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Tolerance Stressed by Roosevelt, Willkie As Campaign Ends

November 4, 1940
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Determination to uphold racial and religious tolerance in the United States was stressed by both President Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie in their final campaign speeches last night.

Americans are determined to retain for themselves the right of free speech, free religion, and free assembly, President Roosevelt said in Cleveland.

“I see an America devoted to our freedom–unified by tolerance, unified by religious faith, a people consecrated, consecrated to peace, a people confident in strength because their body and their spirit are secure and unafraid,” the President added.

Willkie reiterated his repudiation of all bigoted groups, a statement considered especially significant in view of the endorsement given his candidady by Social Justice, Coughlin’s organ.

Speaking in New York City, he stressed that he had no prejudice against any member of any racial or religious group in America and denounced “the whispering campaign that is being conducted by the opposition to connect my name with any kind of intolerance.”

“I want to unite Catholic and Protestant, Jew and Gentile, people of all races, creed and color…… Right at the beginning of this campaign I repudiated certain men and groups who tried to connect themselves with us. I still repudiate them. And I repudiate, now and forever, any and all men and women, individually or collectively, who practice or promote racial or religious intolerance or persecution.”

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