Remarks to the General Board of the AFL-CIO

I thank you for your endorsement. I will carry it proudly during this campaign. J will remember it fondly in January as we begin 4 more exciting years of progress.

Twenty-five years ago today Hitler's tyranny struck at helpless Poland. The world as we knew it was never to be the same.

Americans of all parties can share a moment of pride in our achievements in those 25 years. In the factories, and in the field of battle, we won the victory. And in the dangerous years that followed we never wavered in the defense of freedom or the pursuit of peace. As a result we are closer than ever to making the Second World War the last world war.

At home we have seen depression become boom, idle men find rewarding toil, and our country climb to heights of prosperity beyond our most daring dreams.

In 1960 men of little faith said the climb was over--America had reached its peak. But you did not believe them. The Democratic Party did not believe them. And the American people did not believe them.

America chose to move forward. And the result has been a steady, uninterrupted, expanding prosperity for all Americans. Since 1961, 5 million nonfarm jobs have been added to the economy. Unemployment in July dropped to 4.9 percent. The average family of four earns today, after taxes, $1,200 more than in 1961. Average manufacturing wages have gone up more than 15 percent.

This prosperity is not an accident. It is not good luck. It is the result of tested policies. It is the result of the hard work and cooperation of business and labor. It is a result of the unmatched vitality of our free enterprise system--the envy of all the world.

Today again men of faulty vision cry, "Halt . . . we have done all we can do." And today again the American people will reject these fear-filled slogans.

We are on the edge of an abundance which can tower over all the gains of the past. I predict, if we continue on our course, the growth of the next 4 years will be the greatest in all our history. And every person in this country will benefit from expanding prosperity.

Let no one mistake our aims. Neither pressure nor protest, danger or difficulty will move us one inch from the historic principles which have brought us to today's heights. Nor will we neglect the poor, the sick, the aged--those who have not shared in our abundance. Medical care for the old, increased minimum wages, the war on poverty are parts of a program with a single goal: to give every American a place of dignity in our national life.

And this is only the beginning. The country is changing. Population is growing and technology is expanding. We must move to meet these challenges or be overwhelmed by them. They will require the same courage and confidence we have brought to the challenges of the past.

With these as our tools, we can build a nation which will enlarge and enrich the life of every citizen. We have the knowledge and the resources. And this November, the American people will confirm that this country has the determination to keep moving forward.

I ask you to be at my side in this great task.

I will be at yours.