By: Brent P.

The following is the transcript of a speech given by Democratic Governor of New York Alfred E. Smith in Washington, D.C., in 1936. This speech is Appendix A (I’ve also included Appendix B from the same book) from Cleon Skousen’s book The Naked Capitalist (1970), which is a review and commentary of Dr. Carroll Quigly’s 1,300 page book Tragedy and Hope. Interestingly, Carroll Quigly was one of former President Bill Clinton’s mentors.

There are few things worth noting about Alfred E. Smith’s speech. The reference to the NRA in Smith’s speech is not a reference to the National Rifle Association, but rather the National Recovery Administration established by FDR. Additionally, the term Brain Trusters refers to the group of advisers to Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his presidential administration.

To me, it just shows that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The influence of socialism, communism, and other nefarious forces, is nothing new in the history of the United States.

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