Excerpts from the 1956 Republican Party platform

To illustrate how drastically political parties can change in just a little over 50 years, I offer you some choice excerpts from the Republican Party platform as passed by the 1956 Republican National Convention held at the Cow Palace in Daly City, just outside of San Francisco…

Our great President Dwight D. Eisenhower has counseled us further: “In all those things which deal with people, be liberal, be human. In all those things which deal with people’s money, or their economy, or their form of government, be conservative.” /* Good quote! */

…

Republican leadership has enlarged Federal assistance for construction of hospitals, emphasizing low-cost care of chronic diseases and the special problems of older persons, and increased Federal aid for medical care of the needy.

We have asked the largest increase in research funds ever sought in one year to intensify attacks on cancer, mental illness, heart disease and other dread diseases.

We demand once again, despite the reluctance of the Democrat 84th Congress, /* I guess even then Republicans didn’t know how to use nouns and adjectives */ Federal assistance to help build facilities to train more physicians and scientists. /* Oh oh, them communist scientists */

We have encouraged a notable expansion and improvement of voluntary health insurance, and urge that reinsurance and pooling arrangements be authorized to speed this progress.

We have strengthened the Food and Drug Administration, and we have increased the vocational rehabilitation program to enable a larger number of the disabled to return to satisfying activity.

We have supported measures that have made more housing available than ever before in history, reduced urban slums in local-federal partnership, stimulated record home ownership, and authorized additional low-rent public housing.

…

We recommend to Congress the submission of a constitutional amendment providing equal rights for men and women. /* What? The GOP supported ERA? */

Read the entire platform here.