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THE MAKING OF A NATION 179 - Election of 1932

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THE MAKING OF A NATION - February 7, 2002: Election of 1932

By David Jarmul
Move over ...
Roosevelt, right, and
Hoover on Inauguration1
Day -March 4, 1933
VOICE 1:

THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English by the Voice of America.

(Theme)

President Herbert Hoover worked hard to rescue the American economy following the crash of the stock market
in October nineteen-twenty-nine. Within one month, he called the nation's business leaders to the White House.
"Don't lower wages," the president told them.

Hoover called on the Federal Reserve Bank to make it easier for businesses to borrow money. He tried to provide
funds to help farmers get fair prices for their crops. He pushed Congress to lower personal taxes. And above all,
the president urged Americans not to lose hope in their economy or in themselves.

VOICE 2:

But it was no use. The economy was in ruins, falling faster with each passing day. The
value of stocks had collapsed2. Millions of workers lost their jobs. The level of industrial
production in the country was less than half what it had been before the stock market
crash.

Hoover's efforts were not enough to stop the growing crisis. In ever greater numbers,
people called on the president to increase federal spending and provide jobs for citizens
out of work.

But the president was a conservative Republican. He did not think it was the
responsibility of the federal government to provide relief for poor Americans. And he
thought it was wrong to increase spending above the amount of money that the government received in taxes.

VOICE 1:

The situation seemed out of control. The nation's government and business leaders appeared to have no idea how
to save the dollar and put people back to work. Although Hoover did more than most presidents before him, he
was not willing to take the severe actions that many Americans felt were needed.

Hoover would spend government money to help farmers buy seeds and fertilizers. But he refused to give wheat to
unemployed3 workers who were hungry.

He created an emergency committee to study the unemployment problem. But he would not launch government
programs to create jobs. Hoover called on Americans to help their friends in need. But he resisted calls to spend
federal funds for major relief programs to help the millions of Americans facing disaster.

VOICE 2:

Leaders of the Democratic Party made the most of the situation. They accused the president of not caring about
the common man. They said Hoover was willing to spend money to feed starving cattle for businessmen, but not
to feed poor children.

Hoover tried to show the nation that he was dealing4 with the crisis. He worked with the Congress to try to save
the banks and to keep the dollar tied to the value of gold. He tried hard to balance the federal budget. And he told
the American public that it was not the responsibility of the national government to solve all their problems.

VOICE 1:


Late in nineteen-thirty-one, Hoover appointed a new committee on unemployment. He named Walter Gifford, the
chief of the large American Telephone and Telegraph company, to be its head. Gifford did Hoover more harm
than good.

When he appeared before Congress, Gifford was unable to defend Hoover's position that relief was the
responsibility of local governments and private giving. He admitted that he did not know how many people were
out of work. He did not know how many of them needed help. How much help they needed. Or how much
money local governments could raise.

VOICE 2:

The situation grew worse. And some Americans began to lose faith in their government completely. They looked
to groups with extreme political ideas to provide answers. Some Americans joined the Communist Party. Others
helped elect state leaders with extreme political ideas. And in growing numbers, people began to turn to hatred5
and violence.

However, most Americans remained loyal to traditional values even as conditions grew steadily6 worse. They
looked ahead to nineteen-thirty-two, when they would have a chance to vote for a new president.

VOICE 1:

Leaders of the Democratic Party felt they had an excellent chance to capture the white house in the election. And
their hopes increased when the Republicans re-nominated president hoover and vice7 president Charles Curtis in
the summer of nineteen-thirty-two.

For this reason, competition was fierce for the democratic presidential nomination8. The top candidate was
Franklin Roosevelt, the governor of New York state.

Roosevelt had been re-elected to that office just two years before by a large vote. He came from a rich and
famous family, but was seen as a friend of the common man. Roosevelt was conservative in his economic
thinking. But he was a progressive in his opinion that government should be active in helping9 citizens. He had
suffered polio and could not walk. But he seemed to enjoy his life and his work.

VOICE 2:

Roosevelt's two main opponents were Al Smith and John Garner10. Smith had been the governor of New York
before roosevelt. Garner, a Texan, was the speaker of the House of Representatives.

Together, they hoped to block Roosevelt's nomination. And they succeeded the first three times the delegates
voted at the democratic convention in Chicago.

Roosevelt's chief political adviser11, James farley, worked hard to find roosevelt the votes he needed at the
convention. Finally, farley found a solution.

He made a deal with supporters of John Garner. Roosevelt would make garner the vice presidential nominee12 if
garner's forces voted to make Roosevelt the presidential nominee. Garner agreed. And on the next vote, the
democratic delegates nominated Franklin Roosevelt to be their presidential candidate. Al Smith was so angry
about the deal that he left Chicago without congratulating Roosevelt.

Roosevelt wanted to show the nation that he was the kind of man to take action. That he had more imagination
than hoover. So he broke tradition and flew to Chicago. It was the first time a candidate had ever appeared at a
convention to accept a nomination. And Roosevelt told the cheering crowd that together they would defeat
Hoover.

VOICE 1:

The main issue in the campaign of nineteen-thirty-two was the economy. President Hoover defended his policies.
Roosevelt and the Democrats13 attacked the administration for not taking enough action.

Roosevelt knew that most Americans were unhappy with the hoover administration. So his plan during the


campaign was to let hoover defeat himself. He avoided saying anything that might make groups of voters think
he was too extreme. But roosevelt did Make clear that he would move the federal government into action to help
people suffering from the economic crisis.

He said he was for a balanced federal budget. But he said the government must be willing to spend extra money
to prevent people from starving.

VOICE 2:

Americans liked what they heard from Franklin Roosevelt. He seemed strong. He enjoyed life. And Roosevelt
seemed willing to try new ideas, to experiment with government.

Hoover attacked Roosevelt bitterly during the campaign. He warned that Roosevelt and the Democrats would
destroy the American system. But Americans were tired of hoover. They thought he was too serious, too afraid of
change, too friendly with business leaders instead of the working man. Most of all, they blamed hoover for the
hard times of the Depression.

On election day, Americans voted in huge numbers for Franklin Roosevelt and the Democrats. Roosevelt won
forty-two of the forty-eight states. The Democrats also gained a large majority in both houses of Congress.

VOICE 1:

The election ended twelve years of Republican rule in the White House. It also marked the passing of a long
conservative period in American political life.

Franklin Roosevelt would become one of the strongest and most progressive presidents in the nation's history. He
woud serve longer than any other president, changing the face of America's political and economic systems.

We will take a look at the beginning of his administration in our next program.

(Theme)

VOICE 2:

You have been listening to THE MAKING OF A NATION, a program in Special English by the Voice of
America. Your narrators have been Harry14 Monroe and Warren Scheer. Our program was written by David
Jarmul.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 inauguration 3cQzR     
n.开幕、就职典礼
参考例句:
  • The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
  • Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。
2 collapsed cwWzSG     
adj.倒塌的
参考例句:
  • Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
  • The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。
3 unemployed lfIz5Q     
adj.失业的,没有工作的;未动用的,闲置的
参考例句:
  • There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
  • The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。
4 dealing NvjzWP     
n.经商方法,待人态度
参考例句:
  • This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
  • His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
5 hatred T5Gyg     
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨
参考例句:
  • He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
  • The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。
6 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
参考例句:
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
7 vice NU0zQ     
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
参考例句:
  • He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
  • They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
8 nomination BHMxw     
n.提名,任命,提名权
参考例句:
  • John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
  • Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。
9 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
10 garner jhZxS     
v.收藏;取得
参考例句:
  • He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
  • Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。
11 adviser HznziU     
n.劝告者,顾问
参考例句:
  • They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
  • Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。
12 nominee FHLxv     
n.被提名者;被任命者;被推荐者
参考例句:
  • His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
  • Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。
13 democrats 655beefefdcaf76097d489a3ff245f76     
n.民主主义者,民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
  • The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 harry heBxS     
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
参考例句:
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

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