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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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nobody could see him. You didn't see the awkward, crippled motion. We learned to do it almost automatically. Anybody who was at hand did it. Everybody who was his friend, even the men, would do that. They all soon learned, but women did it very well because their skirts stuck out. We would all appear to be talking to each other, greeting the candidate or something. It was a good screen. However, there wasn't anybody at that convention to screen him as he came on the platform.

As soon as this speech was over he conferred backstage with a lot of the leaders. The Governor had been very much touched by his speech. A lot of the leaders came to see him. He was just shaking almost like a leaf. He was sitting down by this time in some little room back of the stage. He sat down there and was wringing wet - perspiration streaming off his face. He mopped his brow. He was very cheerful, very pleasant, very smiling and so forth. I remember seeing that he was as weak as a rag. It had taken a terrific toll out of him.

He wasn't in a position to do much more. He was still trying to get back his strength. It was really a tour de force to make this nominating speech. Not only did he want to do it and did Al want him to do it, but of course it was to him





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