Update: We passed the half-way mark late this morning and things are looking a lot better than they were 24 hours ago. My most heartfelt thanks and admiration to all of you who have donated so far, including my colleagues at Crooks and Liars, you are all amazing. We're not out of the woods yet, and there is still a ways to go - not as far as yesterday at this time, but we still need to get the other half in order to save the Archive from destruction and Newstalgia from becoming extinct. Any amount you can afford to give will be appreciated beyond words. The donation amounts so far have run from between $1.00 to $100.00 and they are ALL gratefully appreciated. Any amount of money is money desperately needed at this point. I cannot thank you enough, to those who have donated so far. I cannot tell you how much your support means, to those who haven't yet. We're a lot closer to making this happen, and with your continued support we will succeed!

If you've just run across Newstalgia for the first time, please take some time to scroll down the page and check out the some 3,000+ posts, running the gamut from historic speeches (like this one) and historic events (like 3-Mile Island) to weekly Jazz, Rock and Classical concerts and everything in-between. It's all about history, all about information and all about our world.

I ran across an article about Eugene Debs the other day. Considered by many to be the first Socialist leader four-time candidate for President in the early 20th Century, firebrand labor leader and one of the more notable figures on the political scene from the 1890's until his death in 1926.

Here is an address, which has been attributed to an actor (Len Spencer) at the time, recorded shortly after he originally gave it in 1904.

Debs was renown for his public speaking, and his dramatic addresses were legendary. Although this is most likely not the real voice of Debs, Len Spencer was well aware of Debs' oratorical skills and was said to have captured the spirit of a Debs address quite accurately. Obviously, that isn't anything anyone can actually verify in 2012, so we'll have to take their word for it.

Here is the transcript of that address, as the original cylinder and recording techniques make it hard to understand at times:

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Update: We're still at 1/3 of our emergency goal of $5,000.00 to keep Newstalgia online and the archives from being destroyed, and all the history you hear on this site to no longer exist. Please don't make that happen. I am indebted to the ones who have given whatever amount they could afford. Some, a lot. Others, One Dollar. It doesn't matter - it all is used to chip away at this burden and help us pass this hurdle. If you haven't donated yet, or are thinking about it - whatever you can give, whatever amount at all, will be deeply and gratefully appreciated. Please help keep Newstalgia up and running and the archives away from destruction.

With recent news of Wikileaks and the case pending, I ran across this interview with a whistleblower from another time - Daniel Ellsberg and the now-famous Pentagon Papers. Much of the outrage and controversy surrounding Ellsberg at the time had to do with his releasing sensitive documents regarding secret meetings over the Vietnam War. How that was condemned by some to be a horrible betrayal of National Security, but it was supported by others as a means of ending an unjust and unjustifiable war. Release of the papers, and their subsequent printing in the New York Times focused attention on how corrupt our policy was and how blatant our government lied in order to maintain the status quo, at the expense of thousands of American lives.

It was thought by many to be the catalyst in ending the war sooner and, during the time of this interview (July 30, 1972) Ellsberg was in the midst of a trial, the conviction would have been a sentence of some 115 years.

Here is the complete appearance of Daniel Ellsberg, as interviewed by William F. Buckley on Buckley's Firing Line Program from July 30, 1972

Continuing Newstalgia's look at Conventions past, here is the Keynote address by Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt at the 1956 Democratic Convention. Adlai Stevenson was once again the Standard Bearer and it was this convention that the name of Sen. John F. Kennedy was first foisted into the spotlight as potential Presidential material, by being considered a vice-Presidential running mate for Stevenson. Kennedy declined and the VP slot went to Estes Kefauver, whose Crime Committee hearings made him a household name to millions of voters.

Here is Eleanor Roosevelt's complete address from that convention.

Update: Just about an hour ago we hit the 2/3 mark. It is unbelievable, and truly humbling, the outpouring of support and donations that have come in today in my effort to save Newstalgia and the Archive it depends so heavily on. To you who have donated, you are an incredible gift and further evidence all angels don't have wings. To those of you on the fence, or afraid that what you can give isn't much - no matter how small or large your donation is, it is all desperately important and it is all chipping away at an enormous weight. No matter what you give, every penny makes a huge difference. I am grateful beyond words to those of you who have donated so far. We're almost there, and that's the opposite of where we were this time yesterday. I still need your help. We're getting close. You are making a difference. With your help, we're going to make it.

Staying in the early 20th Century today. Here is an address by the legendary William Jennings Bryan, who may probably be best known for his role in the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925; teaching Evolution in public Schools. Bryan died within hours of the trials end. Although Bryan came to epitomize the Liberal Wing of the Democratic Party, he was a staunch prohibitionist and staunchly anti-Darwin, whose theory of Evolution was the basis for the famous trial. He unsuccessfully ran for President in 1896, 1900 and 1908 and was appointed Secretary of State in the Wilson Administration in 1913.

Here is the last portion of his address to the 1908 Democratic Convention, recorded several days later, on July 21, 1908 for posterity and also to be used for the Bryan campaign.

Later known as the "Ideal Republic" Address, here is the transcript of that speech since, being recorded in 1908, is a little hard to decipher in places:

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A voice from the deep-distant past. Teddy Roosevelt was considered to be the first Progressive President of the United States. During his time in office from 1901, (following the assassination of William McKinley) until 1908, he Created the National Park Service as we know it today. He signed into law the Pure Food and Drug Act, Child Labor laws, campaigned for a Healthcare System (which just goes to show you how long that argument's been going on), and introduced sweeping Anti-Trust legislation.

In 1912, after unsuccessfully attempting a nomination via the Republican Party, he formed his own Bullmoose Party and ran on a third-party ticket, against Woodrow Wilson.

Here is an address he made during that campaign, recorded on September 22, 1912 - the title of the address is "Liberty Of The People." Since the sound is a little rough (recording was in its infancy at the time), here is a transcript of that address:

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In what began as the dedication of a memorial to members of the 35th Infantry Division, of which Harry Truman was Captain of the 129th Field Artillery during World War 1, turned into a much anticipated speech on Foreign Policy which Truman delivered in a nationwide address on June 11, 1949.

In his address, Truman warned of dire consequences if Congress went ahead in slashing funds for European recovery, saying the only thing to gain from it would be Communism. He urged for stronger commitment to a stable European economy and a stronger United Nations in order to deal with conflicts abroad.

Here is that address, as broadcast over CBS Radio on June 11, 1949.

We haven't run anything on LBJ in a while, so I thought I would include this Press Conference from June 1,1965, President Johnson's 43rd since taking office.

A number of areas are covered, most notably the situation in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, which was the scene of recent military action. Also covered was the situation in Vietnam and the 20th Anniversary of the United Nations.

A complete half hour of Q&A as broadcast by ABC Radio on June 1, 1965.

Since The Reference Room encompasses all things, not just Politics, I ran across this Interview/Q&A with Philosopher/Psychologist B.F. Skinner given as part of the Program On Campus from 1972.

The topic for discussion is Beyond Freedom and Dignity, and Skinner offers some keen insights on the Human condition, circa 1972.

It's always interesting to contemplate what he'd have to say about our current state of affairs, but since he hasn't been with us for a while, we can only guess.

Here is that interview, followed by the Question and Answer period, as it was broadcast on June 17, 1972.

With talk about Genetically Modified Foods and the increase in outbreaks of food-related illness, it's interesting to realize the subject of just how safe consumer food is has been a topic of conversation going back as far as the days of Teddy Roosevelt and the advent of the Pure Food and Drug Act.

But in 1988 you'd think the problem would have been past us. But no. Aside from health concerns about cholesterol and fat, there were concerns about the new wave of Genetically Modified Foods hitting the market. And not only were there questions about safety with regards to those foods, but with the toxic content of Poultry, Meat and Fish - particularly fish.

This panel discussion, part of the weekly CBS Radio News program Newsmark, first aired on June 26, 1988, assembles a group of experts-at-the-time. Dr. William Castelli from The Framingham Heart Study. Ellen Haas, a food and health policy advocate. Dr. George Pauli from the FDA. Dr. Lester Crawford from the USDA. Jeannette Helm from The Egg Board and Erin Moriarity, consumer correspondent for CBS News.

The sense you get, from listening to this discussion, is that a lot of the regulation that was prevalent over the years in food inspection had simply been abandoned, with reports that Fish, for example, was a scant 10% of what it needed to be in 1988.

Since the era of GMO hadn't really dawned yet, much of the concern over food was confined to Salmonella and unsafe processing conditions. Although there were hints that more than a few eyebrows were raised over just what was going into Genetic Modification, it wasn't given the same level of attention it has lately. And maybe it was just being ignored.

24 years ago and the problem has, if anything, increased. Much has been attributed to lax inspection procedures and nothing appears to have been done to rectify it. Now of course, the affect of Genetically Modified Food is being addressed and the dangers are only now being talked about.

24 years ago we were wondering. 24 years later we know. And the Salmonella hits just keep on comin'.

Here is that Newsmark broadcast - "What's Safe To Eat", broadcast on June 26, 1988.

En route to the much anticipated Vienna Summit with Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev, President Kennedy paid a State Visit to Charles DeGaulle to engage in talks regarding French views on U.S. Foreign Policy and discuss differences with regards to NATO.

Here is a wrap-up of the days events for June 2nd, 1961 as reported by Leon Pearson and NBC Radio News.