Press Release, Speech of Judge Harry S. Truman

/ DEMOCRATIC CITY CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS 12th & Olive Streets. For immediare release. THEMAN "NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS RADIO SPEECH: Judge Truman . SERVICE" K-M-0-X 6:15 P. M. Oct. 30,1934 Ladies and gentlemen of the air audience: When I look over the aims of the two great major parties of the United States, I am glad that I am a Democrat. The Republican party seems to be still controlled by the Old Guard type of leaders whose opinions are outmoded in these days of progress. They have a political thought founded on special privilege. Owing to aggressive action on the part of manufacturers and great corporations of the country, the Republican party's efforts have been bent to benefit a small coterie who succeeded in building up a vast concentration of wealth. Naturally, this wealth must grow from what it feeds upon. Its efforts must in the nature of things be to increase this concentration of wealth, which under reactionary Republican rule virtually has given this oilgarchy of wealth control over the government. Great masses of Republican sensed this state of affairs as far back as the administration of President meadan Roosevelt: They then formed the Bull Moose party, which in every way was merely a revolt against the tyranny of massed wealth working against the interests of the common run of us. The feeling of distrust and dissatisfaetion with the Old Guard Leadership has been kept alive by eminent Republicans, notably in the Senate of the United States; by Hiram Johnson of California, Cutting of New Mexico, Borah of Idaho, LaFollette of Wisconsin; Norris of Nebraska and others who have fought, each after his own bent of mind, against the aggressions of Republican Old Guard Leadership. -1-