FDR

At the bottom of every case of criticism and obstruction we have found some selfish interest, some private ax to grind.

First, the federal government is about to spend one billion dollars as an immediate loan on the frozen or non-liquid assets of all banks closed since January 1, 1933, giving a liberal appraisal to those assets.

Finally, I repeat what I have said on many occasions, that ever since last March the definite policy of the government has been to restore commodity price levels.

The object has been the attainment of such a level as will enable agriculture and industry once more to give work to the unemployed.

The permanent welfare and security of every class of our people ultimately depends on our attainment of these purposes.

When we have restored the price level, we shall seek to establish and maintain a dollar which will not change its purchasing and debt paying power during the succeeding generation.

Our dollar is now altogether too greatly influenced by the accidents of international trade, by the internal policies of other nations and by political disturbance in other continents.

Therefore the United States must take firmly in its own hands the control of the gold value of our dollar.

This is necessary in order to prevent dollar disturbances from swinging us away from our ultimate goal, namely, the continued recovery of our commodity prices.

You will recall the dire predictions made last spring by those who did not agree with our common policies of raising prices by direct means.

What actually happened stood out in sharp contrast with those predictions.

I have told you tonight the story of our steady but sure work in building our common recovery.

In my promises to you both before and after March 4th, I made two things plain: First, that I pledged no miracles and, second, that I would do my best.

Our troubles will not be over tomorrow, but we are on our way and we are headed in the right direction.

It seemed to us our duty not only to make the right path clear but also to tread that path.

The first was relief, because the primary concern of any government dominated by the humane ideals of democracy is the simple principle that in a land of vast resources no one should be permitted to starve.

But the simplest way for each of you to judge recovery lies in the plain facts of your own individual situation.

Is your faith in your own individual future more firmly grounded?

Have you lost any of your rights or liberty or constitutional freedom of action and choice?

Read each provision of that Bill of Rights and ask yourself whether you personally have suffered the impairment of a single jot of these great assurances.

The most vociferous of the Doubting Thomases may be divided roughly into two groups: First, those who seek special political privilege and, second, those who seek special financial privilege.

It is well for us to remember that humanity is a long way from being perfect and that a selfish minority in every walk of life--farming, business, finance and even government service itself--will always continue to think of themselves…

In the working out of a great national program which seeks the primary good of the greater number, it is true that the toes of some people are being stepped on and are going to be stepped on.

But these toes belong to the comparative few who seek to retain or to gain position or riches or both by some short cut which is harmful to the greater good.

We are increasingly demanding and getting devotion to the public service on the part of every member of the administration, high and low.