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White Sulphur (Springs) Sentinel
May 4, 1960

Kennedy Greeted By 1000 As He Makes Short Visit Here

Senator John F. Kennedy, Democrat from Massachusetts, a candidate for the nomination of a President, arrived in White Sulphur Springs about 2:45 p.m. Wed. He and his party drove through the town, talked to people and visited a shop before speaking to an estimated crowd of 1000 on the high school lawn.

Senator Kennedy spoke briefly stating that "this primary election is most important and your choice for the presidential nomination is most important. I run for the presidency because I believe that our country must move forward and not stand still."

He stated that this campaign year of 1960 is more important than even 1932. In 1932 the preservation of freedom of the United States was at stake but today, in 1969, the preservation of the freedom of all the world is at stake."

Senator Kennedy stated that he was proud to speak to the people of West Virginia, the state that was always ready and willing to help fight for the cause of freedom. "West Virginia should, indeed, be proud of her heritage."


Humphrey Charged With Smear By Senator Kennedy

Senator John F. Kennedy has charged Hubert Humphrey with distorting his record, attacking his integrity and playing fast and loose with smears and innuendos. He charged that Humphrey "simply cannot win" but was supported by persons more "interested in stopping Kennedy" than they were "in stopping Nixon - and stopping this Republican depression." The full text of the statement follows.

"The time has come to face the facts frankly about my friend Herbert [sic] Humphrey.

"First in Wisconsin, now in West Virginia, he has distorted my record, attacked my integrity and played loose and fast with smears and innuendos. I do not intend to reply in kind - because no Democrat is ever going to win in 1960 by imitating Richard Nixon.

"But I do not intend to take this kind of abuse indefinitely. Because there is one fact about Hubert Humphrey that everyone agrees on - every politician, every Washington correspondent, every Gallup Poll and all the rest - and that is the single fact that Hubert Humphrey cannot be nominated.

"He cannot win the nomination - he cannot win the election - he cannot be President of the United States. So why, you might ask, is he conducting a gutter campaign against me here in West Virginia? Why is he letting himself be used as a tool by the strangest collection of political bedfellows that has ever joined to gang-up on one candidate? And why should he ask West Virginians to waste their vote on him?

Five Presidential Primaries have been held so far - New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Illinois, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. In every one of these 5, the Democratic voters gave a boost to my candidacy. In every one of those five, the Democratic party made a great showing. And in every one of those 5 the candidacy of Hubert Humphrey went absolutely nowhere.

"He is an able orator, a brilliant speaker, with a quick mind, tireless energies and a winning smile. But he simply cannot win. He talked about winning in Wisconsin - but he lost. He talked about his great strength in Pennsylvania - but, when the write-in votes were counted and I had some 3/4ths of the vote, Hubert Humphrey didn't even have 5 percent. When he started running a year ago, the Gallup Poll showed him supported by 6 percent of the Democratic voters. He's been running a year now - and the Poll has him up to 7 percent.

"So why - or for whom - is he running in West Virginia - attacking me and my family - turning Democrat against Democrat? The people of West Virginia, I am convinced, want no part of this gang-up. They do not want to waste their votes on a man who cannot win.

"They are not as interested in stopping Kennedy as they are in stopping Nixon - and stopping this Republican depression. That is the issue - and that is what I am fighting for."


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