Harry S Truman on Government Reform

	Harry S Truman on Government Reform

As judge, rejected patronage jobs & business

After being elected judge, Truman bought new seat covers for his car. The man from whom he bought them offered to install the covers for free if he'd send him some county work. "I don't do business that way," said Truman curtly as he paid his bill.

When Jackson County voters passed a road-building bond issue, Judge Truman insisted that contracts go to low bidders. A group of road contractors who were used to getting road work as patronage protested. Truman [as a] newly elected judge wouldn't budge on his sealed-bid policy.

A new road built while Truman was in office trimmed a piece off his mother's farm. He refused to have Jackson County compensate her. "I'd have gotten $11,000 if my boy wasn't county judge," she told a reporter. Martha Truman never stopped griping about her son's ethical fastidiousness in this instance.

Source: The Wit & Wisdom of Harry Truman, by Ralph Keyes, p. 77 , Oct 12, 1999

Nation-wide presidential primaries favor wealthy candidates

"A national presidential primary would force a candidate to raise a huge sum of money in order to tour the country and make his good points known. No poor man or even one fairly well fixed could finance a national campaign. The money would have to be raised and contributed by the wealthy and the special interests. The nominee would become obligated to contributors, and that would not be good for the country." Source: The Wit & Wisdom of Harry Truman, by Ralph Keyes, p. 37 , Jan 15, 1953

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*Former Presidents:* Barack Obama(D,2009-2017) George W. Bush(R,2001-2009) Bill Clinton(D,1993-2001) George Bush Sr.(R,1989-1993) Ronald Reagan(R,1981-1989) Jimmy Carter(D,1977-1981) Gerald Ford(R,1974-1977) Richard Nixon(R,1969-1974) Lyndon Johnson(D,1963-1969) John F. Kennedy(D,1961-1963) Dwight Eisenhower(R,1953-1961) Harry S Truman(D,1945-1953) *Past Vice Presidents:* V.P.Joseph Biden V.P.Dick Cheney V.P.Al Gore V.P.Dan Quayle Sen.Bob Dole *Political Parties:* Republican Party Democratic Party Libertarian Party Green Party Reform Party Natural Law Party Tea Party Constitution Party	Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families/Children Foreign Policy Free Trade Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Infrastructure/Technology Jobs Principles/Values Social Security Tax Reform War/Iraq/Mideast Welfare/Poverty

Page last updated: Feb 22, 2022