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MONETT, MISSOURI (Rear platform, 9 p.m.)
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Mr. Chairman, and citizens of Monett: This certainly is a very great honor to me. I am highly pleased to see so many Missourians out here on the platform at this time of night. I want to say to you that I had hoped to be able to get off the train and dedicate this Legion Hall here tonight, but I want to explain to you that it is like moving the Ringling Brothers circus to get the President around, and it would take at least 40 minutes or an hour to get the President off the train and then back on again. Then there is also my entourage that has to go with me, so I thought it would be much better if I could present this wonderful gavel here to the Post Commander, Art Jackman, and say to you that I am now taking part in the dedication of that Legion Hall. You have got a record here in men who served, and I want to congratulate you on the contribution you made, not only to the Second World War but to the first one. Some of my old cronies came from this part of the State, and I am very proud indeed to present to you, Art, this gavel. I hope you will use it with circumspection and that you will never be arbitrary in the use of it. I appreciate the privilege of being able to do this. Now I just want to call your attention to a fact or two. This campaign of mine is a crusade. It is a crusade in the interest of the people. There is just one issue in this campaign, and that is whether special privilege shall run the country, or whether the people shall run the country. You know, we have the greatest Government in the world in this country. It is a government for the people, as long as the people attend to their business and make that government work. Well now, back in 1946 two-thirds of the people stayed at home and one third of the people of this country elected, I would say, the next to the worst Congress this country ever had. And the other two thirds didn't have anything to cry about, because they stayed at home and let it happen. Now, if you do that this time, you won't have anybody to blame but yourselves, because the welfare of this Nation and the welfare of this world depends on what you do on November the 2nd in this campaign. I want you here in Missouri to roll up a majority that will give you a full Demo congressional delegation in the Congress, and show the world that you are behind your President in his efforts for peace, and in his efforts for the welfare of the people of this country. For the last 16 years, policies have been inaugurated by the Democratic administrations during that period for the welfare of the everyday man, the welfare of the farmer, the welfare of the laboring man, and the welfare of the small businessman and white collar worker. If you want to overturn that and give the country back to the special privilege boys, that is your affair, because you are the Government; but if you are going to do that, go out and vote for it, don't stay at home and then blame the other fellow because you get bad government. Let me urge you with everything I have got, to go to the polls November the 2nd, just as early as you can get up and get there, and vote the straight Democratic ticket from President down to constable, and the country will then be safe.
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