French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1918-10-31
PRESIDENT WILSON PLEADS
FOR RETURN or DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESS AS HIS SUPPORT.

Washington, Oct. 25.-President Will
son today issued an appeal to the peo-
pie to return q Democratic congress
in the November elections if they ap-
prove of his course in this critical per-
iod.
Return of a Republican majority to
either house of Congress-" the presi-
dent said, Would be certainly inter-
preted on the other side of the. water
as a reputation OF my leadership"
The President said he would accept
the country's verdict without cavi1,
but that if it was adverse the power
to administer the great trust assign
ed to him would be seriously impaired.
Following is the presidents appeal:
my fellow cOuntrymen: The con
gressional elections are at hand. They
occur in the most critical period Our
country has aver faced or is likely to
face in our time. If you have approx
ed of my leadership and wish me GO
continue TO We your unembarraSSe0
spokesman in affairs at home anG
abroad, l. Earnestly beg that you will
express yourselves Enthusiastically to
that effect by returning a Democratic
majority to both the Senate and the
House of Representatives.
81 am your servant and will accept
your judgment without cavil, but my
| power to administer the great ask as
signed me by the constitution, would
be seriously impaired should your
Judgment be adverse and / must
frankly tell you so because so many
critical issues depend upon your YER
dict. No scruple of taste must in grim
times like these be allowed to stand
in the way of speaking the plain truth.
q have no thought of suggesting
that any political party is paramount
in matters of patriotism. l feel too
deeply the sacrifices which have been
made in this wal by all our citizens,
irrespective of party affiliations, to
harbor such an idea. l mean only that
the difficulties and d~elicacies Of our
present task are 6 a sort that makes
it imperatively necessary that he ma
ton should give its undivided support
to the government under a united
leadership and that a Republican con-
gress would divide the leadership.
1.-THE leaders of the minority in the
present congress have unqueStlOnably
been pro-war, but they have been anti
administration. At almost every turn
since we entered the wal they have
sought to take the choice or policy anu
conduct of the wal out of my hands
and put it under the control OF instru-
m~eutalities of their own choosing.
"This is no time either for divided
council or for divided leadership.
Unities of command is as necessary
now in civil action as it is upon the
field of battle. If the control Of the !
House and the Senate should be taken
away from the party now in power !
an opposing majority could assume
control of legislation and oblige ali
action to be made amidst contest and
obstruction.
THE t of a Republican ma
iority to either house of the Congress
would moreover be interpretative on
the OTHER Side OF the water as a repu- !
diation Of my leadership. SpOkes-
men of the Republican party are urS-
ing YOU to elect a Republican Con- !
gress in order to back up and support /,
the President, but even il they Shoul0
in this impose upon some
voters on this side of the water they
would impose on no 4 on the other
side. 1t is we'll understood there as
we'll as here that the Republican
leaders desire not SO much TO suppoft
the President as to control him.
THE pecples of the allied countries
with whom we are associated ag2{ns:
| Germany are quite familiar with the
significance OF elections. They %
| ind it very difficult to believe that the
voter of the United States had chosen
to support their President by %electin5
| to the Congress q majority controlled
by those who are in fact in sympathy
| with the attitude ard action OF the
administration,
az ned tell you, my fellow-countEy-
men, that L am asking yOur SUPPORT
| rot for my own sake or for the sake
of 2 political party but for the sake
of the nation itself in order that It's
inward unity OF purpose may be eVi-
dent to all the world. In ordinary
times 1 would not feel at liberty TO
make such an appeal 70 you. In Or
binary times divided councils can be
| endured without permanent hurt TO
the country. But these are not ordi-
nary CImeS.
IF in these critical days it is your
wish to sustain me with undivided
minds, I beg that you will say so i'll =
way which it will rot be possible 10
misunderstood either here III home or
| among our associates or the Other
side Of the sea. l submit my difficulties
and my hopes to you.
WOODROW WILSON"