Nov. 5, 1973 - Speech, Distinguished Republican Award Dinner - Award for Hugh Scott, Philadelphia, PA” of the Gerald R
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The original documents are located in Box 127, folder “Nov. 5, 1973 - Speech, Distinguished Republican Award Dinner - Award for Hugh Scott, Philadelphia, PA” of the Gerald R. Ford Vice Presidential Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Copyright Notice The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Digitized from Box 127 of the Gerald R. Ford Vice Presidential Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library • ? PENNSYLVANIA DISTINGUISHED REPUBLICAN A' ARD ti; INNER HONORING SEN. HUGH SCOTT, 7:30 PM I~~ MONDAY 5 1973 AT THE SH RATON A~ 1~/ OT L IN P ELPHIA PA. QJV c IN T ENTY-FIVE YEARS IN TH UNITED STAT~ CONGRESS YOU GO TO A LOT OF TEST I .ON IAL 0 INNERS. Ir ->s AN UNOFF Ic IAL PAR OF THE JOB, AND A PART THAT I HAVE AL ' AYS ENJOYED. ~/ el u v FOR A UARTER OF A CENTURY NOW, I HAVE ORKED WITH THE EN AND ~ O MEN OF T E UNITED STATES CONGRESS AND MY RESPECT FOR MY COLLEAGUES HAS GRO N -- \ - 2- NOT DI INISHEO -- ITH THE PASSING OF Tl E. SO THIS KIND OF GATHERING , PAYING TRIBUTE TO AN HONORED PUBLIC SERVANT' IS AL AYS A PLEASURE . TONIGHT' HO EVER , IS SOMETHING SPECIAL -- SO ETHING ORE THAN THE USUAL OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER SOME ~ELL - EARNED PRAISE TO AN HONORED COLLEAGUE . THIS EVE ING IS UNI UE BECAUSE THE MAN WE HONOR THIS EVEN ING IS H l 1 ~SELF UNI UE . HIS LEARNING ' IT ' INTELLECT ANO DEDICATION MAKE HI so, AS ELL AS HIS RE~ARKABLE -3- RECORD OF PUBLIC SERVICE -- A RECORD UNEQUALLED IN THE ANNALS OF THIS PROUD STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA . FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS HUGH SCOTT HAS GIVEN HIS STATE AND HIS COUNTRY THE T 0 THINGS THEY NEED THE MOST -- ABLE LEADERSHIP AND UN 1UESTIONED I TEGRITY . IN THE PROCESS , BECAUSE OF OUR SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES AS THE INORITY LEADERS OF THE SfWATE AND THE HOUSE, HE HAS ALSO BECO ti E A MAN I AMPROUD TO CLAI MAS A VALUED PERSONAL FRIEND . HUGH JS ADVICE , -4- HIS ENCOURAGE . ~N~ ) AND HIS UNFAILING GOOD HU OR HAVE HELPED US BOTH THROUGH A LOT OF TOUGH DECISIONS AND A LOT OF I PORTANT ORK FOR A ERICA . B SIDES1 HE IS THE ONLY AN I THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS YOU CAN GO TO FOR REALLY KNO LEDGABLE ADVi CE ABOUT CHINESE • ART . ~ \~~· ANOTHER OF HUGH SCOTT ~S UNSUNG VIRTUES IS HIS PI ONEER ORK IN ,~A I G THE MOUSTACH RESPECTABLE I OOERN A~ ERICAN POLITICS . AFTER TOMDE EV LOST THE . -5- PRES IDENT IAL RACE FOR A SECOND TIME IN 1948 ' THE MOUSTACHE FELL INTO A LONG DECLINE. ONLY HUGH SCOTT STOOD BET·EEN THE MOUSTACHE AND TOTAL POLITICAL OBLIVION. IN THOSE DAYS HE WAS A PROPHET ITHOUT HONOR. TODAY ' THANKS LARGELY TO HUGH' THE MOUSTACHE HAS REGAINED RESPECTABILITY AND HAS REAPPEARED ALONG ITH SIDEBURNS IN BOTH HOUSES OF THE CONGRESS . I CALL IT THE GRAYING OF AM RICA . j -6- HEN HISTORIANS LOOK BACK ON THE TROUBLED YEARS OF THE MID-T ENTIETH CENTURY' THEY 'ILL REMEMBER OUR GUEST OF HONOR IONIGHT AS THE MAN WI 0 , ADE THE OUSTACHE SAFE FOR OE.DCRACY . IN A MU H MORE SERIOUS VEIN' THERE IS SOMETHI G ELSE THAT HUGH SCOTT PIONEERED FOR HIGH POSTERITY ILL BE TERNALLY GRATEFUL . LONG BEFORE MOST PEOPLE HAD GIVEN A THOUGHT TO THE WHOLE CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE ' HUGH SCOTT AS FIGHTING VIGOROUSLY FOR THE CA~SE OF HUMAN DIGNITY • . -7- AS A CRUSADING PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY , HUGH SCOTT CHAMPIONED THE RIGHTS OF ITALIAN A ERICANS, BLACK AMERICANS AND OTHER MINORITY GROUPS DECADES BEFORE CIVIL RIGHTS HAD BECO E A FASHIONABLE CAUSE OR A POL ITICAL ASSET . HAT HUGH 010, HE 010 OUT OF CO. PASSION A A BELIEF IN HUMAN DIGNITY . AND THOSE FOR HOSE RIGHTS HE FOUGHT HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN HI , AS I CAN SEE FRO LOOKING OUT INTO THIS AUDIENCE TONIGHT . -8- 1 DON.>r THINK THERE IS ANOTHER AN ALIVE TODAY , IN OR OUT OF THE CONGREss, HO HAS OONE AS ~ UCH FOR THE ADVANCE MENT OF HU AN RIGHTS -- THE FUNOAr ENTAL LI ERTIES OF ALL A ~ERICANS -- AS THE SENIOR SENATOR FROMPENNSYLVANIA ' Y FRIE 0 HUGH SCOTT. NEARLY EVERY CIVIL RIGHTS BILL THAT HAS PASSED THE CONGRESS SINCE HUGH ENTERED IT CARRIES HIS l ~PRINT. MILLIONS OF AMERICANS TODAY ARE AT LONG LAST LIVING THEIR LIVES AS FIRST CLASS CITIZENS BECAUSE THIS MAN OF PRINCIPLE LED TH CRUSADE FOR HU AN DIGNITY FOR ORE THAN A GE ERATION . -9- SPEAK ING OF JUSTICE ANO LA ENFORCE! NT ' I HAPPEN TO KNOW THAT HUGH JS ADVICE ALSO HELPED THE PRESIDENT IN HIS SUCCESSFUL SEARCH FOR A NE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF UN UESTIONED ABILITY AND INTEGRITY ' HUGH JS COLLEAGUE FROMOHIO ' THE HONORABLE BILL SAXBE. IF THERE EVER AS A MAN HO TELLS IT LIKE IT 1s, THAT AN IS BILL SAXBE. AS ATTORNEY GENERAL I A CONFIDE T THAT HE IS GOING TO 00 A GREAT JOB HELPING TO RESTORE TRUST AND RESPECT TO A SHAKEN JUSTICE DEPART~ENT. -10- TH IS IS THE SAME TASK I HAVE SET FOR , YSELF AS VICE PRESIDENT. I HOPE TO DO MY PART IN RESTORING THE TRUST THAT OUR PEOPLE ONCE HAD AND ESERVE TO HAVE AGAIN IN THE AMERICAN SYSTE OF GOVERNMENT . AS FAR AS I AMCONCERNED ' THIS IS THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS TODAY FOR ALL OF US -- HETHER E SERVE AS VICE PRESIDENT' SENATE MINORITY LEADER OR A PRECINCT CHAIRMAN IN PENNSYLVANIA . AND I DEEPLY BELIEVE THAT ) IF WE ALL PULL TOGETHER' WE CAN AND WILL DO IT . -11- IN HIS FARE ELL STATE OF THE UNION A RESS A GREAT ADOPTED PENNSYLVANIAN BY THE NAME OF 0 IGHT EISENHO ER LEFT US A PRAYER -- A PRAYER THAT ALL A ERICANS CAN SHARE' ESPECIALLY AT TH IS TROU LEO Tl E. "-ET US PRAY ,"' IKE SAID, "°THAT LEADERS OF BOTH THE 'EAR A'0 ISTA T FUTURE ILL BE ABLE TO KEEP THE NATION STRONG AND AT PEACE, THAT THEY ' ILL LEAD US ON TO STILL HIGHER MORAL STANDARDS, ANO THAT, IN ACHIEVING THESE GOALS, THEY nLL MAINTAIN A REASONABLE BALANCE BET EEN PRIVATE AND -12- GOVERNMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY •.., AS WE LOOK AT THE ORLD TODAY - AND I REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE TO PIERCE THROUGH A LOT OF IMMEDIATE GLOOM TO DO SO -- BUT IF YOU DO LOOK AT THE BROADER PICTURE TODAY , YOU SEE THAT PART OF IKE ~ S PRAYER HAS ALREADY BEEN ANS · ~L.RED . FOR DESPITE SO E VERY SORE TESTING, OUR LEADERSHIP -- PRESIDENT NIXON ~S LEADERSHIP -- HAS KEPT A ERICA STRONG AND RESTORED THE PEACE . NOT ONLY THAT, BUT FOR THE FIRST Tl E IN LIVING ME i,ORYJ -13- WE CAN ACTUALLY LOOK TO A FUTURE IN HICH A FUL~ GENERATION OF PEACE IS NO LONGER AN E PTY OREA BUT A POTENTIAL REALITY . THIS IS NOS ALL ACC01PLISHMENT . IN FACT, IT IS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT, LIKE OUR GUEST OF HONOR TONIGHT , IS UNI UE . ANO OUR ~LIEST OF HONOR HAO A LOT TO DO ITH IT . FOR WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF MEN LIKE HUGH SCOTT, PRESIDENT IXO COULD NEVER HAVE ACHIEVED HIS GREAT BREAKTHROUGHS FOR ORLO PEACE . -14- , ORKING TOGETHER, THE PRESIDENT AND MEN OF CONSCIENCE AND ABILITY IN THE CONGRESS HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THIS GREAT ORK . A NE CHAPTER IN THE SEtRCH FOR PEACE WAS RITTEN JUST A FE DAYS AGOJ ' HEN FOR TH FIRST TIME IN THE LONG AND ITTER HISTORY OF THE ARA - ISRAELI CONFLICT1 OTH SIDES AGREED TO DIRECT TALKS -- THE KIND OF TALKS THAT MAY EVENTUALLY REMOVE THIS ENACE TO WORLD STABILITY . TH IS IS A RECORD THAT E CA BE PROUD OF AS REPUBLICANS ANO AS AMERICANS . -15- 1 RECOGNIZE THIS , YOU RECOGNIZE THIS' AND I BELIEVE THAT MOST AMERICANS RECOGNIZE THIS, BUT NE ALSO REALIZE THATJ . TODAY AS NEVER BEFORE' E FACE ANOTHER PROBLEM -- THE PROBLEM OF ~ORA LITY AND STANDARDS THAT IKE AO RESSED HI. SELF TO THE SECOND PART OF THAT PRAYER OF HIS. RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY' A CLOUD OF DOUBT HANGS OVER ASHINGTON AS E ARE GATHERED HERE THIS EVENING. IT IS A CLOUD THAT MUST BE CLEARED A AY FOR THE SAKE OF OUR COUNTRY. -16- THE UESTION 1s, HOW DO E 00 IT? I AM SURE NO ONE EXPECTS AN EASY ANS ER TO THAT UESTION. THERE ISN JT ONE. BUT I OULD LIKE TO SUGGEST AN ANS ER THAT FLOWS FROM Y 0 N EXPERIE CE. LAST THURSDAY I APPEARED BEFORE THE SENATE COM ITTEE ON RULES AND AOfvl I ' IST RAT I0 , HI CH AS IN UI R I NG INT 0 ,~y FITNESS TO BE VI CE PRES IDE T OF THE UNITED STATES. -17- IN MAKING Y OPE ING STATE~E T TO THE CO MITTEE' I SAID : "TRUTH IS THE GLUE THAT HOLDS GOVERN~ENT TOGETHER, A D OT 0 LY GOVERN!ENTj UT CIVILIZATION ITSELF. ~ I BELIEVE THAT OST DEEPLY. TRUTH IS A TIE THAT BINDS HUMAN EINGS TOGETHER IN A DRIVE TO~ARD NO LE GOALS, ANO TRUTH IS THE 0 D THAT LINKS PEOPLE TO THEIR GOVERN~ENT ITH FEELINGS OF FAITH ANO TRUST.