The great fundamental issue now before the Republican party and before our people can be stated briefly. It is: Are the American people fit to govern themselves, to rule themselves, to control themselves? I believe they are. My opponents do not. I believe in the right of the people to rule. I believe the majority of the plain people of the United States will, day in and day out, make fewer mistakes in governing themselves than any smaller class or body of men, no matter what their training, will make in trying to govern them. I believe, again, that the American people are, as a whole, capable of self-control and of learning by their mistakes.
An actual recording of a variation of the same speech is provided below. If you make it to the 1:28 mark of the video you’ll here a reflection on the past that was relevant in his time, and has again become relevant in our time. The accent is known as Mid-Atlantic English.
Originally published on The Minot Voice: April 28, 2015