Hubert H. Humphrey Woos Fayette County Voters
Presidential Aspirant Wins Many Supporters By Visit
April 11, 1960
What Fayette countians saw and heard from U.S. Senator Hubert H. Humphrey (D-Minn), candidate for President of the United States, they liked. The Humphrey bandwagon rolled through the county Friday afternoon and he mad an overwhelming impression on the Democrat electorate.
Senator Humphrey made appearances in Montgomery, Smithers, Gauley Bridge, and Fayetteville before meeting a most enthusiastic crowd of over 600 people at Oak Hill. It was at Oak Hill where many unemployed coal miners from nearby coal camps flocked in to see the fiery U.S. Senator issue a blistering attack against the Eisenhower Republican administration.
Just prior to Humphrey's arrival in Oak Hill an automobile came into town with a loudspeaker announcing he soon would be along. The car parked and the speaker sounded out hillibilly music urging the Minnesota Senator's election to the White House.
A short time later the electrified congregation witnessed a big time political show as Senator Humphrey left a chartered bus and began a quick pace of shaking hands and meeting people as he prepared to lambaste Republican policies.
G. Steele Callison, an Oak Hill druggist, and Hon. Mayor Joe Keatley of Oak Hill has the honor of presenting the Senator from Minnesota to the large partisan crowd.
As small businessman himself (pharmacist and part owner of the family drug store in Huron, South Dakota), Senator Humphrey believes in maintaining and advancing the small businessman as an integral part of the economy. His record also speaks for itself insofar as being considered the greatest liberal living in America today. His friendship to organized labor is unmatched in the halls of congress.
Senator Humphrey had this to say to the cheering Oak Hill people Friday:
"Thank you very much, Mr. Callison. I want to thank especially the mayor for his warm words of welcome, for the greeting extended to me and for the friendly hospitable reception that this overflowing audience indicates. It is always a joy to be presented by a good man, and it makes me feel even better to be presented by a fellow druggist.
"I should say since I mentioned this that I was born above a drug store, raised literally inside of one. My father is a pharmacist and also my brother is one. I have been in this business for 63 years.
"My brother runs it (the drug store) now, though I am a registered pharmacist. They decided they couldn't get rid of me in any other way so they sent me to Washington. Now I am able to help get rid of your ills and pains. You see? That's what a pharmacist does. .
"I want to tell you how much I do appreciate your interest. I shall speak very frankly to you and not too long. I'm in West Virginia primarily to campaign to win, not only for myself but for the principles and programs that I believe will stand and that the Democrat party ought to support . .
"Speaking of Franklin D. Roosevelt, one of the most courageous Presidents we ever had . .would like to carry on the tradition for the Democrat party and West Virginia. I think that's what is good for America.
"I've viewed some very distressing sights along the creeks, mining camps in West Virginia . . however, I've seen some encouraging sights also.
"It grieves me to see homes boarded up, business houses closed up . . It makes me feel sad indeed because America can't afford this.
"If this world is to remain free it is because we make it this way. If it falls into communism it is because we faltered and we can't afford to be limping along. It's too expensive both in human values and economic and physical values. .
"I serve on the committee on foreign relations . . I can tell you our government spends millions of dollars to see to it that conditions such as I have seen in these towns are done away with. . I've seen American money expended to clean up streets, rebuild cities, train people, and educate them in these other countries. Don't misunderstand me. This is necessary.
"But I say to the government if you can help people in Afghanistan, if you can help people in India, if you can help the people of Egypt, then you can help the people of West Virginia and you know it.
"I believe a country blessed as ours is has an obligation. I want these people in other parts of the world to have a better life. . But every man that wants a job in America should have a chance to have that job.
"I come from part of America where we have thousands of farmers . . you can see sheets and sheets of auction sales listed where farmers can no longer make a living. Under what reason? I can tell you. Under this Republican Eisenhower Nixon Benson administration. And believe me we will get rid of it darn soon.
"Well, what to do about it? I don't just complain. . We had what we called the Area Redevelopment bill. It passed the Senate. . money to be loaned so you could rebuild some of these factories, train men for work, help for communities, capital for business, jobs for the unemployed. It was an investment. It wasn't a gift. But what happed? The President vetoed it. . we've had 147 vetoes with the past seven years.
"I'll say to the government if you can trust the people of Brazil . . if you can trust the people of Formosa. . to loan them money then you can trust the people of West Virginia. Why is it we put so much faith and trust in others not in ourselves.
"Someone asked me to describe the present administration. It's a no-go, go-slow, not-now, veto administration.
"Your government should be for you. The government should be not only of the people, the government should be not only by the people, but it is a government for the people.
"The government of the United States should invest in these people. Every dollar invested in these people will pay dividends. There's no need for people to go hungry. What' wrong with us? How evil can we get? The government puts out $400 million a year to store food. What do we think we are anyway? Squirrels?
"There is no reason for a boy or girl to go without a good education because we need brain power. Not only do we need manpower but also intellectual power. We need a President of the United States who will call the people to action.
"Remember too . . in 1932 we had a government that could not see the needs of the people. The people were impoverished and on the verge of bankruptcy. We had a government that couldn't do anything. It stood paralyzed from its own fear. In 1933 a man, and that man was Franklin D. Roosevelt, stood before the people and told them something that shook the people. "All we have to fear is fear itself." This nation bestirred itself like a giant. People opened up businesses.. America was back on the road to recovery and prosperity. I'll tell America it's time to wake up. The siesta is over. It's time to get to work. Get off the golf course and get on the job. and a full-time job at that.
Humphrey The Campaigner
Man: "Hope to see you in the White House, but throw the golf balls away."
Campaign aide: "He (Humphrey) doesn't even play golf. All he knows how to do is work."
Rabbit Walker says Cox was the last presidential candidate to visit Oak Hill before Humphrey.
Humphrey, as he went through the crowd: "How do you do, sir. I am Senator Humphrey. I just want to say hello to you."
Man: "I am a Democrat, too."
Humphrey: "Attaboy."
Because of the time limitations Humphrey didn't have time to fill all the requests of autographs. So the people were asked not to request his signature on account of so many people crowding around for autographs. However, as he went up the street, no child was denied this honor.
A little boy kept insisting he wanted to go on the bus with Senator Humphrey. Humphrey said "we've got to take that old bus away." The boy was persuaded to settle for the Senator's autograph.
After signing more autographs he left Oak Hill.
"We need someone in the White House who cares about the common man" Senator Hubert H. Humphrey told the more than 200 Montgomery and upper Kanawha valley citizens who greeted him early last Friday afternoon at the Greyhound bus station in Montgomery.
Presidential hopeful Humphrey is now in the midst of a vigorous campaign seeking the support of the Democratic voters in the coming May primary. He is opposed by John F. Kennedy who likewise is scheduled on Saturday, April 30.
"Some of the farmers in the Midwest are having conditions as bad as many coal miners in this state. We shouldn't have these desperate situations," he told the friendly crowd which swarmed around him at the bus station.
"The United States is the only industrial country in the world with high unemployment," he continued. "Russia, France and Britain don't have this problem at the present time."
Humphrey blamed the trouble on what he called the indifference of the White House. He emphasized that point that the country is not as rich s the stock market might indicate.
In his talk which lasted for around 10 minutes he told the people that the United States needs much more social security for its people.
"If we can build hotels in Miami and gambling houses in Las Vegas then we can certainly afford to raise social security benefits for older people," the Minnesota senator remarked.
He said it was disgrace that many widows are forced to live on 50 dollars a month in a country which basically has so much to offer.
"Our people in this country should come first before giving so much away to other lands." he said.
Describing himself as a progressive liberal Humphrey urged the people to put a Democrat in the White House. He was applauded loudly several times during his talk. He appeared windburn[ed] from his many speaking engagements which he has been performing recently. Many remarked that he makes a much better personal appearance than he does on television.
While looking around the crowds and community he compared Montgomery with his hometown which he said was about this size.
Shortly before leaving in his chartered bus for lunch at Al's Sports Center in Smithers, Humphrey told the people once more that they should, by all means, put a Democrat in the White House in the November election.
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