October 15

"It's plain hokum. If you can't convince 'em, confuse 'em. It's an old political trick. But this time it won't work."

Harry S. Truman, 33rd President, 1945-1953, Address at the National Plowing Match, Dexter, Iowa, September 18,1948.(http://www.dexteriowa.org/) Truman was often the political underdog and outsider in Washington, D.C. politics. He was the last modern President to have not gained a college education and the "connections" that would have come as a result. He had applied to West Point, but was turned down due to his poor eyesight. He was very well read in history which contributed to his knowledge of government and leadership. Despite his "lack" of education, Truman's spirit, knowledge, and experience carried him forward. Merle Miller, from Iowa and a Washington correspondent, called Truman "an uncommon common man" and "the last real human being to occupy the White House". Truman's Secretary of state, Dean Acheson, once said of Truman, "I have read over and over again that he was an ordinary man. I consider him to be one of the most extraordinary human beings who ever lived." This speech was made as part on his famous "Whistle Stop" campaign of 1948 as he ran for President against the Republican candidate, Thomas E. Dewey. Truman was not given much chance of victory but he surprised the pundits and won the popular vote. Parts of the speech, presented at The National Plowing Match, which was a competition for $1500 in prize money and drew 80,000 people, give an idea of Truman's steadfast demeanor. World War II had been won in 1945 but the world and the nation were still in a state of conflict and flux. He states, "... It does my heart good to see the grain fields of the Nation again...The whole world has reason to be everlastingly grateful to the farmers of the United States. In a very real sense, the abundant harvests of this country are helping to save the world from communism. Communism thrives on human misery. And the crops you are producing are driving back the tide of misery in many lands. Your farms are a vital element in America's foreign policy. Keep that in mind, that is of vital importance to us and to the world...In this critical situation, my motto has been: "Keep your temper and stand firm." We have kept our tempers. We have stood firm. And we have been reasonable and straightforward at all times. He continues by saying he and the Democratic party can best help the farmers and laborers as long as they work together. He believes the Republican party is attempting to split the vote by creating animosity between city workers and country farmers: "... So long as the farmer, the worker, and the businessman pull together in the national interest, this country has everything to hope for...The Republican strategy is to divide the farmer and the industrial worker--to get them to squabbling with each other--so that big business can grasp the balance of power and take the country over, lock, stock, and barrel. To gain this end, they will stop at nothing. On the one hand, the Republicans are telling industrial workers that the high cost of food in the cities is due to this Government's farm policy. On the other hand, the Republicans are telling the farmers that the high cost of manufactured goods on the farm is due to this Government's labor policy. That's plain hokum. It's an old political trick. "If you can't convince 'em, confuse 'era." But this time it won't work. He concludes, "There is one way to stop the forces of reaction. Get every vote out on election day, and make it count. You can't afford to waste your votes this year. I'm not asking you just to vote for me. Vote for yourselves! Vote for your farms! Vote for the standard of living that you have won under a Democratic administration! Get out there on election day, and vote for your future! (http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=13000)