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I so vigorously oppose anyone who even suggests that Maryland
should be further separated from Kentucky by sawing off the East
Coast and letting it float out in to the Atlantic Ocean, as has been
proposed by the Republican nominee for President of the United
States. Right now, my fellow Democrats, the only barrier separating
the people of Kentucky from the people of Maryland is a mountain.
But your people and my people have been crossing that mountain
ever since a young engineer named George Washington helped build
a road through this barrier to the West.
But the mountain of misunderstanding that separates the Repub-
lican candidate for President of the United States from the American
people cannot be traversed in this century.
Some of the tools necessary to construct a bridge of understanding
between a candidate for the highest office in this land and the Amer-
ican people includes the desire to wipe out poverty and human mis-
ery, the desire to promote peace and prosperity, to expend the bles-
sing of full citizenship to all, and to provide medical and other as-
sistance to the very old and the very young. Former Presidents Frank-
lin Roosevelt and Harry Truman possessed these essential qualities
as did the late John F. Kennedy and your own former Vice-Presi-
dent, the late Alben Barkley.
As a matter of fact, in a speech at Paducah slightly more than a
week ago, Senator Hubert Humphrey eloquently noted how emi-
nently qualified was the most distinguished Vice-President from Ken-
tucky to fill the role of Presidency of the United States. Senator Hum-
phrey then went on to point out the similarities between Alben Bark-
ley and Lyndon Johnson — both tested in the legislative battles in
Congress, both elected by fellow senators as Majority Leader, both
possessed a wit and wisdom that could only be gained through long
years of dedicated service to their country and its people; both shared
the sense of responsibility necessary to the conduct of our foreign
affairs and both understand and fulfilled to the best of their abili-
ties the needs of the American people. As Senator Humphrey noted,
Alben Barkley was proud of the accomplishments of the New Deal
and, prior to his death, said he did not think any administration of
any party would undo these fundamental gains for the American
people.
Then along came Senator Barry Goldwater, the temporary spokes-
man for the Republican Party, who immediately demonstrated his
lack of qualification for the office he seeks by selecting a running
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