of the year in 1966, because we are the party of individ- ualism, opportunity and truth. And because we are the party of the people. Lincoln said--and we subscribe to these words: "I believe each individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases with himself and the fruits of his labor, so far as it in no wise interferes with any other men's rights." At another time he stated, and this is basic Republican philosophy: "That men who are industrious and sober and honest in their own interest should after a while accumulate property and after that should be allowed to enjoy it in peace is right." *** (MORE) -2- Lincoln aptly expressed a fundamental principle of our American democracy and not only a personal belief when he said: "The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do at all, or cannot do so well for themselves, in their separate and individual capacities. In all that the people can individually do as well for themselves, government ought not to interfere." A recent Gallup Poll indicated that seven out of ten adult Americans--Democrats and independents as well as Republicans--favor federal revenue-sharing. Another way of putting it is that Americans are beginning once more to realize that many of their problems are best solved at the state and local levels. Exponents of federal grants-in-aid argue that the federal government has to dictate solutions because state and local governments have shirked their responsi- bilities. State and local leaders contend they simply are short of money to do the job properly. Let's join the issue. Let's give the states and local communities a goodly portion of federal income tax revenue (in lieu of grants-in-aid) with a clear challenge to make good on their problem-solving promises. I think this is the main thrust of the mandate expressed by the American people at the polls last November 8th. *** The American people are intrinsically a moral people and have a deep devotion to the truth. This creates difficulties for a political party which seeks to deceive them. There is a famous Lincoln statement about fooling the people but I will not quote it here for fear of being accused of petty partisanship. We must take the field against what we believe to be mistaken policies. We need only be mindful of Lincoln's call to duty: "Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith let us to the end dare to do our duty as we understand it." ####