Speech #630386037

Andrew Johnson. whatever his faults may have been. which time has to some extent softened. could not read or write until he was 18 years of age . and still he becamePresident of the United States. And so there are hundreds of thousands of men who have lived in this country and have achieved considerable success. have developed into important men. have brought up families which have been a source of honor and pride and glory to the land. who were unable to read or write. I know hundreds of men and womenin my early days I came constantly in contact with immigrantswho were of the class known as illiterates. and yet they enjoyed the respect of everybody In the com munities In which they lived. because they were Industrious. they were thrifty. they were conscientious. they brought up their families In the fear of God. they Instructed their children so that they might have the advantages of education which the parents had been unable to acquire. and this experience is repeated in every corner of the land. The Italian who comes to this country as an Illiterate sends his ciiidren to the public school. -He sees to it that they are brought up differently from the way In which he was reared. He tries to make them American as speedily as possible.