Senator KENNEDY. I have been presented with
this donkey by two young ladies down there for my daughter. My daughter
has the greatest collection of donkeys. [Applause.] She doesn't
even know what an elephant looks like. [Applause.] We are going
to protect her from that knowledge, too. [Applause.]
I am delighted to be here with my friend and
colleague in the Senate, who has fought for Pennsylvania and this country,
with your distinguished Governor, the great sports columnist, Gov. David
Lawrence [applause] with your congressional candidate, Chester Hampton,
and your assembly candidates, and William Reagle and Harry Boyd, ladies
and gentlemen, Mr. Nixon has announced [response from the audience] - we
are running a high level campaign - Mr. Nixon has announced that he proposes
to spend the next 3 weeks talking about Quemoy and Matsu. I am delighted
to do so. I am delighted to discuss this effort by a trigger-happy candidate
to involve the United States in a commitment of these islands, 4 and 5
miles off the coast of China, a commitment which President Eisenhower never
made in the treaty of 1955, and has not made until the present time. I
am delighted to discuss it. But I would also like to turn the Vice President's
attention to Pennsylvania, to Sharon, Pa. [Applause.]
I believe that the people of the United States
would like to hear him discuss his views on an island not 4 miles off the
coast of China, but 90 miles off the coast of the United States-Cuba.
[Applause.]
But I also think he should talk about what
his administration has done and plans to do for the people of Pennsylvania.
[Applause.] And I can tell you what they have done so far. They add up
to five words. The Republican Party has vetoed the needs of Pennsylvania,
has vetoed Pennsylvania. [Applause.] Twice the Congress of
the United States has passed legislation to aid areas where there is high
unemployment. Senator Clark fought for the second bill, I was the floor
manager for the first bill, the distressed area bill, the area redevelopment
bill, and twice this administration vetoed that bill, which would have
helped this county and would have helped Sharon. We passed two bills for
housing and for urban renewal, which would have helped Pennsylvania. Twice
this administration vetoed them. We passed a bill expanding our loans to
colleges, for college dormitories and this administration vetoed it. We
passed a bill to speed up cleansing our rivers and our streams, and this
administration vetoed it.
The Republican administration vetoed a bill
which the Congress passed which would have provided for research in the
new uses of coal. But let's come right close to home here, to Sharon, to
this town. In the public works bill last year the Democratic Party added
the Sharpville Dam. This administration vetoed the bill, and we had to
override their veto to meet this need, this protection against the floods.
I want Mr. Nixon to come here and discuss these problems in this community,
not 4 miles from Sharon. [Applause.]
I must say that all the time when this country
fails to educate a boy or girl, fails to make it possible for that boy
or girl to go to college and get an education, fails to clean our rivers,
fails to find employment for our people, fails to find research for new
uses for our old commodities, fails to move this State and country ahead,
that administration has failed the country, and I must say that I cannot
believe in this great industrial State of Pennsylvania, which has seen
in the last 8 years a recession in 1954, a recession in 1958, and now,
just 2 years later, a partial recession in this State, and across the country.
Behind that sign up there [laughter] - behind that sign I hear that there
is a slogan "Experience counts." Well, if you want experience which consists
of opposition to basic programs, programs of $1.25 minimum wage, programs
of housing, programs of industrial growth, programs of strength, programs
of peace, then experience does count.
I have been in the Congress for 14 years.
I arrived there the day Mr. Nixon did. I was on the Labor Committee with
Mr. Nixon. I came to McKeesport, Pa., in 1947 to debate Mr. Nixon on the
Taft-Hartley Act. He did not wear makeup on that occasion [laughter and
applause] but regardless of whether the makeup is changed and the lighting
is changed, Mr. Nixon remains the same for 14 years. He is still opposing,
as he opposed in 1947, programs which serve the people, and in serving
the people serve the cause of freedom. [Applause.]
I say as the standard bearer for the Democratic
Party, as a member of a party which has produced Franklin Roosevelt and
Woodrow Wilson, and Governor Lawrence and Senator Clark, a party which
believes in progress, we commit ourselves to a policy of full employment.
[Applause.] We have to put this country back to work. If the United States
is going to meet its commitments around the world, and I favor the United
States meeting all of its commitments, if we are going to maintain in this
country and around the world the cause of freedom, if we are going to defend
ourselves and all those who look to us for help, we have to be strong,
we have to be moving ahead here at home. We have to be developing our resources,
we have to be educating our children. We have to be meeting the problems
of our older citizens. We have to find jobs for our people, and I can assure
you in 1960 if we are successful in this election, we will give this country
leadership and the United States will start moving once again. Thank you.
[Applause.]