Remarks at the Truman-Barkley Dinner

Thank you very much. This is a wonderful, wonderful demonstration of what a man's friends think of him.

You know, both my "bosses" are sitting here at this table. I always called Barkley boss, too, and always had for as long as I can remember. So when they tell me what to do, I sometimes do it.

But I will say this, that as long as I was a Member of the United States Senate, when my leader in the United States Senate decided on a policy that the Democratic Party should pursue, I followed that leader in pursuit of that policy, and I think that's a good plan.

Incidentally, I am putting out a little propaganda.

I have the pleasure and the privilege to present to you at this time the daughter of the Vice President of the United States, a most gracious lady, Mrs. Max Truitt.

I found in the Senate that an ordinary Senator didn't have a Chinaman's chance with oratory or the presentation of the situation, after the Leader of the Democratic majority at that time had spoken his piece. You can understand the position in which I am in now. Barkley got the floor first, and he made my speech.

But I am in agreement with most of the things he said, and I am sure that we will be in substantial agreement on the policies and principles of government for the next 4 years.

No President in the history of the country was ever more fortunate in the President of the Senate than I am in having Vice President Barkley. Barkley and I have been going along with the Democratic Party ever since we can remember, and he is somewhat younger than I am. And we have always been in accord, both of us, with the policies and the principles of the Democratic Party, as set out by Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

As the Senator has said, I am the President, he is the President of the Senate. We expect to carry out the policies and principles laid down in the Democratic platform, and that is the reason I am anxious for the Senators and the Representatives who are Democrats in the Congress of the United States, to cooperate with us, and I know that is exactly what they are going to do.

We are faced with a serious situation. No one, I think, in the history of the country ever assumed a greater responsibility than I did on the 12th day of April, at 7:09 in the afternoon, when I was sworn in after the death of our great President, Franklin Roosevelt.

It was necessary for me, at that time, to assume an almost unbearable burden. I was willing to assume it because that was my duty. I did the best I could with it over the .period from April 12, 1945, until the present day. And I had not much cooperation after September 6, 1945, for the simple reason that at that time I enunciated the principles of the Democratic platform of 1944, which I had helped to write, and on which I had been elected with the President of the United States.

When it became necessary to meet the situation head-on, Senator Barkley and I at the Philadelphia Convention enunciated the principles on which we expected to run for President and Vice President of the United States. Senator Barkley enunciated those principles in the keynote speech of the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia. If you remember, a little bit after 2 o'clock in the morning, the last day of that convention, I enunciated the principles on which we were going to be re-elected.

And then, right here at this table, almost in exactly the same position, at the Jackson Day Dinner, I informed the Democrats who were present at that time that they were looking at the next President of the United States, and I was the man.¹

Now, Senator Barkley and I have a tremendous responsibility, the greatest burden, I think, that any President and Vice President of the United States ever had in the history of the country.

We are going to assume that burden, and we are going to do our best to carry out the things that are necessary to meet the situation with which we are faced, in this country and in the world.

But, we can't do that unless you, and the Congress, and the people of these United States get behind us and help us carry out those principles that are necessary, to get the things done, to get the peace in this world that we need and that we are going to have.

I do appreciate most highly the efforts of this wonderful Truman-Barkley Club. It has done a wonderful job for the Democratic Party.

Now, don't let this organization pass out. Keep it alive.

In 1950 we are going to need a cooperative Congress, just as badly as we need the 81st, and we don't want to elect another 80th Congress in 1950. It is up to you to help.

I can't tell you how very much I appreciate the privilege of being with you tonight, and how much I have enjoyed the party, and how much I expect to enjoy the party a little later. Barkley is pulling at my coat.