Franklin D. Roosevelt- "The Great Communicator" The Master Speech Files, 1898, 1910-1945
Series 1: Franklin D. Roosevelt's Political Ascension
File No. 231
1920 October 30
New York City, NY -Campaign Speech
._..-~\ . (' b~AC:~ 11!011 IJ'ITOil ·~, ' liOll . r . t .ROOSFY!L!
~ IP 'f'Oitt OIT1', 00'1'. J;l, liiO .
foniltbt th• Un1U4 fl'ah" •t A.•r1Ca • ' .n4• at. t11• ,.,.,ua of ~a• ••1•· •• .uat. •u ~n~rl .r1 U?·~~ \o~.r! lbe 14.,,1 n tlon,
the 4•-••r ot t.h" •orlrt, f:r~ ~~~• rt4r1 .all•r• of nA~lon&l .u4 pereoe-
' al •r••~. of lnJu•\lca r~· tne rula of b~ule force, or tate the r~-
'"rx.1n,o :.o.o..-r.-.r-1 p!'tll b i\Cll to th• ol 4 .,.,,. "t;e.ln. •• :> h·•t, eo net
a. ~;.r,...t. n .. ~lon eltl:fu gro• or ~111. fber• 1• JIO altematlY•. • • • uet
..... nunu.,u .. .:.y 10txetoll ~ut. t>ur 'b· •&.;h" :>t cll-'J:rce, or "orl4 rfll•H onnlp,
furtner ..-.1 rurtlle.,., M cll11r 1111:1 hi. h~r. w .. S'"' oontlnu.a.n:r atr.,\c.1.
ou• ~~. rqot• ot Ju•t1ot, ~f •1u~ lt.y , ot rl~ht th1nklne ~1 .oln&,
u• .per utJ. de•rer. The ot.ner OO\lUII 1 • "" wltner ler..C br le.u, tat&
d• .1 •nt •hdYth~ n"'lon .
Tu•~• o.m ~ t:fl ·.1oubt aJ tha r,.&l hllu' bes'ore the .,..,,., • •
.All ~ 1.1111 ~-Oil.l"'dot <u intflll•ion, 11 .. 1.l r tile &IKiktl IO<Il'eflll C:! CWllli lli-
11 .o4V1wt4 11<)1'>1" \c QO>IC\lr<t thf!i:r real ho1.• anJ ;-u;,o•~ , all or the
lo~ .. ""' ~.\11\flnt .r 'alae a\at•~>ent~ an:l. no1 •Y or .. torr • ll ol "'•
f olacn " ''" "" W>llll• .It \Oh al\cJt~le.,~ "'' 1 ~ou:rrUoua d.,ru•~ion CfU'< ie<l
(Ill l>y tne u.n~tc~-,,u.lout~ b "'·\ <•'. r~t~U:~U~>no.:r.t.ea wuo n.,,,. ••1 ... 4\l 'ontrol et
a ,.r• t ,. •:ty ' • " c ... ln~n, ~;~~o..r.ot nt.,e t:~~ u 1 h•u.e. •• · r• '""' A
~ ....... r1 ... 1•# m, b•'-i ,ua \.ts l ,. ... , 1.t one -;, 'th'l J.\lturft ~· ~J;ns n'!l:c1oa
•n:l \I>• • ...,\ ~1:1•~ o fl&J> \ .. un II l.l.ota rat.>•r t!\llt• bUUa\,e, <l.a•,. ne\
lO!Ita "'"" 1vtllo ~QO . ,tlt"ftr .. te 84ll'1C ... an••A Of til• 8tl'llo:J'lt! \ tO <! .. apair
c-1 til l :•a\1.1.\ "'>ul<l ~.o• ~" ... 1 o.1r ot 'll." c:onao1enco if ill,lt A;. rtoan
f1 o; 1e - llo ~ dr of ·h•lr ••n~• <>t Ju•Uoa e.n:t rtph' - to 1 .. ;~1Ur or
tll.•t -lu.r ,. • .,1116 •1a1on' •ni;~., bll." a 'l.le u• tl<n lfl~r ot 'he trot J>M
);ln cl tho •11rlu. I .or <lilt I• ).., fi'IIC ~<I 111 ftoi~h 111 "'' Country,..n , I I "
til a...:c.u 01 ~l11A oo\U•'rJ ell uJ. fro~ • l ~" ef 1n.1hlciM&l
o1.~;;1• ~~&alnat \he roqr a of 11'11. W11et1 •• l-ltraw aaideuuol'J .. a
htl:llii,Jj •bll.o.ne,,\ le> a :U'IItr\r loY1tlO pte>pla, 'b• aorlll ••~Cih•4 •UII or•or •n~ P•r•1c•l ~lrQ&-
2
le between brothers. But since that time we have won battle by battle X&
the silent stru~~le against corru tion in our poli t ical life , against
the control of our national resources by conscienceless corporations,
against the r ight of mere money to s i t supreme in our halls of l egislation,
against the !oroes of anarchy and Bolshevism, ~ainst the enslaving of
our industrial J.Opulation - all these .7i thout an aotual physical con
flict, but with as truly l>reat a moral effort as our physical effort in /.nV1 L&.-. ,(
the Civil War. Bec~use of these victories we~koureelves so !ftCS*oe
1nh'n• ee:~ become the example and the hope of all the liberty
loving peopl es of the world - the inspirati on of the downtrodden and the
dread of the~~ Whether we aish to or not, our pro,;ress t oward
a hig?er , better kind of li ving will lead the rest of the worl d in our foot-
steps , and our failure will ciJ.•ag a.ll civiliz'-tion be.ck .. ard 1Vith us • .:;>...
~ We enteral the great war for far . {ttt<-"Vf - - -
more than i>h-e materi a lJM A G1< C-\..Q
·H"' adva.nl. lli e, and the liberty l ovi ng masses of ~
hailed our entry because it meant1after the
the peoples of the Old Worl d
war1 a new and better era for
the World in general. Never has the entry of a combantant on the battle
f i eld been received w1 th quite the a3.1lle spil·i t as was ours. It was not
~s i n their headquarters , nor the statewen in their council
rooms th~t f elt the greatest exaltation at our appearance - it was the
peoples of the di fferent nat i ons themselvea 1\'ho took, eaoh a:nd every ------- ?-l one , fresh courage, fresh heart and fresh hope in the iuture, not ._.
-16'1111' our mili ta.ry strength but~~ declared moral purpo ee in
crushin& the greatest enemy of pro~rees that the world had known. We
fou6ht not f or profits but for peaoe . ~t'~r 11 ~V\. PL7,.,,..,1"t"'--l Take til) the old f iles of your nespapera when our repr<Oaent-
ativea arrived in Furope, Read of the wonderful receptions from the
peoples in Italy, i n Franoe , in Ent;land, Read how the whol e wor.td
t.
3
waited t o accept our l eadershi p toward a new kind of fellowsh ip among //. Q{IA.,.,U( t..lr,-" Co(.
nat i ons Where~r dealine should replace force and conference~ conflio~,
~ ~ead~how the little knot of selfish Senators who al l their
lives had f ought a losing fibht against progress, who had opposed &11
legislation eiving the people the things which were theirs, banded to-
~ether ~d thwarted the desire in every patriotic American's heart,~
aaepme the rnJe of W2J:·', 1e acie» gf tAe h~Q m&eR ftad been seoMeQ~
~ .B.e~ l p thou·rDea tile loi~~. Read how the whol e
pro~reas of the world was thwarted for the sake of partisan advantage and
piqued Fide. Read hoi¥ this same band, di are.,;a.rdint:; the voice of the
people of their own party at the primaries fori maa ~~&6~•••i·e &fta ''~
laoa t& leo • •&e• at ~= p~& th •o yea~1 in the confident belief that
tiea of a.c·ty woul d enable them to lea.d a. majority whither they pleased, ~a·.-
a.t that fa.mouo ba.ok-room.- m1d.n1~ht conference ail.a ••• t serw··ul ~ a. oandi-
date entirely pliable to their reacti~nary purposes and bol j l y challenged
. JA!-/4"" --~~"-~ the Country to defeat,. their struggle for that evil thing c&lled "llo'rmalcy•,
at M• lll:b. Continue through your files. I do not oare whether you
subscribe to a Republican or a Democratic paper. ~"~ See how they
were in their first confident assurance that a nat ion "ea.ry of war and
suffering from the tremendous ooat of war woul d unintelligently vote for
what they vaguely described as •a change •. See how in the first flush of 'l..t-u• <\ u~ •lfl/''
their easily 170n victory in the Convention they bola.ly bact tal sd11
the
Infant In~ustry, the monopoly protecting tariff, the nee~ of increasing
production and re~uoing the cost o! wages - all the old shibboleths of Mt...J..J~ .... ~~~. (!A~ .
the ~. See bow the temper of the people early warned them to ~ k.., t!u "'nt ,,~('
ba;tily revise their •canned• campaign speeches, and you will ••• e .. ef
4
the real objeot of the controllins f oroes of what is l ett today
of the great Republican Party. I t woul d be a mi suse of words to
oall these forces • l eadets•.
As to the f uture of our Country , as to whether we entered
the Leac;ue of !lat i ons or not , as t o whether the worl d ani history
would look upon us as a nat i on of shallow senti ment and no real pur
poce, they oared not a whit. Their only interest in worl d h i story
or i n the conui t i on of civili •ation was the fear of it s effect upon
thei r personal polit i cal fortunes. They so~ht to t alk about every
thin~ except the LeaJUe and what it meant. The docile mouthpiece
of their procl amations spoke one day for and the next day against ,
perfectly willing to throw the ,•hol e League pri nci.le over f or t he
sake of the support of •irreconcilabl e• Senators and e~er the next
day to deceive the people i n an effort to sooth murmurin&s of di e
content and rebellion whi ch followed that &etion. Read all this your
sel f . I am not makin~ cl aims -I am merely analy~in~ what the records
of the Preas will show.
Then read from the beginnin~ now, forgetting all mi nor
i ssues , how di sclai mi ng all speci al credit ! or the wi nning of t he
w~r, whi ch we mi ght easily have taken for our campai gn slogan, we of
the Democratic Party have sought to lay before the peo~le the
greatness of the real i osue. We have made it clear that we seek to
join in thi s .7onderful surge of the world ' s people toward a new order,
t oward a civili~ation in whi ch wars Will be a matte~ of history.
Our only fear has been that the peopl e woul d not real i ze the real
issues. Our confi dence tonight is the feeling that throubhout the
ent ire ovunt ry there i s shown remarkable and wonderful evidence
5
that the votars unJerbt and what they are really goi ns to vote for
next Tuesday . A hundr~d years from no~ the world hi stor ians will
write a chapter on the peri od in Am r i can history, a.nd i n the world ' s
hi story aa well , fro~ 1920 on . On your ballots depends the heading
of that chapter . Shall i t be - •Ameri ca l eads the Worl d toward The
!lew Era• - or - •Ameri ca abandons her Faith"?
To return to the world condi t ions of July 1914 is unthi nk
able . Ameri ca must never bea.r in the pa6es of hi story the responsi
bility for such a f ate .
Yt t thi J el ecti on wi ll mark the decisi on. In the years to
come ~rand-children studying thei r books wi ll come to us and a.sk u s
ho>~ \Ve asc i ded on the great referendum of 1920. I for one wa.nt to be
able to l ook them in the eye and give :mswer. I IVD.nt to be able to
say to the children of tomorrow -"'I vot ed for the teachi ngs of
reliJion. I vot ed for eaoe on earth . I have never regretted my
course ".
6
Aa i n the Nat i onal El ecti on, so i n many St ate El ecti ons
i t is the same dominant ~roup of Republican react i onari es at the hel m.
In our own St at e the very nomi nati on of the present Re_~blioan candi
da te for the Governorshi p i s an exampl e, and the renomination of the
present seni or Senator from New York clinches the aruument. I t i s our
good fortune that the &iimxai electorate has reai and unlerstands the
records of the nominees. The success as unself i sh public servants of
our a lendi d Governor Smith and Lieutenant Governor Walker is known
i n every town .~~ in ever y home of the Empi re Stat e. The voter s will
say to them on November 2nd - •Wel l done good and faithful servant s •.
IITRlCTI TROW IPt!CB OF ROI. F.D.ROOIIYILt ID TOM CltT, OC!. 10, lltiO
toni~\ \be Oal\ed 1\a\ee ot Aaer1oa e1ancle &1 \lie p&r\184
of \llo ••Y•· lo au~\ ao onaa.cl an<l 11p-...rll \owud. \llo 1cleal .. uoa, \llo
l.e&<lu of \be •orlcl, froa tile clull wall•J• of naUeaal aac1 porooual ane4,
of laJlla\loo ancl\111 ~l• of b~\o foroo, or \alto tllo ro\11rnlaa 4o...ar4
path 'llaoll to \lie ol.cl 11".fo aaa1n. Ao a tree, eo not a ,,....,, naUoat'
i ro• or die. lo EUo\ oon\ln11oual7 o\re\oa OUlO" ouz lloll&h• of oowaoroo
fur\llu Nut furlhar, lllper &Dd llijl)ler. le lllle\ coaUnl1allJ eUo\oll 0111
our roo\o of Juo\ice, of equali\y, of rl~ll\ \111nk1a& aacl aot1n&, 4eopor
aa.1 cl .. por, or ·•• 1.ue\ wUII OJ' leaf 'by loaf, t •1& '1»7 \ 111&, ... tCa-.4 , d~}
...,.. n&Uon.
Tllere e&ll 'D" no doubt of \bo real 1•wuo before \llo •otero.
A! ' oi \be ... outl~• of 1n1en11on, all or \lie •KG•• eore•n of GUDBlD&
lJ deYlaoll worda \o o'baoure \bellO" ro&l hope and p~ooa, all of 1110
nohJ 'bollllarclaon\ of faloo a\a\ .. en\o and nohJ 010"&\ery, all of tile ~.,.....~-._
poholl a•• of unapeall~le aaorUoa• &Del aourrUouo clofQ&Uoa - '\lla (
wooorupv.loua bQJld of naoUoll&..r)' Wllo llun·o aelaocl oou\:rol of a area\
party• • II&OhlllerJ, .. nno\ 1114e \he nal ho11e, Ia are eo\ a\ A~ocldoa,
&Del booauea \he 1•""' 1• one of \he future of \he A&\loa &D4 \he f&o\
\lla\ •• l1ibt o1tb 'ballo\e ra\her \llan bQlleta, cloee no\ •~•• ~~~•
iota \lie cloeperate oer1ouenooa of \he e\~la. to cleap&ir of \he
lO"eoul\ would be to cleopa1r of tho oonaolenoe ~· \bo Aaer1oan poople.
fo cleopa1r oi \heir ••n•• of Jae\1oe ancl r1&h\ - to cleoratr of \ha\
olear aeo1aa •1•1oa 111110~ llae ~e ao tho le~r ot \he flO"ee peoplee of
1111 110rld, &D4 I folO" oao hol4 fad ~o 8J fal\111 111 DJ Coun\rpea. file
..rob o1 \lab OOWihJ onward hoa a 10114 of laclh1<lll.al oolflall 1\atoe to
a UD1\e4 aa\1oa ll&e al~J•'boea a\\oncle4 o1\A ooaotan\ -.rf&ro -aaiDot
po .. n of ••11. nea •• \llrow &elclo ola•erJ •• a \blq allilonOD\ to a
llber\J lo•la, people, tllo world ea\OIIod w1111 borror \be pbyo1oal ••rae-
a !ut alnoa that time we haYe won ba~tle by ba~tle ~
~he allent atruggle asainat oorruptlon 1n our political life, a&ainat
the control of ovr national reaouroee by oonao1enoelaea oorporatloaa,
againat the right of aara money to alt supreme 1n our halls of lag1alatlon,
aga1nat the foroaa of anarchy and BolabeYiaa, agalnat the enslaYlng of
our 1nduatr1al population - all these without an actual physl o&l oon
fllot, but with aa truly great a moral ef fort aa our physical eff ort in
the Civil War. Because of theae Yiotorlea we find ourselvea ao great a
natibn aa to have become the example and the hope of all the liberty
loving peoplee~rld - the inspiration of t he downtrodden and the
dread of the ~ •• ,, ... ,. Whet her we Wish t o or not, our progreaa toward
a higher, better kind of living will lead the rest of the world ln our foot
atapa, and our failure wlll drag all civilization backward with ue,
We entered the great war f or far more t han ~material
adYant&ga, and the liberty loving maeaes of the people• of the Old World
hailed our entry because it meant after t he war a new and better era for
the World ln general, NeYer hao the entry of a ooabantant T the battle
field been received wlth quite the same eplrit aa waa aura. It waa not '
th• genfrala ln their headquarters, nor the atatemen in their oounoll
rooaa that felt the greateat exaltation at our appearance - lt W&a the
peoples of the different natione themaelvea .no took, eaoh and avery
one , freah ooura&e. freah heart and freeh hope in the future, not bl
oauee of our allltary atrength but of our declared moral purpo~e ln
oruehlng the greateat anamy of prosr••• that the world had kno~. We
fought not for proflta but for peaoe . '
Taka up the old fllaa of your ne~apera ~hen oar ~eprt ... t-
at1Yea arrlYed ln ~rope. Read of the ~ndarful reoeptlona froa 1ae
people• ln Italy, ln rr .. oe , ln EaglaDd, Read bow the ~ole wvrld
ll -
ll&lh4 to aooept mU' leaderalllp to•r4 a mow 111n4 ot tellolflll\lp -"'
a&tlone ~ere falr 4eal1~ ~~ul4 rerl~e toroe aad oonferenoe, o~nfllot1
a.ac1 \hen read. llow the llttle tnot or eeltiab Sotn&\ere no all t.beir
l1Yea b~c1 !ought a loa1na tl~bt 10a1net prosreaa, ~o ba4 oppoae~ all
lt~1 •lat1on .t•lng tbe p~pla ~~~• \lllns• •111Gb .. ra \hair•, banda~ to
aetbar ~4 tbwar\ed tlla 4aa1re in eYary patr1ot1o !aarioan1 e bear\ to
uauu \bt naa ut aoral laa4.ar ot Ua l'ol'lli 111111oll llaol batn aootded to
-.. Bta4 ln tboae !ilea tbe h1a\~rf of tba\ periOd. Rea4 bow tl\a .aole
pro110n•• ot Clla WO:t'l..t wu tllwutad for tl>a aaltlt e>f puUaan &<iY&nil&fle &ll\1
11qua..t trida. ReaJ bow th1a • •• b~, 41a~t6&r4ln tba Yoloa ot tba
people ot tbtlll' nwn part' at the rrlae.riea for a aa11 prOt)ll'tha1"• a.oel hu-
1••• \O le•t •Ilea at \be po11a tnla 711~ ln \bt oonlldant btl1af \bat
t1ta ot p~~1 would enAble thea to la~t a aajor1\y wbltbar they pla .. ad,~
at \l:lat t-. 'llaolt-:roOtt, a14niVt\ cnmtu~tnoa aaOJ.u•·.,. ••• I , ' &. a oac41-
c1&t a entlrelf plla~a to \hair ra~tinnary vurpoaaa an4 bol~ly Oballauca..t
\bit Oountrf to dotfa&t their atll'uagl• !or \ba\ tYil thin& oallad •Koru&lcy•
a\ the polle .
trtlbaodba to a Rep\lblioom or a n.cooratlo papar. Sea how anurarl \ht7
wara iu their tire\ con!i4an\ &~eQranoa \hat a nation waar7 o! war and
.uf!ar1~ tro•· ~ha \rMaandouw ooe\ or war would un1ntall1&antl7 •ot• for
what thtf ~17 •••oritoa4 aa •a Ob&n&a•. Sea he>w ln tb• rtrat fluth of
tha1r •••117 won YiotorJ in the ConYan\ioa \liiJ '-l~J trotted o\li iba
Iataat lA~u•trJ, \be aonopolf protaotiQG tariff, \hi naad ol 1norea~tna
prodootio• tn4 ~•~oolaa \hi ooat or --a•a - all \ba old allitobola\ha o!
tilt old &&II&• laa llow til• u~a:r of tha p1oph tlU'lJ wanad thea \a
~Uq\117 .re•ha t t.d:r •ouma4• oupalp IPt•OAaa, aatl JOll •111 aaa "' or
- . -of tAt uen oeluant et ~• lltlpV'IIUoan trllun no .. el.,.d
•11• nkl oltJ .. ' et tho r.-l lttB4on of oat~at h loU to.IAJ ot tho
&r .. \ Ro~'l:llloaa Partr.
'• •• \llo t~t~r• ol our OoUAtrJ, •• \oaa Wbotllor ••
aatart4 tllo ~-c~• of ••tlor.o or ~ot, •• to wbot~ar tha world. and.
b1•torr wt wcl. look ~en ~• ao a n&Uonal 11! thallo• antl•or.t. Nll1 no
ro 1 pu%pooa, •11•1 ua~"d no~ & Wblt . Tbolr only 1ntoroo\o ln
world hl~\orJ or la \ho o~nc!.1,1on of o1,l l1&&t1ona wae tllo toa2
of 1\o eftoot Qpon th•lr pe r~onal polltlo~ for\un~•· !ll~J
•anted \o t~~ abou• ewory\tlna oaoop\ tho Lt~o and. .nat 1•
aoaot, Tho 4oo1lo aoutllpl•o• of tllolr pro~la.&tlon• opoka on•
day !or nne!. \ll~ ne~t ~•1 -.•1nwt, verleo\ly Willlna to torow tho
wttolo I.e-..~• \Joeo~rr ••r • or tba a'\1111 ol 'II• •~o?J'Ort <!I two ~~"r-h
, •lrnconollablo•S•n\&\oro Allli •aa•~r, to a.•olll•• tno ~ ttolll .. oa \lila .....,......~ ' ~to aoot~ tba cur•~ns• of 41•0Qn\ont aad rabolliou w1\hln
\belr own rank• wntcb tolLowwd \ba\ aQilan. ~•&4 all \lila youraelf .
I ..,. nv\ ..... tn.. ol'<l .. - I aa aur10l7 IUu•lJ ~ln& wna\ \ba reoo:r 1 ot
tho Pr••• • 111 anow.
Tben taiW t "''" \A<~ ~.,1nn1nat llo•, r ol'll•ntno &ll alnor
llouea, bow J l eolaialn& all or•>ll tor \lie wl nino of \he ..r,
W<\1\ln we Ill&~\\ oaell.)' ba.YA ~~)ctn tot UIIJ' O!\IIJ'at,.n alo.,an, W8 Of
the D•.oo~atlo P~r\J b~fa •o~t to l&J ba lore tno pac~le tha
0 roa\ao•• ot \no r•~ l~.u• - wbe\be~r or no~ • • wlll Join ln
tbl a •undertQl .ur1 of tlla •ozlJ'a v•ople towar~ a n~• or4er,
\owarll Ol¥llla~<1.1on in llhlell\ wal"l trill be & ae.Uol ot bhiOl'J.
0\lr tnlr tta2 h~• ~~~r. u .at ua !'<M>Pl• woul\1 not ul'lia.o \lie real
hwao. 0\lr ooatlc!.ODOt \onl.,tl.t 1a \ba t .. al1JI4 \lla\ \llrOUoPOU'-. llle
aun oo\IA\l'J 1ten h~Ul'l,.'lllo &nJ wcnc\ortul -:::l~P'"I.+i
... II -
, •• , tao •otor• Q~¢tre,and •~at \11-y ar~ ro~ly &OlA£ \ o YO\o
lor noat ~••4 y. A h~izod J44rO fr~ no• t ho ·~rld h1a\ortaao
will ''~' tholr -barter• on tho pori~ ln ~ Aa r 1o.a h\otory
ea4 1n tho -orld ' • hlotory •• welll fro• 19 . oa. OA yoQ~~l01a
4opoa4a \ho ho~l~ ot \bat ehaptor. Shall it bo - •Aaor1oa
do ·1.,•• to lelold \114 World towa:rc. th,o ••" tra• - en~ - •tho
lo~;1an1no. of tbo ,.,..11 ot ~~~• ._,.lq&fl Peooph'. llll 'IJO ao••
! Ol'lf&~4 lo \U T&lli5Uill'l1 Of U10 '-o~4 1 16 ll..;lTIIIIOO towa:r4 JIOkOII Ucl
J TOepori\J or 111 "o 4oollat to joln , and r•~reat1B& 1n\o ouz
own b.);r(lo;n b<l<~n•• aoro Pl'\lnlan \h.o.r. \ho Pruutan• IUit.ll "'o
will bo obll&~ ~o cro•te, ln ~be •~• way n~ tor tho ~• p~
po .. •• tbo ltaleor' " bo,.~• ••r• 4of•at•·\ two ye&u ~of think
oaret~lly ~foro you ••'•· 1 ror one h••• no filar ot yOQr
<1 oUhn.
