Remarks Upon Arrival at the Airport in Cleveland

Mayor Locher:

I want to thank all of you for this beautiful weather, for this warm welcome, for all of these happy, smiling faces.

I came riding out here on a plane with some pretty nice fellows--Secretary Celebrezze, Senator Young, Congressman Vanik, and Congressman Feighan--but I didn't really see such happy people until I got here in Cleveland.

I think we all ought to sing "Beautiful Ohio" together.

I wish that I could say hello to each of you, but that would take longer than I have. One time a great Governor of the State of New York was speaking to a crowd like this, and he told them he could not speak long because he had another engagement to address a convention downtown. Some fellow out in the crowd hollered to Al Smith, "AI, tell them all you know. It won't take very long."

Al said, "I will tell them all we both know and it won't take any longer."

So, I am not going to take very long, but I do want to say that this is a most stimulating and inspiring sight. You have my deep gratitude for the comfort and the encouragement you give me.

Our country is not divided today, not split into warring groups--thank goodness. We are a strong nation and we are going to be stronger. We are a prosperous people and we are going to be more prosperous. We have more people working today than ever before. We have less unemployed today than we had at the first of the year. We have more people making better wages than ever in our history. We have the highest profits for business that we have ever known, and they are up 25 percent over this same time last year. So, we have much to be thankful for, much to preserve, and much to protect.

All of this is due to our good citizenship, to our fine system of government that is unequaled anywhere in the world. So, if we can just restrain ourselves from eating on each other, if we can just refuse to join in tearing each other to pieces, if we can just point out the good things about our land, our country, and our system instead of indulging in cheap, mudslinging, personal politics, then America will not only be the land of the free but it will be the land of the prosperous and the land of the brave, and the land of the free.

So, this morning, I ask all of you to join me in a prayer for continued prosperity, continued peace in the world. And I hope that all of you feel that this fine American system has done more for you than any system of government anywhere has done for anyone.

Thank you very much.