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

TRUNAR SEATT "NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE" HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 25, 1948. CONFIDENTIAL: The following address of the President, to be delivered in Cleveland, O., tomorrow, Tuesday, October 26, 1948, is FOR RELEASE IN ALL REGULAR EDITIONS OF MORNING NEWSPAPERS of Wednesday, October 27, 1948. CHARLES G. ROSS Secretary to the President. Tonight I want to let you in on a secret. We have the Republicans on the run. Of course, the Republicans don't admit that. They've got a poll that says they're going to win. Well, we all know that for twelve years the Republicans have been poll-happy. In 1936, the Republicans had a poll that told them they had a sure thing. And they did. They had a sure defeat coming to them. In 1940, the Republicans had a poll that told them they had the edge. Well, it was a mighty sharp edge. They got cut to ribbons on election day. In 1944, the Republicans had a poll that told them things were pretty close. It looked mighty promising for the Republican candidate. The promise was all he got. In fact, he has been full of promises ever since. This year, the Republicans have some polls right down the same old line. These polls are like sleeping pills designed to lull the voters into sleeping on election day. You might call them sleeping polls. The same doctor I told you about the other night in Pittsburgh -- the Republican candidate -- keeps handing out these sleeping polls, and some people have been taking them. This doctor keeps telling the people: "Don't worry. Take a poll and go to sleep." But most of the people are not being fooled. They know that sleeping polls are bad for the system. They affect the mind. An over- dose could be fatal. These Republican polls are no accident. They are all part of a design to prevent a big vote on November second, by convincing you that it makes no difference whether you vote or not. They want to do this because they know in their hearts that a big vote spells their defeat. They know that a big vote means a Democratic victory, because the Democratic Party stąnds for the greatest good for the greatest number of the people. We are going to win this election because the people believe in what the Democrats stand for -- they also know too well what the Republicans stand for. And believe me, they do not stand for the same thing. You can tell that very plainly by looking at the candidates. you have to vote for here in Cleveland. Just consider the man who will be your next Governor -- Frank Lausche. Frank Lausche is a man of the people, who, like Cleveland's great mayors, Tom Johnson and Tom Burke, thinks with his heart and his head. This is a State of gr at Democrats -- honest, able, fearless men --senior statesmen like Bob Crosser, and younger men worthy to fight (OVER)