[Federal Reserve Bank Building]
[Kansas City, Mo.]
January 12, 1955
Dear Margie:-
Your ma and your dad appreciated the letter on Harriman's inauguration. I sure hope he makes a good governor and a good administrator. If he does he can go to the White House and the country can regain its world leadership which Ike has abdicated. Then we'll make the UN work as your dad hoped it would and we'll develop the world's resources so that all peoples will have plenty to eat, plenty to wear and be able to enjoy some of the good things of life.
These special interest boys are feudalist at heart just as they are colonialist in action. They want to take all and give nothing. They have an idea that they have a God given right to be on a higher plane than the rest of us and that we should kowtow and be thankful for small favors which they have the high and mighty attitude to turn loose in our direction.
It's 5:45 A.M. and your ma's in bed resting very well I hope - I can hear her.
We go to town tomorrow to buy a new deep freeze. Mr. Justice Douglas comes to town on Jan. 23 to address a Jewish meeting. Your mama and your dad will have dinner with him and a bunch of prominent Jews that evening and then have to listen to him make a speech.
Sen. Frank Graham will be here on the 31st and I'm taking him to lunch. He's addressing the same outfit Mrs. F.D.R. did that evening. We had a grand time with Mrs. R. and I'll have a good time with the others. It's funny how the great intellectuals and social high hats want to see and talk to an ignorant, New Deal, Fair Deal common old man who by accident - so they say was President of the United States, isn't it? Just isn't it?
Well your pop doesn't go along with that brand of thinking. I don't believe that Almighty God deals with me or any other common man through a Pope, Bishop, Preacher, Synod or Conclave. If I read my New Testament correctly the man who prays in his closet is much closer to the Throne than the Pharisee who's next to the High Priest. Public prayers and advertisers of their religious zeal are in the same class with me that the amen corner Baptists & Methodists were with Grandpa Young. "Go home and lock your 'smoke house' when your neighbors pray too loud in public" said the old man - and he knew what he was talking about.
Well I did start out to make this desertation [sic]. Your mama had her bridge club yesterday, and they had a good time. I slipped in about 3:30 and Vietta let me up the back stairs and I went to sleep. Got a scolding for not appearing!
You don't have to read this - but you will.
Dad.