Eisenhower: -A-party-without-morals-is-a-conspiracy-to-seize-power-

[Louis1895]

21. Full transcript of comments and context

I find it interesting that this is a speech to Republican women. I italicized and bolded the passage presented in the OP.

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Dwight D. Eisenhower: Remarks at Fourth Annual Republican Women' s National Conference.

Bertha, and Ladies:

For the past couple of years Miss Adkins fell into the habit of asking me to early morning breakfasts at which she had gathered as the other guests a group of Republican ladies. Now this morning she didn't give me a breakfast but she asked me to a much bigger party. And I came for the same purpose, to meet as nearly personally as it is possible for me to do, the women of this Party who make it their special business to help inform the nation of what the Republican Party is, what it is trying to do, and how it is trying to do it.

It is always, for me, a special privilege to address the women of this Party. First of all, for a very practical reason, they tell me there are more women in the United States than there are men. But secondly, I have the most deep conviction that a political party can be called such only if its whole purposes are soundly based in some moral and spiritual values.

The women of this nation are more concerned in their day by day work, I think, than are men with these values. They have the job of rearing our young, those youngsters who are so dear to all our hearts, and they want them to grow up with the right kind of values imbedded in them so that as they meet the problems of life they will always have a certain kind of principle, or doctrine, or belief to fall back on that will help guide them through the rough spots.

I think the women, therefore, must be concerned with these values, and I return to my statement that if a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power.

Now you people--most of you--have heard me say these things before. I repeat them only because I believe them so deeply. And I know that you do. With some of you here I have had long and intimate conversations, and so you can know the great feeling of compliment that I have in being able to come over this morning to do my part in bidding you welcome to our Capital where you are undergoing your present labors, to wish you all the luck in the world in the months to come, and express the confidence that through you America will be informed of what the Republican program means for them and for the world, how far it has gone, what there is left to do, and how we are going to do it; and you will help--in your several districts and all the rest of the places--select the leaders under whom we are going to work.

It is a very great pleasure to be here. Moreover, it is an inspiring thing to know that each of you, from far-off stations--and I understand there are six people here from Alaska--have spent your own money to come in, better to equip yourselves to carry on this great work for America for all America--in the months to come and in the years to come.

Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at the Statler Hotel, Washington, D.C., at 10:30 a.m. In his opening remarks the President referred to Bertha Adkins, Assistant to the Chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Citation: Dwight D. Eisenhower: "Remarks at Fourth Annual Republican Women' s National Conference.," March 6, 1956. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=10746.