The Pittsburgh Press (September 14, 1944)
Major speech by Roosevelt set for Oct. 5
Hannegan warns of ‘election by default’
Chicago, Illinois (UP) –
President Roosevelt will make his second major campaign address over a nationwide radio hookup from Washington Oct. 5, chairman of the Democratic National Committee Robert E. Hannegan said today.
The first fourth-term campaign address by the President will be Sept. 23, as previously announced.
Mr. Hannegan said Mr. Roosevelt’s second speech would be heard by approximately 125,000 voting precinct meetings, each attended by at least 10 persons. The President’s broadcast will follow statewide addresses by state candidates for governor and senator, Mr. Hannegan said.
‘Default’ only election hurdle
The announcement of the broadcast was made at the conclusion of Mr. Hannegan’s three-day conference here with Democratic Party leaders from 23 states.
He said the party’s only election hurdle was to insure the nation against “an election by default.”
He said:
The only slightest hope of a Republican victory would be the failure of the great body of the American electorate to show up at the polls. We are making it our business to see that this does not happen, and it is not going to happen.
San Francisco conference next
He said that if the party meets this problem:
There exists every real possibility that President Roosevelt will be returned to finish a job he has carried along so far and so well by an unprecedented popular majority.
Mr. Hannegan and his staff will hold conferences next week at San Francisco to discuss organization plans with party leaders who have not participated in the New York and Chicago conferences.