Franklin D. Roosevelt- "The Great Communicator" The Master Speech Files, 1898, 1910-1945 Series 2: " You have nothing to fear but fear itself:" FOR and the New Deal File No. 835 1936 January 8 Jackson Day Dinner Address IUDIIO COPT J.LCI:SO'l DAT SPUCH BY !HI' PUSIDU! lU.YJ'LO"I'ER I!CTlL JAJitl'.LRT 8 , lV36. lta~ n .ztd urr1tol'1al poueuloll.l aM e•et~ on board thlp11 hearty rnet111p. r.- t .. happy to etand hen tonltbt and~ d.aele.n to you that the rn.l ~before tbe united 8t .\toe 1e tho& e.tld e. happier llfe, that e u the e ... h-'WI, -ore tbe.A one tbt .... h.III\Wlge .. lf t nn a441'eee1Qfl: I• e ~bUUA e aather 1na of tu,aalna••ell or e. rath11'1J'II of n r kere or of I aot apply to e1't:'J' o1then. in ne 110\U\trJ' t10 &&tter whet I b lc: or bel' pol1Uoel ti'f111eUgna -Y be. I a 1a tr.a tb&t " ,..rloaM ht... • found. party e.J ••/ ..( or&anll•tiou to be U&erul, ~ neoe•MrJ, 111 t~• nr:r•talllu.tlon of oplnlon and 1n the lit~~~oUoatlon or luu.. ou or our snat paru... It h ne.. nthela .. tNa that 111 the 10n.. • qo.JttUou that c:=ontro1'1l the unuM ltat .. toda.J tbe Aaerlo.at~ pOint or ..uw . beOOIUI t he 1yabol ot certAin srt a ~ 1\lU.ll. 1 Ute be•t to r\lllllu4ntallJ unlleretc>od.. To the .....e. or bil countr)'llen b1• "11 beeaue• they unde re~ h1& ..u -- hh paadon ror 3u.Uoe, hle cu.ploneb!p or the C&U&II or the u plolted. I b ' • &..HI or ollgarohlo a&e:r•nlon. ,,.loll ud. hll aoUon.t, the people lo1'14 bt& tor 1t the ~ l'MT realh..S t'<e !t;tcm11t1 ot tl:e attaote by hh at;aaher bJ' relent:l.cn ht.Uac!.. '1'Uo bl'lnetlc1ar111 ot U:.e ab\1811 \0 -.bleb be put en 1nd. pun\11'111 !11& y1tb all the vhlence t hat pe:>U t1oal bad. Mlq..S to otbr pazt1'* O:' beloQ,ged. to 1:0 party at aU, ~•• Jaot- wu cocpell..S to ttpt aYir1 l:i'!J'or""t. !deale .ln. o.,.nhdaJ.na propor tion ot the 11.1tulll. po"r of the COl.llltr)' ct 1111on.at1on ami the &OIIldlllf ot pubUo opinion t oU&ht hill., tr.UUnc !!~:- at bia. h "eud. tbt ••au... all _,.. ecuut hta- ~ -bu.t the~· ot the UDt\.14 s~ .., ... Bta\dt hhtory.., often rtpt&U 1Utlf, let el 414&• wchaa any .u.nln 0\ll' btetor y to lnCl'l&at, on the lD tbdr IOluUon, J'c!lOwi:IB the r~nt&ll or JtftiUO:Q tbt &'ltr'l:t ot ~·-.auld. be-n lfl'•&tly end.u::tne:e ~, and. helpful ~~the nadol:l• t'Un cl.tolelont li&d.t by ••11 "IP"r.tl or the eleotor• te ropren ntln,g tfl&ll or epectal ole••"•'nd.onO:.~· ;r1t h great &41'1U\t&f!C• or eoctll or eoonoll.lo ponr . h, like Jtffutol:l,.. !ace~ wl\4 tbt P"' 41ffli:'Uty OQIIPelltd. to ooabl.t tpU biU, gentrallU", s 1trtp r"tntat1o~ anc1. tht tuppr.. t i on of !acta by tha proot" ot U k1118 hh 1Uppor ttrl anc11ncl.ti!!d 1 all C\tl:tft1 1 to COftlltltuU t~lllY.. tnto tntorll&l oo..tttl" t or the purpou ot o'b\atntua: the ll probably •ar that cood old J.okto:a. 110 doubt J"talht4 ttat tv~:rr 0111 an,..,,.. • • .. rtblltn, Jaokton rot hlt ldtc.• an4 hlt ld.ealt aorou, not throuetr. &I1Y lur.~:louao pro))l8an4• but 'bloa\lae t ht Kill on tht ttrttt and. the IIII.Q ou the tar~~ belle.. 4 111 hll Ueu, hh t bt taot that tbh yeu - ue to ban • nat! or:al tlt:~t~cn. ao.. u .... at u~e ol.,a e of • 4Q 1 11.1 to • yeolt that the latt naUonal eltoUon CNtt have been held. lL d..oa:tn yeo.:n aao - t o •\loh ..a ttr hat r= Wl4er t he tr1qe , 10 MIIJ l'fltt evtnU in J..r- o= hhtory have oecurred. tlnoe thtn. Atl4 r•~,_ th1rt:r-toUl' .ant1:t, 1111 tl:l.I.D. three yeart, ht.l't CO::Io" b)' tlDCt lf&:r'cb, 1933. tht :r'lblrttr. ot tht tnttreat an4 \llllltrstand.11\1 ot a great liOaiMt o! the De..,o::-a.tlc Pal't)' - aD4 I u told that a COn.YtnUon. it ~ bt held. to dllcl"'- tht.. .o.. n.tou1 que11Ucra - tht batlc l ..ut •111 b~"~h:'f!flntlon. ot popular a<~vt:Mitftt - - - A an ltl~ trau,sM once r::;o:rt with tht d1!t1cult probl• o! oppotltlon btnt en bldlne; UM! dlttor H.~ t.cta. Jm../ ftat~~~~--:rpniu.tlell, not p&r\J' o:rcuhatloa ~dldelllt,lttotuentlal , that it why, in addition to orpnhaUon, I .Ue \ be.. !aou abroao!, each a:l4 t1'U7 ona o! )'OU b~craated ln fOIU'I'Itl! a com~1 tt ea o! one , To lio thla you nate!. no pa:rc:l:went ro act u wcm 1. co=.tttee of oat 10\1 riU aeed ollly YO\U' own appoltltMDt, an appolii\IM!It ..tl1cb. ourlt1 with H -• effort, loet obl1g&t1oll 011 10IU' put t o ou1')' ou.t U1t t 11k you M.Yt 1111gned to 10Ul'.. lf . Yo11 will baY& ~ :tW'I down 1\at.. tntl Milt ~ yo\1 b7 o tlltl'l whtoh 70\1 ..,. btlitYt to bt falce. Yo\1 will toetd to an.J.yu t bt .othtl or tboce wbo aali:t uwtrtlo~ to :;ou, to aall:e an 1.~";"entor1 1 11. YO\I.J' oa ~ty , 111 o~:r that yo\1 _,. check an4 :r~htct f o r )"0\IJ'ttlt aDd. thtl'lbY bt in a pollt1011 to &nl.. l' tl"OII who bll.Yt btell altlH o r tbolt who wo\lld dlltad. Tdday eunlne, I :rece 1••~ Qn7 appreolat he letten and Ult£1'U:I f ro- all 01'81' tla O<tuntry and. ! t h1Dlr. 1 t trill lntt:reu 10\1 to lr.no• tba.t w1tb.1D a ::-ew bo\11'11 l Hcthld .OI'e ot thut tb.~ at~ U.e tlDOt the or1t1o1Ll d.a71 of tb.t 8pr1QC of li33, 1 baYe carefully l't&4 tllou ltttnt ~ ttltgr.. • an4 !OW'>d two facta wbloh an WOI'thy of repeatlca to 10\1 tontaht . me ftut 11 that a vuy lar e• n~J~tblr ..u "nt to .e 'by f ..n t a• who evidently htud •Y lteuaee while a~d to••·n:.•r in ";."e fe,cUy b.OOM, "11:7 •lfl and 1 ~ t yo\1 to }r;~w how -b." appreciate" eto, -or "Tbt Jon•• !..tl y, l the 'lb1te llouee , t ha•c the d.ehnUo tleUna: that what I ha':e 1&14 about the gred probl- that taoe ~ u a Jr.Uon antnr 1>:1 tbe bo~• of klrl<::~a. thh MUll a lot to 111 . T'tll r t et of their ceu~~,ge t.o • • h th11.t they appreciate and. lllployen of ~~ lfaUon llllr. DO 1peol&l l41'&nt1C1; tMy llek ~~#<· only an 1qu.r.l opportunity~ e,.&rl 111. thl• ~n.efltl lllld t hlt,.. .....,... obl1sauoo• or ro.,.rnment . II I &II natW"a.lly gratetv.l tor th11 aupport and. ~t• tln1tt4 Stat.. uekt to c h t the• • tquut U&l u:4. a 'XtUJ' dt&l- uelte to protect th-~ )to tt.Yt t~ fr011 bt1n; plonc1 W'l4n by the ~1 111nority ot budun •tll 111 1t anc1 tte knoele4....,cce they ha't'e ot 1 u poUo\tt• .l SOYU"nMnt e&n be 110 bt UU tbtn the P\'bllc optnlol\ t l\l'.t euetatnc U . Court t..c claJ'• 1160· 1 O&JmO' r tnd.tr eftbul(l Jw:!oMnt w1tbo\lt ttu411JI&, eHh the '-lt.ott oue, uo of th4t .ott - "" .• ..,-..">._, IL ~--.>;-- -~~wue opllllont uer retw1tred ln a caet be tore t he 11 of the lansuea• ot t hen op1nioTUJ till profound.ly a!ftct the Une of Amerlc'-l't for yOU'll to coco. lt 111 tnougl'l to tillY that the attain•... nt of jWJtlCII MCI pJ'OIJ>IIJ'lty tor cbJ•otlYI of~ ....,.lntttrat1o11. Juet u J'ackao;~ :rouafl\ tb41 people h \helr ~ant~ dut1t1 aa ott!nna, 110 JN,U the laadantll p of tMt era 4o He ut&Qat t o enCO\IJ'"81 Md. ...,.bin 1fidflllprtad l nurut l rr. public atraln. Tha:tt na &Ollla thlne; of thl atem&l youth ln the eplrlt of J ackRD. tbedaUlnyotyouth bec.., t he4eaUJl1 of ~rloa, tu:b bze41ataly betor a ue are u uduou u the CODq'Jelta of t he frontier a bundred yean atO· TIM OAUoa 11 l Ull YOW18, aUll tp'orin,;, atlll conaolo"' of lb bl&):l <!.etUny. bthudum an1. the lntelUecnoa of the y-.t:t h of the land are n eoeon zy to the fulfilment of tha t dtatin,.., .t.a I undentand the t e.per of Ule peopl e , p&rtiO\ll&rlJ the te.,er of routh, DO party of reaotlon, no ~dld.at" of reaotlon cell tulfil tbt> bope t.ft4 faith Cl! that aplrl\, U 11 Ule eaered 4uty of ue 111:1:) are Ye.ted e tth the roeponalbillty o! leadn-ehlp to jutlfy the u~ou.uou oi n.a young MD.