PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY - TYPED MANUSCRIPT SIGNED CIRCA 1960 - HFSID 348144

JOHN F. KENNEDY
Eight-page typed draft of a campaign speech delivered in Houston with 47 words of ink notation - including his name - written by the man himself
Typed Manuscript signed: "Kennedy" in notes, 8 pages, 8x10½, separate sheets. Shown on hinges and framed to allow for complete visibility. Houston, Texas. Dated September 12, 1960. His reading copy of a presidential campaign speech in Houston, Texas. Kennedy's handwritten notes (47 words, including his name-"Kennedy") were written on the blank verso of the eighth page. JFK's lecturing/speech style was one of changing what was prepared for him, by writing notes to himself and incorporating those thoughts into the speech he actually delivered. This is exactly the case with this speech. 18 words including his name, "Kennedy", are in ink, the balance in light pencil: "Leon Jaworsky (sic)/Lt. Gov. Ramsey/Att Wilson/Cong Thomas/Cong Bob Casey/Jack Brooks/Jim Wright/Homer Thornberry/John Young. James Bowie/Crockett/Travis. Union/Daniel Webster. 1860. 21 Democrats. Nixon-Kennedy/Contest. FDR. Plodding feet. National Party. Century/Stand pat. Kansas-Nebraska/Controversy. Butterflys. Valuable asset".ALSO INCLUDED is a photocopy from the John F. Kennedy Library of the speech as actually delivered by the future president, in which he incorporated 41 of the words written in these notes in that speech. NOTE: Our use of bold type indicates that these were the words Kennedy wrote in his notes. In Part:  "Mr. Jaworski, Senator Johnson, Speaker Rayburn, Lt. Governor Ramsey, Attorney General Wilson, Senator Yarborough, Congressman Wright, Congressman Thomas, Congressman Casey, Congressman Brooks, Congressman John Young, Homer Thornberry-I came well attended before I came to Houston, Texas...We had an opportunity today to go to San Antonio and visit the great Texas shrine the Alamo. You remember the very old story about a citizen of Boston who heard a Texan talking about the glories of Bowie, Travis, Crockett and all the rest and finally said, 'Haven't you heard of Paul Revere?' The Texan said, 'Well, he is the man who ran for help.' I am down here in Texas running for help…I am delighted to be in this city named after a great Texan and a great American. Some years ago…I wrote a book on eight Senators who I thought had shown unusual courage…Senator Houston…demonstrated…what he thought was right…It has been that kind of spirit, from my own State of Massachusetts, Senator Webster, Senator Clay of Kentucky, and others who stood powerfully for this country as a united party…before this country broke up in 1861 the Democratic Party first broke up in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1860…I come today as a candidate for the office of the Presidency, who lives in Massachusetts, who is a Senator from Massachusetts, but who runs as a candidate for a United national Democratic Party…Texas has sent two distinguished Senators…with whom I sit on the Labor Committee and 21 Democrats out of the 22 that represent the State of Texas. Can you tell me any reason why Texas should not elect a Democratic Governor, 21 Democratic Congressmen, two Democratic Senators…and reverse the whole procedure and elect a Republican President?…We want to move ahead. We want to serve the great Republic. This is not a contest between Vice President Nixon and myself…This is a contest between two great parties and the character and quality growing out of those two parties is written in the history books of the United States. It is written in the political slogans…Listen to the Republican ones in this century, to stand pat with McKinley…Look at the Democratic slogans of which we are proud…Franklin Roosevelt said it for us in 1936…in accepting his second presidential nomination…'Governments can err, Presidents do make mistakes…Better the occasional faults of a government living in the spirit of charity than…omissions of a government frozen…in its own indifference.' That is what we have had in the last eight years…and Robert Sherwood, the new president's friend in 1933 contrasted the two parties for all time: 'Plodding feet, tramp, tramp, The Grand Old Party breaking camp…The New Deal is moving in.' It is our obligation and our privilege to be the defenders of the gate…to be the only hope for freedom. If we fail, all fails. If we succeed, all succeed. Has any people since the time of Athens ever had a comparable opportunity, a comparable responsibility? I ask for your help in this election…." Kennedy also handwrote "Kansas-Nebraska/Controversy" of 1854 which led to the formation of the Republican Party and helped bring on the Civil War but chose not to mention it. He wrote "Butterflys" (sic) twice. Three days earlier, on September 9, in Los Angeles, Kennedy said: "I am not chasing butterflies. I am here asking for your support…." He chose not to mention butterflies in this speech. Kennedy also wrote: "Valuable asset" and although he never uses those words, he speaks of the importance of Sam Rayburn to the nation. It's interesting that of the large group of people Kennedy addressed at the beginning of his speech, Leon Jaworski is first. Jaworski, a Texas attorney, was Lyndon Johnson's lawyer, handling the litigation that permitted LBJ to run for Vice President and reelection to the U.S. Senate at the same time. Thirteen years later, Jaworski was appointed Special Watergate Prosecutor by President Nixon. It was Jaworski's subpoena of the Watergate tapes and documents, upheld by the Supreme Court, that directly resulted in Nixon's resignation (Nixon released tapes August 5, resigned August 9). Note: The day John F. Kennedy delivered this speech was his and Jackie's 7th wedding anniversary. Show-through from the printed eighth page. Scuffs along frame's bottom edge. Chip marks at bottom-right corner of frame. Two half-inch tears on backing paper of frame on the right side (not visible from front). Otherwise, fine condition. Framed to an overall size of 51¼x33½.