Evening journal., 1918-10-25
PRESIDENT ASKS FOR
VOTEOF Confidence
lContinued from pase one)

CONTINUED from page one)
other side OF the water as reputation
OF my leadership"
The Presidents statement follows:
"Niy fellow cOuntrymen:
"The Congressional elections are al
hand. They occur in the most critical
period our country has ever faced or Is
! likely TO face in our time. II you nave
approved OF my leadership and WISH
me TO continue TO be your unemDar'
rassed spokesman In affairs at nome
and abroad ! earnestly beg that yot
Will exprass yourselves unmistakabls
TO that effect by returning a Demo.
cratic majority 10 both the senate anu
Il am your servant and viii accept
vour Judgment without cavil but my
mower 10 administer the great trust
assigned me by the constitution VIII
be seriously impaired should your
Judgment be adverse and | must FRANK m,
IN tell YOU so because so many crlu-
cal issues depend upon your verdict
No scruple Of taste must in grim Tunes
like these be allowed in the way OF
speaking the plain truth.
Il have no thought OF suggestns
that any political party Is paramount
in matters OF patriotism.
feel too keenly the sacrifices which
have been made in this war Dy an ,,.l ou'
citizens irrespective OF party aniiia
tion 10 harbor suci-an idea. l ihesn
onlv that the difficulties and deicaeies
~ our present task are OF SOFT ina.
mste II imperatlvely necessary tlae
tbe naion should give its undivided sup
nort to The government under unlhen
leadership and that a Republican Coh-
gress would divide the leadership
"Tho leaders OF the minority IN tne
.,sen, Congress have unquestionably
been pro-war but they have beeh anu, ,
administration. At almost every tuln
since we entered the war they naNs
soueht II take the choice OF pohcs anu
,ho conduct OF the war out OF my
ba,ds and nut Il under control OF IN
s,r,,n,entalitles OF their own choosing
The e no time either for divided couh-
-, o. ,or divided leadership. Unity o,
y. s,aond is as necessary now IN cNil
oc,ions as n is upon the field OF Da'.ie.
- ,bo control Of the House ana Seha,r
lho,,id = no taken away from the party
now in power, an opposing n,a,o.is5 .ie,,o1
could assume control OF lsslsiSslJis
a,d obliee all action 10 be taken o''''u
contest and obstruction
.arhe return OF Republican majority
ai,ber House OF Congress ,Noulu'
70 -on,'cr e,,,'r certainly be Interpreted on
~ IT. o,hcrside OF the water as a re
..l, ll',,a,,op ~ nv leadership. Spokesmeh
~ the Republican party are urgihs you
"l a, aioe, a Republican Congress IN or
~ ~. 90 hack and support the Presineht
~, oven n they should IN TINS way
s,.1ose ~ unon some credulous voters nn
~ eide ~ the water. they would I'M
',aso .",s an No one on the other side. u IS
III, III ,,nderstood there as well as mere
that the Republican leaders uss5oo, ugs,oo a" os
so much to support the P,esiue,'' - ,be
10 control him. The peoples VI
Allied countries with whom we are 80 90,
sociated against Germany arc Is Y
familiar with the signlncahc,e, ~ y, =.
tions They would find u dillee,s W
f,nd rat the voters OF the unl.eu H.s'e
had chosen TO support their fresiusns ss'u,,..
bv electing to the Congress a ihsJVssss,
controlled by those who are not III ieo'
In svmpathy with the attitude ana ac
tion OF the administration, n ~.
tell YOU. my fellow countrymen, 'nss
7 am asking your support not lot my
own sske or for the sake OF poh.ical
ra,fv b,,t for the sake Of the nation
tsslf IN order that its inward unity OF
,,,,rnose NAV be evident to all the world.
In ordinary times would not feel at
liberty 10 make such an appeal TO you.
In ordinary times. divided counsels can
he endured without permanent hurt to
The country. But these are not ordi-
nary times. II in these critical days
II is your wish TO sustain me with un-
divided minds. beg that you will say
so in a way which ii will mol be pos
sible to misunderstood either here at
home or among our associates on the
other side Of the sea. | submit my
difficulties and my hopes TO lou"