But change for the sake of change has no absolute merit in itself. [applause] hazard is thet preservation of western civilization, in our selfinterest alone if you please, it is the part of wisdom to change for the sake of change to a party with a split personality. To a leader home we all respect, but who has been called upon to minister to our hopeless case of political schizophrenia. If the fear is corruption in official position, do you believe with Charles Evans knows no party, do you doubt the power of any political leader if he has the will to do so, to set his own se in order without his without his neighbors having to burn it down . [applause] in commonconcern me with thinking of partisans in both parties is not just winning this election, but how it is won. How we can take advantage of this great opportunity to debate issues sensibly and soberly. I hope and pray that we democrats, win or lose, can campaign not as a crusade to exterminate the opposing party, as our opponent seems to prefer, but as a great opportunity to educate and elevate a people whose destiny is leadership, not of a world in front of it. [cheering] even more important, then winning the election is governing the nation. That is the test of a political party, the final test. When the bands are gone and the lynn lights are dimmed, theres the stark reality of responsibility in an hour of history with those grim specters of materialism at home and ruthless, inscrutable and hostile power abroad. The ordeal of the 20th century of the whole christian age is far from over. Sacrifice, patience, understanding may be our lot for years to come. Lets talk sense to the american people. Lets tell them the truth, that there are no gains without paying. That we without pain. With still which alone can ensure triumph against the great enemies of man who are poverty and tyranny and the assault upon Human Dignity which are the most grievous consequences of each. Lets tell them that there is victory to be one in the 20th century, this portal to the golden age marks the pretensions of the individuals and human ingenuity, fortis the citadel guarded by thick walls of ignorance and mistrust which do not fall before the politicians implications or even. He generals back home [applause] they are walls that must be directly stormed by the host of courage and morality and vision, and be shoulder to shoulder, unafraid of ugly truths, contemptuous lies, halftruths and demagoguery. Wider thanare wise, up or the wiccans think and the Peoples Party, that the labour party, not the employers party, it is a party of no one because it is a party of everyone. [cheering] that is our ancient mission, where we have deserted it, we have failed. With your help, there will be no desertion now, better we lose the election then mislead the people and better we lose then discovered misgovernment people. Help me to do the job in this autumn of conflict in campaign, helping to do the which stretches beyond the horizon of todays tonight happy vision, and we will justify our glorious past and the loyalty of silent millions who look to us for compassion, for understanding and for honest purpose. Thus we will serve our great perdition greatly. I ask of you all you have, i would give you all i have, even as he who came here tonight and honored me, as he has honored you, the Democratic Party with a lifetime of service and bravery that will find him an imperishable page in the history of the republic and of the Democratic Party, president harry s truman. [applause] finally, in this staggering task, that you have assigned me justly,always try to do to love mercy and to walk calmly with my god. [cheering and applause] now, wrote to the white house rewind continues with harry truman accepting his partys president ial nomination at the 1948 Democratic National convention in philadelphia. In his speech, the incumbent president accuses the Republicancontrolled Congress of stalling on economic and social legislation and it calls for a special legislative session less than two weeks after the convention. President truman trailed in all the major polls leading up to the 19th or is a general election, but he went on to defeat thomas dewey when he almost , winning almost 50 of the popular vote. A third candidate, of the wonat party 14 states four states. 1948 conventions were the first to be televised, although with limited reach and only seeable in nine cities. This speech is about 25 minutes long, and our coverage is from nbc news. Our leader, and the next president of the United States. [cheering] thank you very much. Im sorry that the microphones are in your way, but they have to beware where they are because i have to be able to see what im doing. As i am always able to see what im doing. [applause] i cannot tell you how very much i appreciate the honor which you have just conferred upon me. I shall continue to try to deserve it. [applause] i accept the nomination. I want to thank this convention for its unanimous nomination of my good friend and colleague senator barkley of kentucky. [applause] it is he is a great man and great public servant. Senator barkley and i will win election and do not dont you forget that. [applause and cheering] we will do that because they are wrong and we are right and i will prove it to you in just a few minutes. Met to express the will and reaffirm the beliefs of the Democratic Party. There have been differences of opinion, and that is the democratic way. Those differences have been settled by a majority vote. To gettime for us together and speak of the common enemy. That is up to you. We have been working we will be working together for victory in a great cause. Victory has become a habit of our party. It has been elected four times in succession, and im convinced it will be elected a fifth time this november. [cheering] the reason is that the people know the Democratic Party is the Peoples Party and the Republicans Party is the party of special interest, and it always has been and always will be. The record of the democratic in thes written countless bands of the last 16 years. I dont need to repeat them, by theve been very keynote speaker, the candidate for Vice President and by the covenants andrman security have been brought to the american people, farm income has increased from less than 2. 5 billion in 1933 to more than 18 billion in 1947, never in the world for the farmers of any republic or any kingdom or any other country as prosperous of the farmers of the United States and if they do not do their duty by the Democratic Party, they are the most ungrateful people in the world. Applause]and wages and salaries in this country have increased from 29 billion in 1933 to more than 128 billion in 1947. Labor neverr, and had but one friend in politics and that is the Democratic Party and franklin d. Roosevelt. I will say the labor what i have said to the farmers, they are the most ungrateful people in the world if they passed the Democratic Party by, this year. The National Income has milliond to 200 and 3 in 1947, the greatest in all the history of the world. These benefits have been spread to all the people because it is the business of the Democratic Party to see that the people get a fair share of these things. This last idiot congress prove the opposite for the republicans. The record on foreignpolicy of the Democratic Party is that the United States has been turned away from isolationism and we have converted the greatest and best of the republicans to our point on that subject. The United States has to accept its full responsibility for leadership in international affairs, we have been the backers and the people who organize and started the United Nations. Started under that great democratic president , Woodrow Wilson as the league of nations. The league was sabotaged by the republicans in 1920, and we must see that the United Nations continues a strong bodies that we can have everlasting peace in the world. We have removed the trade barriers in the world, which is the best asset we can have for peace. Those trade bankers must back into operation again. Have started the foreign aid program, which means the recovery of europe and china and the far east. We instituted the program for greece and turkey and i will say to you that all these things were done in a cooperative, bipartisan manner. The Foreign Relations committee of the senate and the house were taken to the full confidence of the president in every one of these moves and not let anybody tell you any different. As i have said time and time bein, foreignpolicy should the policy of the whole nation, and not a policy of one party or the other. Partisanship should stop at the waters edge and i will continue to preach that through this whole campaign. [applause] i would like to say a word or two now about what i think the republican philosophy is and i will speak from actions and history and from experience. 1932 was due to the policies of the Republican Party control of the government of the United States. The Republican Party as i have said a while ago favors the privileged few and not the common everyday