QUESTION. I am from Stoneton, Ill. Senator
Kennedy, what do you plan to do to help the farmers if you are elected?
We farm about 300 acres and we fall behind about every year.
Senator KENNEDY. The question was, What we
would do for the farmers? I did attempt to indicate in my speech that we
would try to bring by controls that are put on with a clear majority of
the farmers in that commodity, to try to bring supply and demand into balance.
Secondly, that the support price will be tied
to a parity price which would bear the relationship between what the farmer
would earn, with comparable resources, and comparable managerial skill.
May I say that one area that I did not mention is I think we can make better
use of this food in this country and abroad. There are over 4 million Americans
who depend on surplus food packages, and that is things that are distributed
under the name of surplus foods, which don't feed our people at all. And
I think we can do a better job abroad. If Mr. Khrushchev had our food resources,
he would be using them to spread the doctrine of communism. I want to use
them to spread the doctrine of freedom. [Applause.]
QUESTION. My name is Minnie Demars, from Mantoon.
Would you let your religion affect your influence if you were elected President
on some matters?
(Response from the audience.)
Senator KENNEDY. I must say that I don't mind
the question because, after all, there are a good many Americans who have
spent - who are concerned about the question of religious liberty in this
country, and anybody who seeks the office of the Presidency, I think should
be willing to answer any question which disturbs any citizen or group of
citizens. [Applause.]
Let me say that if the question is would I
permit my religions affiliation to interfere with my devotion to the Constitution
and my responsibilities under the Constitution, I would not. I would hope
that anyone who believes in the moral law, who believes in the precepts
of Christianity or Judaism, would carry out their constitutional responsibilities
with a conscience. But I must say if the question means would I permit
unconstitutional or improper interference by anyone in this country or
abroad in carrying out my responsibilities, then I would not permit it.
Let me say that it would be unconstitutional. [Applause.] And any President
who did permit any such action would be subject to impeachment by the Congress
for a breach of the Constitution. [Applause.]
So my hope is that in 1960, after 14 years
in the Congress, and 4 years in the Navy, taking the same oath that the
President takes, I hope that with all the serious problems facing the United
States in 1960, I hope that we make our decision based on the candidate's
competence in those areas and not where he goes to church. [Applause.]
QUESTION. My name is Elizabeth Booth, from
Springfield.
Mr. Kennedy, if you were to be elected to
the Presidency for two terms, what would you do when you got out of the
White House at the age of 51? [Laughter and applause.]
Senator KENNEDY. Well, President Truman has
shown how interesting life can be for a fallen President [laughter and
applause] and I must say that President Hoover has performed valuable services
to this country in the last 15 years, so I must say that I really have
not taken myself to 1969 yet, but I appreciate your happy compliment and
thought. I will remind you that John Quincy Adams from my own State after
being defeated for the Presidency in his second term, the people of Plymouth,
Mass., wrote to him and asked if he would serve them in Congress, and he
said yes, he would, on two conditions; first, that he would not have to
run for office and campaign, and second, that he could vote the way he
wanted. They accepted on both of those conditions. He served for over 20
years in the House of Representatives, carried on the fight against slavery
and wrote the most brilliant chapter of his life, so I can't say that at
51 there would not be something left to do. [Applause.]
QUESTION. I am Murray Ellis, from Lincoln,
Ill. Senator Kennedy, I would like to know after you are elected in office,
what will you do about Jimmy Hoffa and men like him?
Senator KENNEDY. Well, I must say that Mr.
Hoffa has been campaigning the country and making speeches and saying that
he is very much opposed to my election, which I consider to be a strong
endorsement for my candidacy. [Applause.] I hope the members of his union
will support us. But I want to make it very clear that I don't believe
that the Department of Justice has carried out the laws in the case of
Mr. Hoffa with vigor. I investigated him in the "Rackets" Committee for
over 3 years. I am confident that he serves not the interests of his members,
not labor in general and not the public, and I feel that as labor people
and working men and women and honest union officials, who try to do a decent
job, who represent their members, who bargain collectively and responsibly,
I feel their efforts are stained by Mr. Hoffa. I hope that Mr. Hoffa is
removed from the head of the teamsters by either Government action or by
the work of its members. I am confident he will be. [Applause.]
QUESTION. I am Daniel Faulkner of Springfield,
Ill. Senator, do you believe that Castro will last much longer as dictator
of Cuba? [Laughter.]
Senator KENNEDY. Well, I think it is hard
to make any - of course, you can't predict a future. The future is extremely
uncertain. The events of the last 5 years have shown us how difficult it
is to make a long range judgment. What we should do, however, is move ahead
on the basis that he will stay in power for some time, that he will continue
to try to spread his revolution throughout all of Latin America, and, therefore,
we must take action on two fronts.
First, we must sustain and strengthen those
democratic forces in Latin America. And it is an unfortunate fact that
this administration has been indifferent to Latin America until the last
few months. The fact of the matter is that the United States has given
more aid to Yugoslavia than to all of Latin America combined in the last
decade. And suddenly, when our relations with Castro become bad, we begin
to put forward a program of aid and loans to Latin America. I think we
should do it because if Latin America should fail under the grip of the
Communists, if they should be unable to sustain democracy in Latin America,
our security would be directly imperiled. So the fight against Castro takes
place in other countries.
Secondly, in regard to Cuba, itself, I feel
that the United States should sustain the cause of freedom, that we should
indicate that we do not believe that Castro believes in freedom, that until
he is willing to submit his case to the people in a free election, that
we will hold out the hand of friendship to those who have been driven out
of Cuba by Castro, that there are undoubtedly those in the mountains now
who are growing beards in preparation for undoing Mr. Castro. I think we
should observe with at least some interest their progress. Castro may come
or go, but the problem he represents continues. The problem is twofold.
First, the poverty of the people in Latin America, which are subject always
to seizure by a Communist or by a nationalist who may turn in the direction
of Communists. As long as people live on the margin of existence, as long
as they see us rich and prosperous, as long as they see us indifferent,
then Castro has an attraction.
Secondly, we have to recognize that Castro
and others will move in and out of countries over the next 10 years. I
think the next 10 years are going to be the most difficult in our history,
will require qualities of self-discipline, restraint and perseverance as
we have never needed them before. But my judgment is that sooner or later
people want to be free. The whole Castro movement was based on the desire
of the people in Cuba to be free from Batista. Castro betrayed the revolution.
That does not mean that the revolution did not have legitimate force in
the beginning. This desire of people to be free has shown itself in Africa,
has shown itself in Eastern Europe, is showing itself in Asia, and in my
judgment that force is the strongest force in the world against the Communists.
We should associate ourselves with it. We should hold out the hand to those
people before the moment of desperation comes, and then accompany them
on the road to freedom. [Applause.]
You have been very generous tonight. This
is the 15th speech we made today, which is the alltime record of this campaign,
and I am sure it must be enough. I want to thank you all very much for
your hospitality. [Standing ovation.]