THE WELFARE STATE IN AMERICA THE 30 YEARS OF HUBERT HUMPHREY
Larry Hart CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY PROFESSOR WARSHAW May 20, 1975 In
the 30 years that Hubert Humphrey has been active in American
politics he has made several meaningful contributions to our
"GREAT SOCIETY. " Among the many programs which Hubert Humphrey
initiated are those dealing with Civil Rights, programs to help
combat world hunger, nuclear disarmament, and the Peace Corps.
These programs and many others were all marked with the same love
for America as well as the rest of mankind around the world.
Hubert Humphrey, 64, began his political career in 1943 by
running for Mayor of Minneapolis but he lost. The following year
Humphrey,,I'nlisted the help of some Washington folk in gaining a
merger of the regular Democratic party and the Famer*s Lagor
Party. The year after In 45, Humphrey once again ran for Mayor
and this time won by 30,000 votes. In 1945, Humphrey inacted the
first FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES law in the nation through the
city counsil and appointed the citie*s first FAIR EMPLOYMENT
PRACTICES COMMISSION. Humphrey, at 35 years of age in 1946, faced
his first big crisis situation as mayor of Minneapolis. The city
was struck with a severe po;llio epidemic. During the crisis,
50,000 residents came down with this dreaded disease,. This
figure
Includes people from the surrounding areas thru out the state.
From the combined efforts of the business sector and funds
allocated by the city council, there were an average of $4 for
each patient In the state who came down with this disease. In
other words, both groups contributed $200,000 for treatment of ex
sting cases.  Page 2 In 1948 Hubert Humphrey was elected to his first term in
the Senate. Many of his proposed ideas were between 15 and 20
years ahead of the time when they were eventually passed under
the Johnson and or Nixon administrations, In his first year as a
Senator, he actively advocated National Health Insurance to
alleviate the high costs of medical care for the elderly.
Seventeen years later, almost exact policy was passed under the
Medicare program. During his Administration, there was a plan
developed under the Social Security program to provide for
health care for the aged. Also In the health department, Humphrey
advocated the use of mental health centers In an
"Intercooperative approach to dealing with the problems which
lead to stress and tension in urban areas on a community wide
level.. Among other proposals of his was to lower the voting age
to 18, (this was done In about 1971. He was also in favor of
abolishing the electoral college, this unfortunately has not yet
been done. On the winning side, Humphrey was directly responsible
for ending segregation In the armed forces. Also being deeply
concerned with Civil Rights, Humphrey was in favor of abolishing
all forms of poll taxing His proposal was adapted as the 24th
amendment in 1964 Also during his first term, Hubert Humphrey and
also freshman Senator Lyndon Johnson were both united in helping
to pass liberal programs in the congress for years to come. In
his first years as a senator, he proposed many amendments to
close tax loop holes, however, all 32 of these amendments were
rejected. In his second term his big accomplishment was in the
FOOD FOR PEACE PROGRAM. Humphrey advocated the use of food and
related agricultural technology in American foreign policy, The
program had the effect of feeding starving people the world over
and also the money gained from the sale of our food supplies
would be loaned back to those countries for "economic
developement, schools,, hospitals,, and training programs to help
the people to help themselves," Years later, in 1973 Humphrey
was to speak to a group of High school students, he looked back
on
the FOOD FOR PEACE PROGRAM saying "In this world of struggle
between the haves and the have nots, food is as powerfull a
weapon as bombs. It is more powerful. Because food gives life,
not death. It builds instead of destroys. Food is strength, not
weakness. And I want our America to be strong so that it can save
lives, not conquer nations. Let history judge us as a nation of
teachers and builders, not soldiers. Let us be worthy of
greatness by responding positively to the chalenge of peace, not
by reacting negatively to the threat of war. In 1955, he
successfully introduced a resolution to create a Senate
sub-committee on disarmament. He was of course elected chairman
of this committee. As chairman, Humphrey was able to keep alive
discussions of future negotiations with other nuclear powers.
These efforts were instrumental in the passing of the nuclear
test ban treaty in 1963. This was the first international test
ban treaty
limiting the developement and testing of nuclear weapons on a
multi lateral level. In his fourth term as Senator Humphrey
proposed a plan called for an aggreement with Russia to ban or
limit anti balistic missle systems. He also urged the banning of
MIRV (multipple warhead missles) deployment by both the United
States and the Soviet Union, In 1979 Humphrey was instrumental
in the Strategic Arms Limitaion Talks in Geneva. His purpose was
adapted in 1973 regarding the banning or limiting of defensive
missiles at the SALT talks. In his third term as Senator, Hubert
Humphrey improved on his social welfare programs and in late 1960
he introduced a bill calling for the formation of the PEACE
CORPS. This plan received enthusiastic support from President
Kennedy, and by 1964, the Corps had grown from 500 volunteers in
June 1961 to 14000 in 1964. In 1963 Humphrey supported the
Mass Transportation Act which provided for the appropriation of
12,000,000,000 over a period of ten years to aid mass transit
systems in American cities. In 1964, under his leadership in the
Senate there was an improvement made on the legislation which
he sponsored in 1949 regarding hospital care for the aged. Again
that same year, Humphrey voted to extend programs for child care
and developement and independent legal services for the poor.
When asked by a student, in the fall of 1963, following the
assasination of President Kennedy, what he considered to be his
most important contributions during his terms as a Senator, he 
replied: "I am most proud of the four programs which I have
initiated. My work for the
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the Food For Peace Programs, the Civil
Rights Bill of 1964, and the Peace Corps. The years, 1964 until
1970 were marked with Humphrey be Vice-President under Lyndon
Johnson
and an unsuccessful bid for the Presidentcy In 1968. One of the
main reasons his presidential bid was not successful, was because
Humphrey was tied with the Vietnam War policies of Johnson.
In 1970, Humphrey was elected to a fourth term in the Senate. He
unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination in 1972. He was
appointed chairman of the AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL DEVELOPEMENT
COMMITTEE. Among his other important votes included support of
government wage and price controls, support of the Equal Rights
Amendment and voted against forced bussing. In his book THE
CAUSE IS MANKIND , published in 1964, Humphrey argues for a
balanced economy through the coordination of the government and
buisness sectors. Humphrey stresses the need for long term
planning,
"weighing equally all the priorities and goals of the nation.
This not only insures economic justice, but balanced growth
through the proper use and control of the nation's resources. He
is a firm believer in the American government and its people
should have faith in each other. If the long term goals
of a quality life are ever to be realized, the American people
must come to assume a more responsible roll in their nation's
system of policy makings. In supporting several programs for
alleviating hunger, illiteracy, poverty, and disease, Humphrey
stresses an American international policy of detente through
trade aggreements and collective efforts in space, science,
research, and the envirement. Humphrey later reflected upon his
philosophy for a Welfare state in a speech In 1964 "Some time
maybe we think this country will get over our headline history
and start to look back in to the fine print of the chapter of
human achievement. When that is read and the book is yet to be
written I am convinced and I am confident it will say that the
American people, who were gifted and privlaged to have abundance
at a time of human need, also had the goodness of heart and
spirit to dedicate these great resources that came to them from
a bountiful and devine providence to the welfare of God's finest
creation, people " From looking at the voting record for the past
20 years in the Senate. It is clear to see that Hubert Humphrey
believes in the common man and has a humane feeling for
minorities and those less fortunate citizens of the world. Even
in cases where It was not popular to support a particular idea
at the time, Humphrey stuck his nose out and helped it along and
eventually got it passed. Sometimes late, but more important.
done.  Page 7 Using the example of the polio epidemic in Minnesota, it
Is
plain to see that Humphrey has influence with different sectors
of the communiy, including labor who gave unselfishly to help
during this crisis. It is not surprising that in 1968, Humphrey
had no problem at all obtaining the support of labor in his
Democratic Campaign for the presidency. It is of course important
for large groups as well as the small to work together hand and
hand with
all phases of government to accomplish needed solutions to
pressing problems in our every day world. In looking at the
following exerpt from a speech delivered by Humphrey in 1962, he
elaborates on his dream for mankind, "Our greater responsibility,
and even more demanding chalenge, is to achieve mankind's dream
and hope of a better world through sacrifice, a committment, a
plan and a program. Our strength is not to be measured only by
our military, our industry, or our technology The real strength
of a free society is in its people, and their committment to
freedom and social justice. With such standards our nation will
be known not for the power of our weapons, but for the power of
our compassion and the strength of our dedication to human
welfare." Sources: The Cause is Mankind, Humphrey, 1964
Humphrey,
A Candid Biography, W. Griffith, 1965 The Welfare State, M.J.
Ulmer, 1973 My instructor wrote "what does Humphrey consider to
be the priorities, I wonder? Are his ideas on the priorities well
thought through? Are their any contradictions? Does he believe
that we can have "guns and butter" and social justice also? Above
all, how does he define economic or social justice? Is this the
way Liberals defined economic justice before the time of Woodrow
Wilson or Franklin D. Roosevelt? Or is his concept a fairly
rescent one? Or does it have both old and new elements?