LAD #33- FDR's Inaugural Address

Franklin D. Roosevelt
First Inaugural Address
Saturday March 4, 1933
Summary:

Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the American people clearly and bluntly with nothing but the truth, for there was no reason to shy from it. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," he said, and every nation faces its own dark hour. With this idea, Roosevelt felt that the country must face these difficulties and revitalize its values. The United States was plagued by a number of issues, including but not limited to unemployment, high taxes, inflation, failing industry, and the farmer population's inability to sell its crops. The economy of the nation had been driven by the wealthier, upper class, but with the decline of these businesses, the country dropped with it. Despite this, Roosevelt claimed that true happiness lie within the achievements of the American people rather than money itself.

Roosevelt felt the nation called for action, establishing the need for the people to find courage within themselves to work. He believed that national recovery ought not be simply a nationalistic movement, and that the economy could be revamped by the inclusion of international relations. His foreign policy could also be seen as a 'Good Neighbor' policy to respect their obligations and its agreements. With the task of 'fixing' his nation, Roosevelt claimed that he was prepared to undertake the constitutional responsibilities that came with it, and use national unity in order to do so. "We do not distrust the future of essential democracy. The people of the United States have not failed."

LAD #32- Kellogg Briand Peace Pact

Kellogg Briand Peace Pact
Paris, August 27, 1928-1929
Summary:

The Kellogg Briand Peace Pact was signed by the United States, Japan, and a better portion of Europe in the late 1920's in which each nation recognized its solemn duty to promote the general welfare of mankind. The Pact stated that the renunciation of war ought to be used as a national policy in order to bring about peace and order. With the signing and passage of this pact, any nation that wished to declare war in pursuit of its own interest would be denied the benefits as decreed by the treaty. It was the hope of those who signed the treaty that future generations would follow this example.

The nations involved agreed that they would denounce the resulting causalities of war as a way to solve international disputes. The nations involved would also be open to consultation so long as they adhered to one another. The government of all nations would be recognized and follow the treaty, and all would possess a copy of the treaty and would notify one another if there were to be any alterations.

LAD #31 - Wilson's 14 Points

Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points
Delivered in Joint Session, January 8, 1918
Summary:

President Woodrow Wilson was a pacifist before the Great War, and ever after its armistice he still felt it necessary to obtain some sort of peace. The Central Powers wished to discuss a treaty with Russia in regards to what it would do with its excess land, Wilson stepped up the plate with his own ideas, known as his 'Fourteen Points,' all of which would be used to maintain freedom.

To begin with, he decreed that no international treaty should be private, and that freedom of the seas ought to be an intangible right and enforced. Any economic barriers on trade were to be removed to set equal trading conditions peacefully, and the amount of arms possessed by each nation would be lowered. All acquired land would be returned to its rightful owners, and any war-ravaged nations would be restored to what they had once been along with former borders. Through these points, imperialism could be seen as over and done with, with a sort of 'alliance' formed against those who wished to continue doing so. (One of his main points would be the idea of a 'League of Nations,' though the plan was never followed through.)

Wilson concluded that these actions ought to be followed through peacefully with the goal of freedom in mind, and were attainable through cooperation. In following his Fourteen Points, the integrity of the world would be put to the test, and yet very few points were ever enacted.

LAD #30 - Schneck vs. US Case

Schenck vs. United States; Bear vs. United States
March 3rd, 1919
Summary:

The First Amendment protected the freedom of speech for the American people, yet during the case of Schenck vs. the United States, it was decided that this right could be prohibited when it posed a clear and present danger to the public. The result of these actions would depend on the context of the act, one such example of this being the attempt to persuade men away from joining the army. Schneck, who had a hand in this ordeal, attempting to bring about insubordination in the military forces of the United States through the use of anti-war documents. The defendants were found guilty on all charges, and even Schenck himself did not deny the claims made against them, as he had planned for the circulation of the leaflets. At one point it was said that there was insufficient evidence against him, yet the contrary was quickly proven, as the search warrant stated that the documents weren't even in his possession, yet were printed.

This case was seen as an attempt to "obstruct the recruiting or enlistment service," and urged the public "not to submit to intimidation" and to assert their rights, but with some limitations. Opposition to the draft was allowed to an extent while stating that the people "must do your share to maintain, support and uphold the rights of the people of this country."

With the nation at war, actions taken during times of peace that could be considered a "hindrance to its effort," would not be tolerated and dealt with by the Court.

LAD #29 -Keating-Owen Child Labor Act

Keating-Owen Child Labor Act
1916
Summary:

The Keating-Own Child Labor Act was passed by Congress in 1916 as a way for the government to regulate both child labor and interstate commerce. This Act banned the sale of any goods or products from a facility that employed children. At first this law was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, as it was thought to overstep the boundaries that the government had set regarding regulation of interstate commerce. The campaign for the ratification of a Child Labor Law Amendment was momentarily stalled by those who opposed it, using the opinions of states' rightists and the idea that this act was a communist-inspired plot. It was not until 1938 that the Anti-Child labor movement was victorious with the Fair Labor Standards Act.

LAD #28 -Woodrow Wilson's First Inaugural Address

Woodrow Wilson's First Inaugural Address
Tuesday March 4th, 1913

Summary:

The Democratic Party had become a majority in the Congress, meaning the the assembling Senate was Democrat as well. As a result, the fate of the President and Vice-President's offices has been put into the hands of the Democrats, leading to some question on Woodrow Wilson's part.

In a sense, the growth of this political party may have also been interpreted as a warning that the Democrats would now be pressing their plans and views on the American people, including such things that had once been forgotten for the most part. Wilson claimed that the country had squandered a great deal of what it had gained, and had not stopped to consider the outcome for nature and the long run. The nation may have been proud of its industrial achievements, yet it had not considered what the cost would be for its population, and the general effects it would have on them. In a way, the government had forgotten its very people in doing so, having been overcome for private and selfish purposes. Wilson stated the bad must be seen with the good, that the duty of the American people was to 'cleanse, reconsider, restore, and correct the evil without impairing the good,' and to purify the processes of their lives without weakening them. He believed that America had been in such a hurry to be great that they had been heedless.

Overall Wilson asked for the country to offer him aid and support in bringing about change and revitalizing the nation, saying that the United States had to make up its mind. The tariff of the nation violated its taxation principles and put the government in the hands of private companies which in essence had the capital in its hands.

Reformation and 'righting the wrongs' was what American needed at the time of Wilson's Inaugural address, and that "We shall restore, not destroy." Wilson summoned all men to come and help him with mustering the forces of the party and humanity and swore that with them at his side, he would not fail.

LAD #27- Clayton Anti-Trust Act

The Clayton Anti-Trust Act
1914

Summary:

The Clayton Anti-Trust Act claimed that competitive price discrimination was illegal in the country, and by doing so this would urge businesses to become competitive in order to remove the monopolies that controlled a great deal of the industries. Despite how these would generally lower the prices of some goods, many people argued that this act would encourage the companies to charge more for their goods, thus dwindling the amount of money people had in their wallets. The Clayton Anti-Trust Act claimed that it itself could not be used in opposition to any organized labor unions, as to what was said in the Sherman Anti-Trust Act in years prior, which blatantly crushed early unions. The Act forbade companies from merging themselves together to create a monopoly, and declared that labor was an extension of commerce rather than an interchangeable mechanism in the system.