The addresses are separated by three asterisks: ***
Dates of addresses by Franklin D. Roosevelt in this eBook:
January 3, 1934
January 4, 1935
January 3, 1936
January 6, 1937
January 3, 1938
January 4, 1939
January 3, 1940
January 6, 1941
January 6, 1942
January 7, 1943
January 11, 1944
January 6, 1945
***
State of the Union Address
Franklin D. Roosevelt
January 3, 1934
Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Senators and Representatives in Congress:
I come before you at the opening of the Regular Session of the 73dCongress, not to make requests for special or detailed items oflegislation; I come, rather, to counsel with you, who, like myself, havebeen selected to carry out a mandate of the whole people, in order thatwithout partisanship you and I may cooperate to continue the restoration ofour national wellbeing and, equally important, to build on the ruins of thepast a new structure designed better to meet the present problems of moderncivilization.
Such a structure includes not only the relations of industry andagriculture and finance to each other but also the effect which all ofthese three have on our individual citizens and on the whole people as aNation.
Now that we are definitely in the process of recovery, lines have beenrightly drawn between those to whom this recovery means a return to oldmethods--and the number of these people is small--and those for whomrecovery means a reform of many old methods, a permanent readjustment ofmany of our ways of thinking and therefore of many of our social andeconomic arrangements. . . . .
Civilization cannot go back; civilization must not stand still. We haveundertaken new methods. It is our task to perfect, to improve, to alterwhen necessary, but in all cases to go forward. To consolidate what we aredoing, to make our economic and social structure capable of dealing withmodern life is the joint task of the legislative, the judicial, and theexecutive branches of the national Government.
Without regard to party, the overwhelming majority of our people seek agreater opportunity for humanity to prosper and find happiness. Theyrecognize that human welfare has not increased and does not increasethrough mere materialism and luxury, but that it does progress throughintegrity, unselfishness, responsibility and justice.
In the past few months, as a result of our action, we have demanded of manycitizens that they surrender certain licenses to do as they please intheir business relationships; but we have asked this in exchange for theprotection which the State can give against exploitation by their fellowmen or by combinations of their fellow men.
I congratulate this Congress upon the courage, the earnestness and theefficiency with which you met the crisis at the Special Session. It wasyour fine understanding of the national problem that furnished the examplewhich the country has so splendidly followed. I venture to say that thetask confronting the First Congress of 1789 was no greater t