Roanoke, Virginia Remarks at a Campaign Rally for Democratic Candidates for State Office.

Thank you, everybody. Right on. Thank you very much.

It's a great pleasure to me to be back in Virginia with men who will be important in your lives in the future, as they have been in the past--Attorney General Ed Lane, Lieutenant Governor Chuck Robb, Governor Henry Howell.

I thought I knew Henry Howell well. I've always heard he was a man of the people. He's the first person I ever saw that came to the White House and ate a cheeseburger with a knife and fork. [Laughter]

I've always been proud of the fact that when I first came to Virginia to begin my campaign a couple of years ago and didn't have very many friends, I went to Henry Howell's home, and he and Betty were nice enough to let me sleep there. I think Henry may have mentioned that on occasion. [Laughter] And I need for you to help me in the next few weeks, because 15 or 20 years from now, I would like very much to be able to tell my grandchildren that I slept in the same bed that was used by the Governor of Virginia. [Laughter]

You have a beautiful State. Of course, I come from a beautiful State, but when I do come to Virginia, I feel an extra degree of humility, because your State has produced eight Presidents and mine has only produced one. [Laughter] It's not an accident that Virginia has produced men and women who have laid the cornerstone of our country, because in historic times and in modern times alike, the characteristics that fill your heart are the ones that have made our Nation great.

In 1973 I was Governor of Georgia. I didn't have much time to be away from my own duties. I did not have any responsibilities for the national Democratic Party. But I heard about a man who was running for Governor. I was a small businessman, and I wanted to be sure that I could come to give my own help in a very small way to a man who believes in sound management, balanced budgets, no tax increases. As a farmer, I wanted someone who understood agriculture and the proper interrelationship that must exist between State government and the Federal Government. And I wanted someone as my friend who truly represents the best interests of those who are not rich, not influential, and don't want to dominate government for themselves, but want to see government controlled by consumers and housewives and the working people of this country.

So, I took a Saturday off, and I came to Virginia to campaign for Henry Howell in 1973. And then a couple of weeks later, I took another Wednesday afternoon off, and I came to Virginia and got in Henry Howell's bus--he was not with me then; he was campaigning in another place--and I campaigned through the small towns and livestock sale barns and tractor dealerships of Virginia on behalf of Henry Howell. And be lost that Governor's race by less than 1 percent. It was a great disappointment to me, because a lot of those who believed in him so deeply and knew he would do a good job and knew he cared about him didn't get out and work hard enough in the last few days. And the distorted news reports about him, in my opinion, cost him the Governorship. But now is the year to correct that mistake and put him in the office.

He's a man who believes in home rule. And if he were to live in Roanoke, people who live in Boones Mill, and those others of you who believe in local government and who believe that a citizen ought to have as many decisions as possible made in the city hall and the county courthouse and not in the State capitol and not in Washington, ought to support Henry Howell, because he is fighting for a home rule provision that'll let every decision possible be made as close as possible to you. That's my kind of government. I believe it's your kind of government.

There was one other reason that I wanted to come to Virginia. I had seen some little pins that were even circulating through Georgia with five or six initials on them. And the secret of that slogan was "Keep the big boys honest."

I believe in the free enterprise system. I'm part of it. And I know there's a very important place for telephone companies and power companies to fill in our lives. But most other States have had a tight control over the step-'by-step increase in charges that are levied against consumers and a very tight control over waste that sometimes exists when there is no regulation of increased prices.

And I understand--it's hard to believe, but I understand in Virginia that every time energy costs go up that the utility companies automatically raise your rates, and the regulatory agencies don't have a thing in the world to say about it. That ought to be changed. It's just a matter of fairness. It's just a matter of justice. And I would guess that in the long run, even the utility companies themselves would not be hurt if they knew that any increase in their costs would be carefully examined by public representatives and a reasonable profit allowed. But in your neighboring States they cannot raise rates 15 percent in 1 year without a utility regulatory body saying this is fair to the consumers. That ought to be changed. I understand Henry Howell is the one that can change it.

I tried to look at some poll results before I came to Virginia to see what advice I could give Henry Howell. You know how easy it is to give Henry Howell advice. He's so close to the people himself that he doesn't get his counsel and his advice from other politicians. And I'm not going to go in a posture of getting between you and him, because he listens to you, and that's the way it ought to be.

But one of the main concerns about Henry Howell is that he's sometimes indiscreet. He brings up subjects that, when examined by the news media, create controversy. But as far as I can see as a politician, that's not anything to be ashamed of; that's something to be proud of. Issues need to be discussed openly and controversial issues ought especially to be discussed openly.

The last time that I was in Virginia, before the general election, I was in Williamsburg, where I'll be tonight. Does anybody remember why I came there, to Williamsburg? What was it? That's right, to debate the President of the United States. And I believe that if I had not been willing to enter in those open, frank, free debates with my opponent, that the American people would not have known me and my stand on issues that are important to every one .of you. They would not have had a chance to examine Mr. Ford and his stand on issues that are important to you. And I possibly would not have been elected President. Nobody knows. But I do know one thing: I didn't have anything to hide, and I was willing to debate. My understanding is that Henry Howell is not hiding, and he's willing to debate.

Some people may think that it's just a political tactic and kind of a trick when a candidate wants to have open debates. I think it's important. And if there are factors in Henry Howell's philosophy or in his background, in his private life, in his finances, of which he's ashamed, I think they ought to be brought out.

So, I believe that it's part of the American system, that began right here in Virginia, to have two candidates, seeking the highest office in your State, meet each other, debate, let you understand how they stand on issues.

There's another question that I think is much newer than debates. As you well know, your first President, from Virginia, and others after him believed in debate. But that was a time when it was not ordinarily expected that a public servant or Governor or President would reveal financial holdings. These days, it's different.

I believe for the last 11 years, I have disclosed my income tax returns. And I've made a habit every year since I've been a candidate for Governor of Georgia to give a net worth statement to the American people now and to the Georgia people before. I think it's important that this be done, because it lets the people know what is the origin of a person's income, what obligations do they have, what stocks do they hold, what possible conflicts might arise. And even for the most honest man or the most honest woman seeking office, it's a constraint on us to be sure we're not tempted to vote a certain way because we've got stock in a certain company.

So, I'm very proud that Henry Howell has been willing to make his net worth a matter of information for you. And he told me on the way here from the airport that Wednesday he's going to reveal his income tax returns. This is good. I hope everybody involved in the Governor's race will do the same.

Now, I just want to make one other statement, and then I would like to close. I like to see someone who seeks a major office have courage. I don't know of any issue that's come along in the Southland in my life or in the last 100 years that's been more important nor more controversial than the question of equality, freedom, voting rights, good education for the black people who live among us.

In 1959 I was not in politics. I was just a farmer. But Georgia was looking at Virginia, because Virginia politicians--maybe some of you in the audience--had decided, "We will not integrate our schools. We'd rather close them down and let our children do without any public education than to take that difficult step." It was a common thing all over the South. But there was at least one man that I know about in Virginia that ran for the State Legislature, and he said, "Let's take the padlocks off the schoolhouse doors." Do you know who that was? It was Henry Howell.

That's kind of ancient history, I know, but the reason I brought it up was because in the next 4 years there are going to be other decisions that will confront the Governor of Virginia that will provide a serious test of that person's courage. And I hope that in the Statehouse, representing you, is a man who cares about you personally, who is eager to openly debate the issues that are important to you, that has a long record of service, that believes in home rule, that understands business, balanced budgets, no tax increases, that can work closely with local and Federal officials, who casts his lot not with powerful and influential people, but directly with the voters of his State, and a man of courage, and coincidentally, a man who is my personal friend and whom I know well. And that's the man I hope that you'll help elect Governor this year--Henry Howell.