Once upon a time the President of the United States spoke
words the nation needed to hear. Once
upon a time our President defined employment for all as not just an economic
necessity but a moral imperative. Once
upon a time, when unemployment was too high and many said nothing could or
should be done, our President spoke with these words to tell us not only that the
federal government could and should do something to put people back to work but
that it had a moral obligation to do so.
We need to hear these words again.
Men may differ as to the particular form of
governmental activity with respect to industry and business, but nearly all are
agreed that private enterprise in times such as these cannot be left without
assistance and without reasonable safeguards lest it destroy not only itself
but also our processes of civilization…
To those who say that our expenditures for
Public Works and other means for recovery are a waste that we cannot afford, I
answer that no country, however rich, can afford the waste of its human
resources. Demoralization caused by vast unemployment is our greatest
extravagance. Morally, it is the greatest menace to our social order. ..I
stand or fall by my refusal to accept as a necessary condition of our future a
permanent army of unemployed. On the contrary, we must make it a national
principle that we will not tolerate a large army of unemployed and that we will
arrange our national economy to end our present unemployment as soon as we
can and then to take wise measures against its return. I do not want to think
that it is the destiny of any American to remain permanently on relief rolls.
Those, fortunately few in number, who are
frightened by boldness and cowed by the necessity for making decisions,
complain that all we have done is unnecessary and subject to great risks…
Nearly all Americans are sensible and calm
people. We do not get greatly excited nor is our peace of mind disturbed,
whether we be businessmen or workers or farmers, by awesome pronouncements
concerning the unconstitutionality of some of our measures of recovery and
relief and reform. We are not frightened by reactionary lawyers or political
editors. All of these cries have been heard before…
In our efforts for recovery we have avoided
on the one hand the theory that business should and must be taken over into an
all-embracing Government. We have avoided on the other hand the equally
untenable theory that it is an interference with liberty to offer reasonable
help when private enterprise is in need of help. The course we have followed
fits the American practice of Government - a practice of taking action step by
step, of regulating only to meet concrete needs - a practice of courageous
recognition of change. I believe with Abraham Lincoln, that "The
legitimate object of Government is to do for a community of people whatever
they need to have done but cannot do at all or cannot do so well for themselves
in their separate and individual capacities."
I still believe in ideals. I am not for a
return to that definition of Liberty under which for many years a free people
were being gradually regimented into the service of the privileged few. I
prefer and I am sure you prefer that broader definition of Liberty under which
we are moving forward to greater freedom, to greater security for the average
man than he has ever known before in the history of America.
ADDRESS DELIVERED BY FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT RADIO FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1934
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