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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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audience. Before the state was really organized in labor unions as it is today (1952), Syracuse was one of the best organized cities that there was. There was more organized labor there than in most places. The unions were strong, recognized and had something to say. I think that was probably why we nearly always had Syracuse for the labor speech. You were sure of a good labor attendance and you were sure of a sympathetic attendance of the other people.

That, of course, was the speech that I principally contributed to - naturally - because I knew about various things. We always had a program of amendments to the law, improvements in the law, improvements in the administration. That would get into it.

I think that those campaigns were largely a matter of knowing what were the most productive, fruitful places to go; what were the general subjects that would be of most interest; and how to get out the right kind of audience. Remember that we did not have the benefit of radio. The speaking was all direct speaking. You had to get your audiences out. That was a great problem of running a campaign - to get the audience out, get them there. That's where, of course, the political organizations were so strong. You could count on the Democratic organization of the locality to bring out an audience. Nothing is more terrible





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