Speeches Of Richard Nixon - Checkers Speech Footage

Speeches of Richard Nixon - Checkers Speech
This clip is not available for streaming at this time. Please contact WPA.	Tape Master:	292
	Catalog #:	437367
	Clip Number:	437367-3
	Orginal Film:
	Timecode:	02:03:22 - 02:06:40
	Location:	United States
	Year Shot:	1952 (Actual Year)
	Audio:	Yes
	Color:	No
	Headings:	ELECTIONS: Campaigns LOCATIONS/NORTH AMERICA: USA PERSONALITIES: Nixon, Richard M. POLITICS: Public Address (Speech)
	Description:	Excerpts of RICHARD M. NIXON delivering the infamous "Checkers" speech, September 23, 1952 (televised political broadcast): "My Fellow Americans, I come here before you tonight as a candidate for the Vice President and as a man whose honesty and integrity has been questioned. The usual political thing to do when charges are made against you is to either ignore them or to deny them without giving details. I believe we've had enough of that in the United States, particularly with the present Administration in Washington, D.C. To me the office of the Vice Presidency is a great office and I feel that the people have got to have confidence in the integrity of the men who run for that office and who might obtain it. I have a theory, too, that the best and only answer to a smear or to an honest misunderstanding of the facts is to tell the truth." Edit. "Do you think that when I or any other Senator makes a political speech, has it printed, should charge the printing of that speech and the mailing of that speech to the taxpayers? Do you think when I or any other Senator makes a trip to his home state to make a purely political speech that the cost of that trip should be charged to the taxpayers? Do you think when a Senator makes political broadcasts or political Television broadcasts, radio or television, that the expense of those broadcasts should be charged to the taxpayers? I know what your answer is. It is the same answer that audiences give me whenever I discuss this problem. The answer is no. The taxpayers shouldn't be required to finance items which are not official business but which are primarily political business. Then the question arises, how do you pay for these and how can you do it legally? There are several ways that it can be done, and that it is done legally in the United States Senate and in the Congress. The first way is to be a rich man. I don't happen to be a rich man so I couldn't use that one. Another way that is used is to put your wife on the payroll. Let me say, incidentally, my opponent, my opposite number for the Vice Presidency on the Democratic ticket, does have his wife on the payroll and has had it, her on his payroll for ten years. That's his business and I'm not critical of him for doing that. You will have to pass judgment on that. But I have never done that for this reason. I have found that there are so many deserving stenographers & secretaries in Washington that needed the work that I just didn't feel it was right to put my wife on the payroll. My wife's sitting over here. She's a wonderful stenographer. She used to teach stenography and she used to teach shorthand in high school. That was when I met her." C/A of PAT NIXON.