Press Release, Speech of President Harry S. Truman, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

TAUKAH "NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE" HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE October 6, 1948 CONFIDENTIAL: The following address of the President to be delivered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, today, October 6, 1948, MUST BE HELD FOR RELEASE until 9:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, and no portion, synopsis, or intimation may be given out, or broadcast or published until that time. The same release applies to all newspapers, radio announcers and news broadcasters. PLEASE USE CARE TO AVOID PREMATURE PUBLICATION OR RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT. CHARLES G. ROSS Secretary to the President I am glad to be here tonight, and to have this opportunity to discuss with you some of the issues in this campaign. I am going to discuss some of the real issues -- and discuss them in plain language -- just as I have been doing all over the country. A national election is a great event in the life of a free people. It gives them a chance to decide their own national destiny. In making this decision, they are entitled to know where the opposing parties and the opposing candidates stand on vital issues. They are entitled to hear something more than sweet lullabies, which is all they are getting from Republican canaidates. In this election, I know very well why the Republicans want to stick to vague generalities and stay away from specific issues. It's because - on the issues that count with the people the Republican Party is wrong, and the Democratic Party is right. But we are going to take care of that. We will tell the people where the Democratic Party stands. And since the Republicans are ashamed to tell where they stand, we will tell the people about that, too. There was a time a few years ago when the Republicans would come out -- even at election time -- and openly attack the Democratic New Deal. But that didn't work SO well. They lost too many elections that way. So they changed their tune. Then they began coming around at election time with a theme song entitled, "Me, too, but I can do it better." They lost a few elections that way, too, but they 're still trying. They tell you, "We know the Democrats got you out of the last depression that we got you into, but they didn't do it SO well and we can do it better." The Republicans tell you, "We are all for labor's right to collective bargaining which the Democrats gave you, but we know better how it ought to work." They say to the farmer, "Mie know you are better off than you have ever been before, and the Democratic farm program is so good that we are not against it any more, but we could run it better." OVER