LBJ Winds Up New York Campaign at MSG

LBJ Winds Up New York Campaign at MSG

Oct. 31, 1964 - President Johnson offered the vision of “a society of success without squalor” and “reward­ing leisure” for all in a speech tonight at the New York windup of his election campaign in Madison Square Garden.

In projecting his “Great So­ciety,” he promised moderation rather than extremism in the affairs of the nation.

Eighteen thousand persons jammed the Garden, and 5,000 to 10,000 other supporters milled about outside on 49th Street, west of Eighth Avenue. The gathering at least matched in size the crowd rallied last Mon­day for Senator Barry Gold­water, the Republican Presiden­tial nominee, at the same arena, although last night's crowd was somewhat less ardent.

President Johnson called for the election of Robert F. Ken­nedy. New York State should have “at least one Democratic Senator,” the President told the crowd.

He praised the former At­torney General for the talents, energy and patriotism he said had been demonstrated in “ways and actions that are far beyond my inadequate descriptions.”

The President's appearance at Madison Square Garden was delayed an hour and ten minutes by conferences at the Waldorf­-Astoria Hotel on reports of a Communist attack at an air­field near Saigon, Vietnam, with American casualties.

But the waiting crowds — re­peatedly chanting, “We Want Lyndon,” while stars of the stage and music worlds made return appearances — knew nothing of the latest trouble in Vietnam.

The President, smiling, his voice almost soft when he out­lined his hopes for the nation, avoided mention of the reports that will take him into sessions with the Secretaries of State and Defense in Washington today.

Tonight’s event may have been the last rally for a Presi­dential candidate in the sports arena, which is scheduled to be replaced by a new Madison Square Garden over Pennsyl­vania Station before the next national election in 1968.

Stars of the entertainment world, led by Kirk Douglas and Gregory Peck as co‐hosts in a parody of the Lincoln‐Douglas debates, donated their services to tonight’s rally. On the stage portion of the program, in addition to Mr. Douglas and Mr. Peck, were Tony Bennett, Diahann Carroll, Robert Merrill, Mitch Miller, Allan Sherman, Connie Francis, Jill St. John, Stan Rubin’s Tiger Town Five, the Vikings Junior Band, the LBJ Chorale, and the Clara Ward Singers.

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