Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 335-014
Date: Wednesday, May 3, 1972 at 2:30 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Andrews, John K., Jr.
Recording device: Old Executive Office Building
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/335-014

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[44:49] Hello, Mr. Reynolds.
[44:50] Hi, John.
[44:50] I've decided to cut this down to around...
[45:04] One thought that is not in here that seems to me to be worth working into, might try, is that one of the ironies or tragedies of life is that many great men, the greatness of many great men, find that they're, that the greatness of many men
[45:29] It's not recognized until after their death.
[45:32] You know, it's a nice little gift.
[45:54] Well, they had a chance to take stock of it.
[45:56] Take stock of it.
[45:57] And also, people tend to be more charitable.
[45:59] I mean, we're at Hoover, which I recognize.
[46:02] It may be worth it.
[46:03] I think it is.
[46:04] I was thinking about the great times today.
[46:06] I never had an adequate appreciation of it myself.
[46:09] That was the last couple of days when I tried to decide about it.
[46:12] Yeah.
[46:13] But his greatness was recognized.
[46:30] I didn't try to put in much.
[46:31] I don't know.
[46:32] I didn't try to put in much about your personal relationship with him.
[46:35] I don't think you'd like to answer.
[46:36] I don't.
[46:37] I think I've covered that.
[46:37] I don't think that should be in this one.
[46:42] You know what I mean?
[46:43] I covered it.
[46:48] You know, it's one of the giant things that I wondered.
[46:58] Do you think it's too trite?
[47:02] I don't think so, because I don't think it applies to very many men.
[47:36] One of the real problems that I perceive with a thing like this is that so much will already have been said by the time you get to speak.
[47:46] That's right.
[47:47] That's why we ought to make it very brief.
[48:08] It's good about the children, but I think it's expected to go, you know, and so forth.
[48:22] So it would move rather nicely here, you can see on it.
[48:45] I don't think we'll say that it's a more law-abiding country, a bigger country.
[48:50] I mean, it is more law-abiding than it would have been had he not lived.
[48:54] But to a hell of a lot of people, it's not a law-abiding country.
[48:57] It's still a decline overall.
[48:58] That's right.
[48:58] So therefore, we won't say it.
[49:01] That's it.
[49:02] So would you put off another copy of the...
[49:20] Do you intend to do it from the, to read it?
[49:25] As I remember for Whitney Young, you didn't, you spoke on September 8th.
[49:29] I haven't had the time.
[49:36] Yes.
[49:48] He deserves this kind of tribute, and also it's an effective opportunity, I think, for you to put yourself on the side of the angels.
[50:13] There are a few people that didn't ease up, but Dr. Spock said, what a relief.
[50:16] Great.
[50:16] Great.
[50:16] I'm just delighted.
[50:17] Jerry Rubin said that's wonderful.
[50:20] Abby Hoffman.
[50:21] New York Times.
[50:21] This one.
[50:31] Actually worked with him during the House of American Activities.
[50:43] I'm not one of the troopers.
[50:55] I'm not one of the troopers.
[50:58] I'm not one of the troopers.
[51:00] I'm not one of the troopers.
[51:03] I'm not one of the troopers.
[51:04] I'm not one of the troopers.
[51:06] I'm not one of the troopers.
[51:13] And Drummond also said Hoover had always vigorously opposed outlawing his party because he didn't want to drag them underground and make more of a problem out of them than they already were.
[51:24] People don't associate that kind of moderation with burning homes.
[51:49] The point about Cain is that Cain was basically a very, very eloquent leader, and Cain's net effect has been
[52:24] Sandy, do you need a job of picking the next band?
[53:03] I don't think of anything else.
[53:05] I don't.
[53:06] I'm tempted to put in.
[53:15] Something about the person that I...
[53:17] I think that you covered that yesterday.
[53:18] I think so.
[53:19] Right.
[53:19] It's not particularly favorable to remind people of this game at this point, I don't think.
[53:27] It's five o'clock.
[53:28] Thank you very much.
[53:29] The only thing you can do apart from that is that I can...
[53:31] The only way I can say it is that I...
[53:50] I think it's fine.
[53:51] I tried this way so that it just states it out.
[53:54] I think the personal relationship will come out in the deliberated.
[54:00] That's right.
[54:00] That's right.