Good evening, and welcome to Forum regular weekly public affairs presentation tonight. We hear an address by Minnesota. Senator Hubert Humphrey last Tuesday before the annual meeting of the United Way of the Saint Paul Area Humphrey was introduced by United Way President John Myers president of the Horner Waldorf Corporation who noted that the senator had just celebrated a birthday and had been given a clean bill of health regarding the possibility of cancer. I was led to believe that I my motherAnd that your birthday was only once a year that you ought to expect presents only once a year. I've had two Christmases this year the one that was on December 25th, and the one when I got my report from the hospital, that was my delayed Christmas present and I've had several birthday gifts already yesterday and having been my birthday. I received some very kind and friendly cards. In fact, I know I left them in the car. I had one that was a pimp, but then I was going to read it to you. And now today I received the kind of the the the finest in the most generous. Generous gift I've ever received in that is yourVery flattering and may I say heartening introduction? I want to express my thanks to you as a friend and my thanks to this fine Community for their kindness to me over the years well, I got to tell you. I know I planned on being here by John expected me to be but he said that I wouldn't speak before 1 and I felt if I was around before then he might feel motivated put me on through soon. And I'd keep you here a little longer. But the real truth is I was out at my home at Waverly. I called up my associate the office and I said Freddy, would you stop down to Elmer Olsen's and pick up my 25 horsepower Johnson motor. I always have Minnesota names attached to these things you notice and then he said he'd do so and I he went down to pick it up way out of Minneapolis Bloomington area. I guess it was and when he got there, they said we don't have any motor for Senator Humphrey and I'd already called them. They told me they did have I'd had it repaired their my pontoon boat was motorless and I felt this was no way to have a boat docked out of my way. So after having spent about an hour and fussing around There they found a motor. I hope it's mine when I left. I said just drop it and we haven't any more time. I said John Myers going to fire me. I'm going to Hades going to denounce me and it's going to spoil a beautiful day. So we came in and if there's any of the governors Representatives here and your Law Enforcement Officers, we invited by the wall most of the way. And I knew the mayor would be here. We did Chi little in St. Paul. I have to be honest with you about that with the mirror. I I want to say how much I appreciate Larry's being here. And I think as a matter of fact when I heard this deal that you met at the fair deal and I have to go a long way in a boat. And I'm sure your Rabbi will be generous about the whole thing and Larry. There are many here today that we should salute and I want to join all of you and saluting the volunteers that have received awards today because of course the whole purpose of this meeting is to honor them and to thank each and everyone of you for what you do to help others. It was said here by John Myers at 2 that I hadn't been invited back to the Minnesota Symphony balls since the time I conducted that Orchestra and I think I should tell you why but I don't like this to discourage you after I was privileged to conduct the order Orchestra. I made a generous contribution. I have been a bad invited back since I got my money and they left me off a guest list ever since I don't you let this get out anywhere because this will injure your United Way Power Finance program. I know that all of you is you go from place to place and community community in this great Saint Paul Area finding that people respond. So generously and red lie to you. I'm sorry. I wasn't here for Marie slovaks and presentation in for Kyle Drake's words. I want to compliment both of them on the work that they do for this community all over the years. Not just now. I'm going to talk to you today about what time is Jefferson said as the only legitimate objective of government is the health and well-being of the people. That's the only legitimate objective of government. I also want to talk to you a little bit about this partnership between the people and their government which is of course the unique feature of the American political social or there is no place in the world in which voluntary is volunteerism voluntary action is so evident as in the United States of America, you can go to any country whether it's written from a bar law and our culture or go to the continent that countries of France and Germany the Scandinavian countries, wherever you wish to go and while many of those countries are respected for their good government and for their citizenship for their social welfare programs. There is none of them that even comes close to having the kind of Cooperative Endeavor between the government and the people as we have here. Or to put it bluntly voluntourism is a unique American development. Way back in the mid-nineteenth century Frenchman by the name of Alexis de tocqueville made observations about the United States and interesting. They also about Russia this man had the gift of Prophecy. He predicted for example it in the 20th century. The two giants of the Earth would be the United States and Russia. He had many things that he said that's and I have studied him as a student of political science and frequently quote from his writings. He had the he said many things that's so relate to our times. And as I was coming here, I picked out of my briefcase and I have little book year sayings that I've gathered together which one of these days I'm going to publish. This is my charge of little Lehman's political Bible. So to speak I have statements hear from everybody from the Socrates to Churchill Roosevelt Eisenhower to Gandhi. You name them in there in this little book while here is Alexis de tocqueville speaking about American and this is in the 19 century. Here's what he said. These Americans are the most peculiar people in the world and it local community in their country a Citizen May conceive of some Mead which is not being met. And what does he do? He goes across the street and discuss it with his neighbor. Then what happens it committee comes into existence, then the committee begins functioning on behalf of that need. This is the beginning of the United Way. There was a man in the year of 18 in the 1840s that sense there was something different and unique about the American experiment. And from the earliest days of this Republic voluntourism people helping each other neighbor to neighbor person-to-person people-to-people has been characteristic of our social order. And that's why to me it is so important that we understand the proper place of government in our society. I have never believed that government ought to do everything for everybody because if Government can do everything for you, it can do almost anything to you. I have always believed that there must be a blending egg balance. And let me quickly say lest. I forget it that no matter how extensive the governmental programs are in when I speak of government. I'm not just talkin of Washington but federal state local County governments, no matter how broad and how comprehensive these programs of social welfare. Maybe they do not feel the total need or to put it even more directly as these governmental programs grow and seem to extend their power and influence all the more need for the voluntary group all the more need for the individual participation because that individual participation lens Soul and Spirit to the to what we call meeting social needs or the needs of people who are less fortunate than some of us. I travel often and too many places and I watch for example in our foreign assistance program. It was mentioned here today that I was the author of public law 480 food for peace. And that is true. This is one of the things of which I am now I say a modestly somewhat about because we were able in those days when we had fast food surpluses in this country to convert those soup those food surpluses in the meeting human needs and we didn't do it just government-to-government. Most of that food was used by voluntary groups Church World Service the Cara program Caritas Catholic relief programs and they were well those programs are well administered. In fact, may I say today that even as starvation plagues West Africa? In the countries of the sahil the seven West African countries as the desert seems to move deeper and deeper into the heart of Africa relief, and I just answered the disaster relief bill and it is past the Congress of the United States that much of that money money of those were sources now goes into the voluntary groups. Yes, indeed the International Red Cross, but not just that the many different religious and the many non-sectarian groups that are working in that area and doing a remarkable job. I hope all of us realize hear that the voluntary effort. Add so much. Do the total effort which a nation seeks to make? Now you have honored me today buy this wonderful citation and I cherished I'll be frank with you these things mean everything to me privately and publicly but really is I said, you're the ones that are to be honored and have honored all about. So you are the privates in the army of voluntary action. You are really the soldiers in the front line of our struggle against ill-fortune destitution poverty human need. And I bloated as I have lived these years that tremendous and significant role that the voluntary group to played in the financing the supporting and the initiating effective social welfare programs hardly a single program. That becomes governmental. Hardly a single one is without its Genesis. It's a knick its initiation at the private and local level. So in many ways you are like a pilot program sometimes but at all times you are a partner in the effort each year United Way organizations. I've been told Support over 37,000 local state and National Health and Welfare and Recreation agencies reaching more than 34 million families in this great land of ours that's assignment and a significant achievement and the amount of funds raised almost is in the for the point of about a billion dollars as I understand more than doubled in the last decade and yet you and I know that this is a continuing task we've got towed even raised more as we go along. But I think we need to recognize that this voluntary effort has had a profound influence upon the moral fiber of America. It is also had a direct impact upon the social and economic structure of our country. It has been said that if we could accurately calculate the dollar value of this nation's voluntary effort, it would prove to be a respectable proportion of the total gross national product the millions and millions of hours of voluntary service that are given by people of talent and ability and station and Prestige is really an amazing contribution to the well-being of our country and I'm happy to say that Minnesota as usual the North Star state has been in the Forefront of the development and the use of the voluntary organizations that help find answers to these difficult and complex social problems that beset us. And to help meet the needs of local communities. I've said many times that that that symbol of the North Star should tell us much about our state. We are in a sense the point the state from whence many get direction or find their bearing so to speak it has been said in the 1920s and 1930s that much of what we call the Social legislative policy today of the government of the United States had its Inception here in Minnesota and Wisconsin and in under the leadership of a man like L Smith in New York. What I'm attempting to say is that ideas that have lasting effect generally come from the bottom up or sell them superimpose from the top on down. And the United Way in this Saint Paul Area has set the pace for other organizations and you just lie are proud today of this remarkable record the air bulletin here course sites for you in for all that wish to see it the variety of services. Would you provide when revenue-sharing was first the first appeared in again? May I add that that was a bipartisan effort. Howard Baker of Tennessee and myself for the sponsors of Revenue sharing in the United States Senate when that first appeared to have city and county governmental officials right here in this County in this city, sat down with the leaders of the voluntary organizations determine what priorities were to be served and how to maximize the application of resources to provide the best service to this community. I'd like to say to anybody that's here from government that the best way that I know to maximize the effectiveness of the taxpayers dollar that is directed toward social service is to combine in an effective partnership with the voluntary agency the cooperation of government and voluntary organizations has obviously improve the quality of services here in this capital city of st. Paul Minnesota as it has indeed all along all throughout our state then in March of this year the Minnesota Legislature passed a human services act a pilot program to integrate Human Services through the direct participation of people in local communities Again by Fela. This is one of the most Progressive and forward-thinking pieces of social welfare legislation. That's ever been passed in the United States. It's a pilot program. It's a test run. But I think it will work and I'm a pragmatist about these things. If it doesn't work, then we'll try something else, but try we must to resign ourselves to indifference and neutrality is morally wrong and politically unacceptable. Now, let me just broaden my message a bit today the shadow of Shame and doubt mistrust shroud our entire political process and threatened. Vital partnership between government and voluntary associations between governmental institutions and the people and let me say that no one is immune from this in public life somehow or another things got out of hand and a Day of Reckoning has arrived the time for innocence repentance. And confession of air is long overdue, but what's most important is not to go around sobbing and beating one's chest and grief and sorrow or even Shane but rather to face up to what their needs are and start to live a new in other words to learn from our troubles and the march on that brief looked I think it's some of the basic tenets of American government for life or I should say of the American political system can be helpful to us today. I've been spending a lot of my time these recent years with young people everyday of my week in Washington. I give not less than an hour of my time to Young Americans that gather from all over the nation. We have a sort of a gathering some hour of the day. I can't always predict the time that it will be but as people come to my office and want to visit and I happen to like young people. I noticed this lovely young lady that came here to be sighted today for her voluntary services in a member of the Explorers. I addressed that group recently in Washington Grand and then this group of young Young Americans doing great things for their country and for themselves. Well, I spend time with these young people because I've had a lot of experience in government and I used to teach American government and realize now how little I knew about it. I sometimes think I owe all my students a refund. So I I join with them and it's a sort of the you-know-what free for all questions and answers last week. I had students from Duke University from Hanover from Smith college. I had project close up but just a large number of students run into the hundreds and sometimes into the thousands and it's a given take and I feel that maybe now that's something that I can do. That's worthwhile. And one of the things I tried to give to them is what I call the Hubert Humphrey short course in American government because you know, we make everything so complicated and it doesn't really need to be that way. The first thing we need to understand about government is not so much its structure but its purpose. We need to understand where the power is and how it is to be used and the preamble to the American Constitution says it all. I should quickly say to you that as you read the Constitution of the United States and its good reading these days. Good reading for all of us who are in public life. I don't think any of us auto start walking around as if we're Angels because I haven't met one yet or Saints. My name is Hubert Hubert. That's not me. And I and I know that full well, but in in the Constitution there is not one single phrase word section or article that is designed to protect the government from the people. But there is section after section sentence after sentence that has been written and designed to protect the people from the possible abuse of power by those in government. And if we understand that then we begin to clean up clear up our thinking other Preamble starts out. With certain words that I think need to be repeated. So let me just repeat those words and you Ponder them for a moment. We the People haven't heard that for a long time. We the people of the United States. In order to form a more perfect union establish justice insure domestic tranquility provide for the common defense promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this constitution of the United States of America. I'll ponder with me Terry with me a moment. First of all that is written in the present tense. The word do not dead we at this moment are writing that Constitution as far as we are concerned In Our Lifetime today is the first day of the rest of our life and it is the day that is important and the only other day that is important is the one that you pay for that may come tomorrow. The past is prologue gone lessons to be learned but not to be relived. Now if you look at the Preamble and studying you begin to get what is fundamental and basic about voluntary organizations as well. First of all, the first three words were chosen very carefully by the man that that time had gone through a cruel and difficult experience of seeking their freedom and Independence and trying to construct a government that could ensure the meaning of their victory. So they sent her to bond Park recall popular sovereignty. We the people not we the government not we the rich not we the poor wee the whites. We the black or we the role of the urban, but just We the People of the United States and then the next line is important in order to form a more perfect union knowing full. Well that what we had was imperfect and knowing that with all of them any customs and cultures and ethnic groups and the wide variety of climate the diversities of peoples that it would be a constant struggle the whole together. That's which had been fashioned. namely a nation and therefore the challenge and the charge is made that we the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union. That's the first challenge. Then to establish justice. To insure domestic tranquility not not apathy not indifference. But Tranquility like the Hebrew word Shalom, which is a kind of a Harmony of mankind with nature and people to people. Provide for the common defense these men knew that freedom was endangered by powerful forces from without as well as the possibility of the illusion of strength from within. And then this word promote the general welfare. everybody who was it that said that John Stuart Mill once said let a man have nothing to do for his country and he shall have no love for it. The whole lesson of America is opening up a place for everybody. For every person to realize their potential ality. For every person to be looked upon as sacred. after all remember that this democracy of ours was created not just as a Layman's thought but in a spiritual concept in the fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man If you don't understand that you can never understand the true spirit and meaning of democratic living or democracy itself. And then these words to secure the blessings of liberty and isn't it interesting that blessings of liberty not just to secure Liberty, but the blessings of liberty and the blessings of liberty are self-expression the right to be different. The true test of a democracy is whether or not you can be different than whether you can be on popular and still be accepted. So there it is. Now one of them wants this rest of it all that's all action-oriented these we're young man. The average age of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was 36 and the average age of the signer of the Constitution the United States even with old Ben Franklin in his eighties was 44. They were men the purpose of Vitality. They had they had learned through experience as well as through education. And everything they had to say was about the people. People people and the words like form forming not just letting it happen before meeting something a perfect union. Establish justice provide for the common defense promote the action no neutrality. A government that was not too close in size to the inequities of the the face that a society or a people. In other words a government that would not be frozen in the ice of its own indifference. But rather one that would be active and that's voluntary business to that's volunteerism you're in this because you see needs on met your in the United Way because you know that you know that this country can do better. You're in it because you know that you wanted better Society for yourself and for your children, and I can't think of a greater inspiration for any of us. Well, let me just I keep you too long. Let me again just philosophize with you. I happen to be one that believes in this partnership Theory between government and the people and I know that when trust and confidence is destroyed by any of us or in public life. The great damage is done to the body politic into the moral fiber of the nation. Because that's which holds this unique Society of ours together in common purpose is called trust and confidence. faith face of the people in their government trust and confidence of the people in their government and trust and confidence of the government in the people. Have either one is lacking on either side. Then it all falls apart. That's why there is something about this Society of ours is more that's more than legislation or things are materialism. There is a spirit to it and it is that Spirit which the day seems to have. Slipped away from us or at least seems to be neglected now lest you think I'm a pessimist. Let me assure you I'm not I know many people are today of the mind that though everybody is disenchanted and cynical that everything is rocking. And by the way, it isn't only that politics is corrupt the corporations they say or corrupt the church no longer serves the needs they say the family is breaking up the school system doesn't work. You got people today that'll recite for you a lift me a failure in this country that can make you really paralyzed. But the agony of it all some people specialize in this. I want to believe that we must know our problems. But I am not one that believes that you just live with him. You attacked them you say to do something about them. These prophets of Doom and Gloom have no historical based on which to make long-term predictions because this nation has been in trouble many times in its history. And out of each difficulty has come a stronger people in a better people. I am a student of history and I can remember the earliest days of this Republic how we almost fell apart. I can remember how our currency it isn't worth a continental the first currency became worthless. I can remember the history of how people grab the public lands and made vast fortunes. And yes skin everybody they could. We've heard of the robber barons at run run across this country raping our natural resources. A war between the states the bloodiest war that the world has ever known took place in the United States of America. Secessionist the first Chief of Staff of the United States Army in the pay of the Spanish emperor. Corruption in government the likes of which the world has never known after the Civil War. And he cannot make system that collapsed in the late twenties in the early 30. but ladies and gentlemen Out of every one of those that experiences came a stronger and better America. We are strong and we are Mighty and we are rich. We have all that anyone ever needed to do anything that we ever wanted if we have the will to do it. In at all times in the past we were able to find a will. will and vision and I'm one of those it happens to bleed the today despite the difficulties of what we call two digit inflation, despite the possibilities of War again in the Middle East which hope and pray he does not have despite the difficulties that we see even as the atomic power spread with India exploding an atomic weapon. Despite Watergate, despite the unresponsive with some government despite. The fact that Congress itself doesn't seem to be able to seize and grab hold of things and do what needs to be done despite it all despite. The fact that the dollar is devalued. The stock market is in trouble. And all of these things ladies and gentlemen are current events. But each and everyone will fade away into insignificance or but a paragraph in the history of this land if we understand. The Dish Nation is dedicated to We the People. The government is here to serve and not to master. That ultimately all authority is derived from the people. And that the purpose of our system is the enrichment of the lives of each and every one of us and that everybody every mind every soul every spirit is precious. And that we have a unique system in which we as a people and their government work together. That's what the Declaration of Independence told us about those inalienable rights. And that's what those men who wrote that declaration said the government is established in order to secure these rights. And if we but remember then I can assure you that we will succeed Churchill told us that democracy remember it's all good. I often reminded students of a who become very sugary and I mean very disenchanted, you know, they say all the whole system is loused up. I said listen remember what Winston Churchill said? He said democracy is the worst possible form of government. except all others that have ever been tried. Which is only a way of saying the government is essentially human relations democracy is more human and has more relations and any other kind. but if yields more benefits then any other not perfect is fallible, not infallible limited not all-powerful. It's all today as you would think of your work in this community. Just remember that what we have to do is as individuals is to put it all together sort of one by one we can't do it all at the same time and we can't do everything that we'd like to do. I had a little poem here that I wanted to read to you from Carl Sandburg if I can find it in this mix up the papers that I have your butt if I can't you can get along without it but it's pretty good. Oh, yes. It's very good. And I found it and I want to read it to you. Here's what it says because he's my man. Everybody has to have their favorite poet these days. You know if you're in politics is asking what's your favorite scripture? You know right away You're supposed to know the Bible by heart and you can pick one right out. I'm almost there if somebody to worry about you a little bit about that and then somebody else is your favorite musician. You just got to be to have to be an expert at the same time that you're a generalist and of course if you're too much of an expert they say you're a phony and if you're too much of a generalist, they say you don't know what you're talking about. So you're really in trouble, but nobody's going to tell me I don't Go to the doubting Thomases into the specialist and doom and gloom to those who think we've had it and want to throw in the towel and I'm not one of any of those. Let me just tell you what old Carl Sandburg had to say. He said I see America. Not in the Setting Sun of the Black Knight of Despair ahead of us. I see America in the Crimson light of a Rising Sun Fresh from the burning creative hand of God. I see great days ahead. Great day as possible to men and women of Will and vision. Carl Sandburg said it right. You can see America. And it's Setting Sun a black to spare if that's the way you want it. or you can see America Rising literally like Sun Fresh from the burning creative hand of God It's all as you will it. I believe in the power of will. And I believe also in the power of vision and what I like about these voluntary groups is they have the will they have the vision and they give soul and meaning and spirit do what we call the social order. Thank you very very much. Minnesota senator Hubert Humphrey as he spoke before the annual meeting of the United Way of the Saint Paul Area. This is Dick Dale A4 Forum a weekly public affairs presentation of these Minnesota educational radio stations are supported radio in Minnesota.