Rem a r k s of S o n n to r {t~ ; b e r t H • Hu mph r e y Penn Sque r e Re ad ing , 'Pa . Octobe r 15, 1964 Sena tor Humphrey . Th a nk you very much . Th a nk you . Th a nk you, my friends . All right . Th a nk yo u . Congr essma n Rh odes , l ad i es a nd gentl e me n, my good young friends, may I suggest th a t you just hold up th 2. t enthusia sm . Congr e ssma n Rhodus, memb e rs of th o Cou nty Committee, the fin e a nd good peopl e of Reading, Pennsylv a nia -- ( App l a us e ) -­ Sena tor Joseph Cl a rk, who hns boo n her o with you today to s po~ k to you ~ nd my d i s tinguished colloa guo in tho Senate , a nd m ~y I add a n ow member of th e United St a t os Se n a te , if you go to L\J or k on ~JcJ v em b o r 3 r d , Go n o v i o v o 8 l 2 t t • :',J o a r e v o r y ·. ploasod to soo you, Gonevi ov o . ( Ap pla use ) I am pa rticul ~ rly h3ppy to como t o tho District of ono of th o mo s t ,bl o a nd dod icatod mom bors of th o Ho us o of Ropr osonta tiv os . I h ~ v o kn ow n your Congressman for many yea r s in Was hington, Rnd I h3 VO n evo r known him to do a nything o l so but to servo 2 n d servo ~ n d serv o th o constituents of his d i strict with fi de lity , wi th onorgy , with a bility , a nd with r esults . And I a m ol onsod to be hero on th o pl a tform t oday to a sk th o poop l o of this groat 3 r oa of Pennsy lv a nia to once aga in giv e th eir v ot o of confidence to a f a ithful , honor a bl e , off octivo momb or of Congr ess , your own Congressman George Rh odes . ( ~pp l a uso) And who n yo~ Rr o do ing tha t, 2nd whe n you a ro do ing tha t, m2 y I a l so suggost th a t you koop in mind the necessity of ha ving in th o Un ited States So n2 t o somoon o tha t will dedica t e he r lifo to the pr ogrossi vo p rinci pl es of govo rnmont, th o s oun d p rinci p l ~s of gov ornm Gn t, of th e Ko nn ody -Joh nson Ad min­ i strati on , a nd I know tha t you a r o going to do tha t by sending to tho Unit ed St3to s Sen3 t o ono of th o most oxp o ri onc od , ono of tho most trusted, a nd on e of tho most t a l ont od pub l ic servants in tho hi s tory of Ponnsylv~ ni n , and tha t i s your own Gonov i ovo Bla tt, demo cra tic c a nd i date for tho Unitod St a t es Senate . ( Apo l a us:J ) Now , . my doar fri e nd s, this is a wonderfu l a udionco a nd I a m e t e rna ll y g r a t Gful to you . I want t o tha nk my young fri on ds t od~ y a nd ask for th e ir cooporat i on . ~o lov o to soe our young pnopl o wi th us . I a m v o ry fon d of them. gft or a ll , I h a vo ~ houseful of thorn, a nd I think I 8 pprociato th e ir cnthusi ~s m 2nd t hoir on orgy . But I think tho timo ha s com o in thi s c?mpnign , may I say quit o hon os tl y , when we ncod to havo somo v e ry ser ious d i sc ussion of issues . Wo a lso nood t o t ake into considor~t i on our groa t rosponsibility as citizens of thi s Republic on o lection d2 y . So I say t o my youngo r fr i onds how gra t oful wo a r o f o r the ir pr esonc o ond I ask them to do a civic service , not only in thi s ga th oring but in th o wooks ahoad . I as k th osu young fri e n ds that ~ r o ho r e t o go to th oir r espoctiv o homos a nd to t a lk with their pa r e nts a nd to talk Re a ding , PL:l . - 2 - with th e ir brothers a nd siste rs who ma y be of voting a ge . And I a sk them to a p point th ems e lves a s a committee of on o , a committe e of 8no , t o s a fegu a r d tho institution of Ame rica n de mocr a cy in tho homo of A mcric ~ which, by tho wa y , is tho ba ckbon e , is tho strength of this gr o3 t Republic . Now, y our p ~ r o nts m ~ ny times hs v o a dvised a nd couns e led you, just a s I h ~ v o ,dvi sod a nd counse l e d my thr oe sons a nd da ught e r . I would like to s oy tha t this is your cha nce How ma ny ~ f us r oo liz o tha t in th o l a st election in this country in 1960 , tho pr e si de nti a l ol octi on, less tha n two­ thir ds of th o A m ~ ric a n vot e rs oligiblo to vote took tim e out on e lecti on day to think of their gov e rnm e nt, to think of their country, o nd to a ct ono wa y o r a noth er . Of course, we a ll ha v e our point of vi ew a s to how we woul d lik e th o ol o cti c n t o c omo out but I think it i s e qua lly important th a t wo ha v e a n e xpr e s s i on' not jus t of a f ew of tho Ame rica n peopl e , not just of 60 po rc ont, but tha t wo ha ve a n express i on of every e l igible votor in ~ m e ric a . So I sa y t o my y oung fri e nds , if tho 1\ o;:J ub li c. ·of Itc.ly coul d c ~ st 93 pe rc e nt of th o t ot a l e l e ctora l vot e on th o pa rt of its od ult citiznns in th o most rece nt e lection in Ita ly, if Fr anc o coul d c c. st 90 pe rc e nt of a ll of its eligible vot e s , if th o S c a n da n a vi ~ n countries c2 n cas t 95 po rc ont of a ll of th e ir oligiblo vot es , if in Be lgium thoy ca n ca st 87 pe rcent of a ll of th oir e lig ibl e vote rs, th e n I a sk my fri ends of tho United St a t es of America , 8nd I ask my young fri e nds in p~ rticul o r , wha t i s wr ong in thi s gr oo t Republic of ours who r e wo e njoy mo r o fr ocdom, whor e wo e nj oy mor o pros pority, whor e wo onjoy mor e of th 2 blessings of lif o , wh a t is wrong with us wh on only 63 pe rce nt of th o tcta l oloctor a t o in 1960 in th a t gr oa t ol o ction botwoon Pr e si de nt Konno dy a n d Vic e­ Pr e si de nt Nixon , whn t was wr ong with Amorica th on wh e n wo wore so sl a ck , whon we wo ro so limited in our politica l expression? So , my doa r y oung fri e nds, as n fri e nd of young pooplo , a nd I a m ot orno lly gr a t e ful f o r your ho l p e nd your onthusi a sm , your s milos , yc ur idealis m, your pop , wil l you t o ke somo of this homo with yo u new ? Will you c onta ct your mother a nd your f a the r 3n c y our ne ighbor s a nd sa y th ~ t if they ca n do it in It a ly, if th e y c3n do i t in Fr a nc o , a nd I pr edict th a t to day in Gr oa t Brita in wh or o th oy ~ r e ho l d ing a gr eat no tional e l e ction tha t n ot l oss th? n 85 t o 90 po rc ont of tho vot e rs of Brita in will turn out t o th o poll s , if th oy con do it in Norwa y , in Sw ede n, in D8 nm a rk, in Ho lla nd , in Corm any , in Belgium , f o r not in a s ingl e =ountry doos l o s s tha n 85 porc ont of th ~ tota l e l e ctor a t e turn o ut , why ca n ' t we do it in i\mericc ? Ma k e it your business t o b o a good citiz e n .