[00:00:06.320] 
It will be a struggle.

[00:00:09.960] 
There is too much inadequate housing.

[00:00:13.800] 
We must find a way to remove this blight.

[00:00:18.280] 
There are gaps in our programs for public
 education.

[00:00:22.760] 
They must be closed.

[00:00:25.800] 
There are old roads to be improved and new
 ones to be built.

[00:00:30.680] 
We must find the means to finance this
 program.

[00:00:35.680] 
We are blessed with natural resources

[00:00:38.760] 
 land, air, water, forest, wildlife,

[00:00:41.800] 
 just to name a few.

[00:00:43.840] 
Let us conserve them.

[00:00:47.160] 
Our local governments are in need of
 help.

[00:00:51.680] 
Let us strengthen their hand.

[00:00:55.600] 
Businessmen and industrial leaders

[00:00:58.880] 
 must be assured of stability in government

[00:01:02.760] 
conditions suitable

[00:01:04.040] 
 for expansion of investment

[00:01:06.600] 
 and a firm belief in the free enterprise
 system.

[00:01:11.280] 
They shall have it.

[00:01:13.600] 
Labor must be provided job opportunities

[00:01:17.160] 
 with good wages and good working
 conditions.

[00:01:21.600] 
We must keep our economic growth rate

[00:01:24.960] 
 at a high level to provide these opportunities.

[00:01:31.160] 
The early settlers described our state 

[00:01:36.240] 
as, "The goodliest last land under the 
cope of heaven."

[00:01:40.840] 
 To the great majority

[00:01:42.480] 
it is,

[00:01:45.320] 
but we still have too many poor,

[00:01:48.320] 
 too many hungry, too many unskilled, too
 many hopeless.

[00:01:53.360] 
And we have not done enough for our
 physically and

[00:01:56.040] 
 mentally handicapped citizens.

[00:01:58.400] 
And we must redouble our attacks

[00:02:01.000] 
 on these conditions.

[00:02:03.120] 
All these problems and more

[00:02:07.040] 
 we must come to grips with

[00:02:09.400] 
during the early days of this
 administration.

[00:02:13.760] 
And I will present my recommendations on
 these matters

[00:02:17.440] 
 to the General Assembly later this
 month.

[00:02:21.320] 
And it will take our total efforts

[00:02:24.160] 
 to enable the states to have a stronger
 voice,

[00:02:27.320] 
 a greater influence,

[00:02:29.920] 
and a more effective role in the federal system.

[00:02:33.280] 
This needs to be done and it can be done

[00:02:36.280] 
 by strong leadership in the governor's
 office.

[00:02:40.880] 
President-elect Nixon will assume

[00:02:43.720] 
 his duties as President of the United

[00:02:46.400] 
 States on January the 20th.

[00:02:49.080] 
He will be our president.

[00:02:51.880] 
And as such, I wish him well

[00:02:54.880] 
 as he takes on the awesome
 responsibilities

[00:02:58.640] 
 and burdens of the presidency.

[00:03:01.360] 
And as governor of North Carolina, I will
 seek his

[00:03:03.920] 
 support and the support of members

[00:03:06.800] 
 of his administration of any

[00:03:09.480] 
 matter that will benefit our state and
 our people.

[00:03:14.960] 
Furthermore, I will work closely

[00:03:17.760] 
 with our congressional delegation

[00:03:20.840] 
 to obtain those programs and projects

[00:03:23.800] 
 needed in our state, which will be

[00:03:26.480] 
 useful to us.

[00:03:28.160] 
In short, my administration

[00:03:30.680] 
 will be very active in state federal
 relations,

[00:03:34.440] 
 seeking the maximum return of our
 federal

[00:03:37.000] 
 tax dollar and striving

[00:03:39.680] 
 always to strengthen the role of

[00:03:42.200] 
 our state with the federal government.

[00:03:48.480] 
In the next four years,

[00:03:51.640] 
I will seek to unite our people.

[00:03:55.880] 
I will not advance special programs

[00:03:59.920] 
 or specific goals for

[00:04:02.440] 
 any single group.

[00:04:04.600] 
The emphasis will not be on black

[00:04:07.600] 
 or white, rural or

[00:04:10.240] 
 urban,

[00:04:12.760] 
worker or industrialists.

[00:04:15.560] 
Instead, the emphasis will be on programs

[00:04:18.960] 
 for all North Carolinians.

[00:04:22.720] 
I hold fast to the belief

[00:04:25.720] 
 that all men are created equal in the
 sight of God.

[00:04:30.560] 
And I will strive to build a united
 community

[00:04:34.560] 
 in which there is peace and harmony,

[00:04:38.520] 
 where men are free from fear.

[00:04:41.920] 
Where intimidation, force,

[00:04:45.240] 
 and violence are bygones

[00:04:48.080] 
 of another day. And let this

[00:04:50.640] 
 be made crystal clear.

[00:04:53.000] 
There will be no toleration of extremists

[00:04:56.200] 
 who seek only to divide our people.

[00:04:58.720] 
 Whether they take to the streets,
 whether

[00:05:01.280] 
 they act unseen, whether they throw

[00:05:04.000] 
 rocks or firebombs, or whether they burn

[00:05:06.760] 
 crosses in the dark of night.

[00:05:09.160] 
We will work for the day.

[00:05:12.080] 
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we will live for
 the day

[00:05:15.560] 
 when every man walks in

[00:05:18.120] 
 dignity and is mindful that

[00:05:20.800] 
 he is regarded for his individual worth
 and that alone.

[00:05:25.386] 
[applause]

[00:05:41.080] 
In this hour,

[00:05:44.080] 
 let us recall the words

[00:05:46.600] 
 of another governor spoken

[00:05:49.680] 
 nearly two decades ago

[00:05:52.640] 
in an address to a joint session

[00:05:56.200] 
 of the North Carolina General Assembly.

[00:05:59.600] 
 These were the words of that governor,

[00:06:02.560] 
my father, Kerr Scott.

[00:06:05.880] 
He said,

[00:06:08.160] 
"The courageous development of North
 Carolina

[00:06:11.040] 
 through use of power of the state
 government

[00:06:13.680] 
 did not begin with my administration.

[00:06:17.080] 
It will not end with it.

[00:06:19.880] 
We have been fortunate in having
 governors and legislators

[00:06:23.560] 
 who had faith in the people of this
 state

[00:06:26.480] 
 and in the state's resources.

[00:06:28.600] 
What I want to advocate strongly to you
 now

[00:06:32.160] 
 is that there be no halting of the
 advance,

[00:06:35.520] 
 that we move steadily forward,

[00:06:38.160] 
 building by plan and with

[00:06:40.680] 
 confidence in the future."

[00:06:44.880] 
The end of his quotation.

[00:06:47.280] 
I, too, with your help, will seek that path.

[00:06:56.760] 
Working together, I am confident

[00:06:59.960] 
that we can indeed build a better North
 Carolina.

[00:07:03.680] 
There is nothing weak or faint about the
 pulse

[00:07:06.200] 
 of this great state.

[00:07:08.000] 
Instead, I have found it to be strong,

[00:07:10.600] 
 full of vitality.

[00:07:12.280] 
Ready for the great tasks that lie ahead.

[00:07:15.880] 
And we will not defer those tasks.

[00:07:18.280] 
We will accept the challenge.

[00:07:20.760] 
And I am confident of the future because
 I have great

[00:07:23.640] 
 confidence in the people of North
 Carolina.

[00:07:26.200] 
And let the timid, the faint hearted,

[00:07:29.000] 
the foot draggers, the do nothings, be forewarned.

[00:07:32.360] 
We are going to make progress during this
 administration.

[00:07:36.360] 
[applause]

[00:07:39.840] 
There is work to be done and

[00:07:42.560] 
 we are going to get on with the job.

[00:07:45.640] 
In the tradition of others

[00:07:48.160] 
 who have borne this great
 responsibility,

[00:07:51.520] 
Luther Hodges,

[00:07:54.080] 
Terry Sanford, Dan Moore,

[00:07:58.280] 
we, too, will point

[00:07:59.920] 
 to the far plateau. We owe my

[00:08:02.600] 
 predecessors, much gratitude

[00:08:05.840] 
 for these capable leaders,

[00:08:08.640] 
each in his own time,

[00:08:11.400] 
 and each in his own way, advanced

[00:08:14.160] 
 our state along the road of progress.

[00:08:20.680] 
It has been said

[00:08:22.920] 
that many of the political and social
 troubles

[00:08:25.680] 
 of the world have arisen because

[00:08:28.680] 
 privilege has failed to remember its
 obligation.

[00:08:34.640] 
Power is not granted to us to make us

[00:08:37.320] 
 collectors of privilege,

[00:08:40.040] 
 but rather to endow us

[00:08:43.200] 
 as distributors of goodwill.

[00:08:46.960] 
Ladies and gentlemen, the office of
 governor

[00:08:50.200] 
has both privilege and power.

[00:08:54.480] 
I will not abuse it.

[00:08:57.920] 
I pledge to you honesty,

[00:09:00.520] 
 integrity, and a conduct

[00:09:04.320] 
 that will reflect credit upon this high
 office,

[00:09:07.920] 
 that will reflect credit upon our proud
 state,

[00:09:11.920] 
 and upon you, our good people.

[00:09:16.080] 
I will be true to the heritage

[00:09:19.160] 
 given to me by my mother,

[00:09:21.920] 
 who is here with us today.

[00:09:24.729] 
[applause]

[00:09:27.360] 
And to the heritage of my father

[00:09:30.440] 
 and to their forbearers.

[00:09:33.920] 
I will uphold the confidence

[00:09:36.640] 
 placed in me by my wife

[00:09:41.000] 
 and by my children.

[00:09:45.800] 
I will keep the faith of my neighbors,

[00:09:49.480] 
 and my friends from Hawfields,

[00:09:52.280] 
 and Alamance County, and throughout North
 Carolina.

[00:09:57.720] 
And yes, I must thank you,

[00:10:00.880] 
the people of North Carolina,

[00:10:03.960] 
 for the opportunity you have given me.