RichardMNixonCheckers精选资料.docx

RichardMNixonCheckers精选资料.docx

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RichardMNixonCheckers精选资料

RichardM.Nixon:

＂Checkers

　　MyFellowAmericans,

　　IebeforeyoutonightasacandidatefortheVicePresidencyandasamanwhosehonestyandintegrityhasbeenquestioned.

　　Now,theusualpoliticalthingtodowhenchargesaremadeagainstyouistoeitherignorethemortodenythemwithoutgivingdetails.Ibelievewe’vehadenoughofthatintheUnitedStates,particularlywiththepresentAdministrationinWashington,TometheofficeoftheVicePresidencyoftheUnitedStatesisagreatoffice,andIfeelthatthepeoplehavegottohaveconfidenceintheintegrityofthemenwhorunforthatofficeandwhomightobtainit.

　　Ihaveatheory,too,thatthebestandonlyanswertoasmearortoanhonestmisunderstandingofthefactsistotellthetruth.Andthat’swhyIamheretonight.Iwanttotellyoumysideofthecase.I’msurethatyouhavereadthecharge,andyou’veheardit,thatI,SenatorNixon,took$18,000fromagroupofmysupporters.

　　Now,wasthatwrong?

Andletmesaythatitwaswrong.Iamsayingit,incidentally,thatitwaswrong,justnotillegal,becauseitisn’taquestionofwhetheritwaslegalorillegal,thatisn’tenough.Thequestionis,wasitmorallywrong?

Isaythatitwasmorallywrong--ifanyofthat$18,000wenttoSenatorNixon,formypersonaluse.Isaythatitwasmorallywrongifitwassecretlygiven,andsecretlyhandled.AndIsaythatitwasmorallywrongifanyofthecontributorsgotspecialfavorsforthecontributionsthattheymade.

　　Andnowtoanswerthosequestionsletmesaythis:

notonecentofthe$18,000oranyothermoneyofthattypeeverwenttomeformypersonaluse.EverypennyofitwasusedtopayforpoliticalexpensesthatIdidnotthinkshouldbechargedtothetaxpayersoftheUnitedStates.Itwasnotasecretfund.Asamatteroffact,whenIwason“MeetthePress”--someofyoumayhaveseenitlastSunday--PeterEdsoncameuptomeaftertheprogram,andhesaid,“Dick,whataboutisfundwehearabout?

”AndIsaid,“Well,thereisnosecretaboutit.GooutandseeDanaSmithwhowastheadministratorofthefund.”AndIgavehim[Edson]his[Smith’s]address.AndIsaidyouwillfindthatthepurposeofthefundsimplywastodefraypoliticalexpensesthatIdidnotfeelshouldbechargedtotheGovernment.Andthird,letmepointout--andIwanttomakethisparticularlyclear--thatnocontributortothisfund,nocontributortoanyofmycampaigns,haseverreceivedanyconsiderationthathewouldnothavereceivedasanordinaryconstituent.

　　Ijustdon’tbelieveinthat,andIcansaythatnever,whileIhavebeenintheSenateoftheUnitedStates,asfarasthepeoplethatcontributedtothisfundareconcerned,haveImadeatelephonecallforthemtoanagency,orhaveIgonedowntoanagencyontheirbehalf.Andtherecordswillshowthat,therecordswhichareinthehandsoftheadministration.

　　Well,then,someofyouwillsay,andrightly,“Well,whatdidyouusethefundfor,Senator?

Whydidyouhavetohaveit?

”LetmetellyouinjustawordhowaSenateofficeoperates.Firstofall,aSenatorgets$15,000ayearinsalary.Hegetsenoughmoneytopayforonetripayear,aroundtrip,thatis,forhimself,andhisfamilybetweenhishomeandWashington,Andthenhegetsanallowancetohandlethepeoplethatworkinhisofficetohandlehismail.AndtheallowanceformyStateofCalifornia,isenoughtohire13people.Andletmesay,incidentally,thatthatallowanceisnotpaidtotheSenator.ItispaiddirectlytotheindividualsthattheSenatorputsonhispayroll.Butallofthesepeopleandalloftheseallowancesareforstrictlyofficialbusiness;business,forexample,whenaconstituentwritesinandwantsyoutogodowntotheVeteran’sAdministrationandgetsomeinformationabouthisGIpolicy--itemsofthattype,forexample.ButthereareotherexpensesthatarenotcoveredbytheGovernment.AndIthinkIcanbestdiscussthoseexpensesbyaskingyousomequestions.

　　DoyouthinkthatwhenIoranyothersenatormakesapoliticalspeech,hasitprinted,shouldchargetheprintingofthatspeechandthemailingofthatspeechtothetaxpayers?

Doyouthink,forexample,whenIoranyotherSenatormakesatriptohishomeStatetomakeapurelypoliticalspeechthatthecostofthattripshouldbechargedtothetaxpayers?

DoyouthinkwhenaSenatormakespoliticalbroadcastsorpoliticaltelevisionbroadcasts,radioortelevision,thattheexpenseofthosebroadcastsshouldbechargedtothetaxpayers?

WellIknowwhatyouransweris.It’sthesameanswerthataudiencesgivemewheneverIdiscussthisparticularproblem:

Theanswerisno.Thetaxpayersshouldn’tberequiredtofinanceitemswhicharenotofficialbusinessbutwhichareprimarilypoliticalbusiness.

　　Well,thenthequestionarises,yousay,“Well,howdoyoupayfortheseandhowcanyoudoitlegally?

”Andthereareseveralwaysthatitcanbedone,incidentally,anditisdonelegallyintheUnitedStatesSenateandintheCongress.Thefirstwayistobearichman.Idon’thappentobearichman,soIcouldn’tusethatone.Anotherwaythatisusedistoputyourwifeonthepayroll.Letmesay,incidentally,thatmyopponent,myoppositenumberfortheVicePresidencyontheDemocraticticket,doeshavehiswifeonthepayrollandhashadheronhispayrollforthepasttenyears.Nowletmejustsaythis:

That’hisbusiness,andI’mnotcriticalofhimfordoingthat.Youwillhavetopassjudgmentonthatparticularpoint.

　　ButIhaveneverdonethatforthisreason:

IhavefoundthattherearesomanydeservingstenographersandsecretariesinWashingtonthatneededtheworkthatIjustdidn’tfeelitwasrighttoputmywifeonthepayroll.Mywife’ssittingoverhere.Sheisawonderfulstenographer.Sheusedtoteachstenographyandsheusedtoteachshorthandinhighschool.ThatwaswhenImether.AndIcantellyoufolksthatshe’sworkedmanyhoursatnightandmanyhoursonSaturdaysandSundaysinmyoffice,andshe’sdoneafinejob,andIamproudtosaytonightthatinthesixyearsIhavebeenintheHouseandtheSenateoftheUnitedStates,PatNixonhasneverbeenontheGovernmentpayroll.

　　Whatareotherwaysthatthesefinancescanbetakencareof?

Somewhoarelawyers,andIhappentobealawyer,continuetopracticelaw,butIhaven’tbeenabletodothat.IamsofarawayfromCaliforniathatIhavebeensobusywithmysenatorialworkthatIhavenotengagedinanylegalpractice,and,also,asfaraslawpracticeisconcerned,itseemedtomethattherelationshipbetweenanattorneyandtheclientwassopersonalthatyoucouldn’tpossiblyrepresentamanasanattorneyandthenhaveanunbiasedviewwhenhepresentedhiscasetoyouintheeventthathehadonebeforeGovernment.

　　AndsoIfeltthatthebestwaytohandlethesenecessarypoliticalexpensesofgettingmymessagetotheAmericanpeopleandthespeechesImade--thespeechesIhadprintedforthemostpartconcernedthisonemessageofexposingthisAdministration,themunisminit,thecorruptioninit--theonlywaythatIcoulddothatwastoaccepttheaidwhichpeopleinmyhomeStateofCalifornia,whocontributedtomycampaignandwhocontinuedtomakethesecontributionsafterIwaselected,weregladtomake.

　　AndletmesayIamproudofthefactthatnotoneofthemhaseveraskedmeforaspecialfavor.Iamproudofthefactthatnotoneofthemhaseveraskedmetovoteonabillotherthanmyownconsciencewoulddictate.AndIamproudofthefactthatthetaxpayersbysubterfugeorotherwisehaveneverpaidonedimeforexpenseswhichIthoughtwerepoliticalandshouldn’tbechargedtothetaxpayers.

　　Letmesay,incidentally,thatsomeofyoumaysay,“Well,thatisallright,Senator,that’syourexplanation,buthaveyougotanyproof?

”AndI’dliketotellyouthiseveningthatjustanhouragowereceivedanindependentauditofthisentirefund.IsuggestedtoGovernorShermanAdams,whoisthechiefofstaffoftheDwightEisenhowercampaign,thatanindependentauditandlegalreportbeobtained,andIhavethatauditinmyhands.It’sanauditmadebythePriceWaterhouse&Co.firm,andthelegalopinionbyGibson,Dunn,&Crutcher,lawyersinLosAngeles,thebiggestlawfirm,andincidentally,oneofthebestonesinLosAngeles.

　　IamproudtobeabletoreporttoyoutonightthatthisauditandthislegalopinionisbeingforwardedtoGeneralEisenhower.AndI’dliketoreadtoyoutheopinionthatwaspreparedbyGibson,Dunn,&Crutcher,andbasedonallthepertinentlawsandstatutes,togetherwiththeauditreportpreparedbythecertifiedpublicaccountants:

　　”ItisourconclusionthatSenatorNixondidnotobtainanyfinancialgainfromthecollectionanddisbursementofthefundbyDanaSmith;thatSenatorNixondidnotviolateanyfederalorstatelawbyreasonoftheoperationofthefund;andthatneithertheportionofthefundpaidbyDanaSmithdirectlytothirdpersons,northeportionpaidtoSenatorNixon,toreimbursehimfordesignatedofficeexpenses,constitutedinetotheSenatorwhichwaseitherreportableortaxableasineunderapplicabletaxlaws.”

　　（signed）

　　Gibson,Dunn,&Crutcher,

　　byElmoH.Conley

　　Nowthat,myfriends,isnotNixonspeaking,butthat’sanindependentauditwhichwasrequested,becauseIwanttheAmericanpeopletoknowallthefacts,andIamnotafraidofhavingindependentpeoplegoinandcheckthefacts,andthatisexactlywhattheydid.ButthenIrealizedthattherearestillsomewhomaysay,andrightlyso--andletmesaythatIrecognizethatsomewillcontinuetosmearregardlessofwhatthetruthmaybe--buttha