Going through formalities.
Click on the link here for audio player: 1956 Republican Convention – Day 1
A reminder of just how much has changed in the race for the Presidency.
For example – this short address by Utah Senator Wallace Bennett:
Sen. Wallace Bennett (R-Utah): “Our country has always recognized that people grow old. It’s part of the divine plan. And we’ve always gone out of our way to provide for those people. Never has that been more vigorously demonstrated than during the present Administration. More than ten million more Americans were made eligible for Social Security payments. Payments were raised for seven million more, who were already eligible. When the Republican Congress replaced the Democrat Congress in 1953, only 47% of our aged were eligible for Social Security benefits. Under Republican legislation 75% are covered. Social Security coverage was extended to Farmers by a Republican Congress. It was extended to 200 thousand Domestic workers by a Republican Congress. It was extended to 250 thousand Ministers by a Republican Congress. To a hundred thousand home workers – to over 3 million state and local Government employees, to fifty thousand Federal employees – all by a Republican Congress. The same Republican Congress that created the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. But the job is not finished, the program should be broadened, and it will be by a Republican Congress.”
Here is a one hour extract from the days activities for August 20, 1956 as reported by CBS Radio and their continuing gavel-to-gavel coverage of the 1956 Democratic and Republican Conventions.
