Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-28
REPUBLICAN, MAJORITY
MIGHT BLOCK TREATIES
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL
CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT

Il he Democratic Nat1onal committee,
| through Representative Scott Ferriss,
its chairman has issued statement
in which he said:
'ln hopeless effort TO convince the
country that the minority party has gwen
greater support to the President on war
| legislation than the Democratic party
Republican leaders resort TO generalities,
speak of percentages, but carefully re-
frain from mentioning the actual votes
| on the great war bills
AS has been said before and is re-
peated now. there is reason for this sig
nificant silence in tho Republican camp.
The records show that the Democrats
rather than The Republicans have upheld
thc hands of the President Percentages
| may deceive the unthnking, figures do
not lie.
Votes pass bills and it was the votes
of Democrats that passed the legisla-
tion which enabled the President to
create and dcvelope the great war machine
that is carrying American arms TO VIC
tory. Twice rs many Republicans as
Democrats in The Ilousc--:'2 to l6 10 be
eXact-votcd against the resolution dc
claring war on Germany. Three Re
publicans and three Democrats opposed
it in the Senate.
FOUGHT SHIP BILL TWO \ EARS.
"RepublinnS not only antagonlzcd
but tried for two years to Kill the Ship
ping bill which made possible the great
merchant marine that Is carrying our
soldiers and supplies to France. In
the House loo Republicans and one lone
Democrat voted against the Shipping
bill while IN the Senate twenty Re
puhlicans and no Democrats opposed 1t.
Al II Ill,
was to tie the hands of the President
for two wears bv a series Of filbustcrs,
conducted not in tho interest of the
country. hut in the interest of the coast
wise shipping trust
The armor plate plant. the Tcle-
graph and Telephonc Control bill the
Railroad Control bill the Espionage
law. the Food Survey hill the War
Finance Corporation act. and three
great revenue bills are among the other
measures that met vigorous Republican
opposition before they were enacted INTO
law
sFAFSE REPORT TIM tDuAFr LAW
The Republican leaders have strivcn
hard to create the impression that the
Democrats tried to prevent tho passage
Of tho draft law Tho fact is there was
almost an equal political division among
those members who thought the volun-
tccr and draft system should TIC linked
IN this bull but when tho majority of tho
House rule otherwise. only twenty
four members Of the two parties opposed
tho bill on final passage Speaker clark
who has hccn made tho target Of SPECIAL
attack hv the Republican leaders. joined
with he majority IN supporting tho
Draft hll on the final vote
If il IS not trur that the Republicans
ob<tructcd moro than helped war legs
Iatron why do they not give figures
to prove otherwise The reason IS
simple The record cannot be altered,
and il would rise IN to contradict them
If they sought to justify their course
'.Thc country undoubtedly Will prefer
10 accept the stat cmcnt Cf he President
Of the character Of support nc has re-
ccivcd from the minority. viewed as a
whole rather than the vain attempt Of
the Republican leaders 10 save their
following.
"Thc resentment by the opposition
spokcsmcn Of the Presidents appeal 10
the country 10 retain his party in control
Of Congress in time Of war IS astonishing
when one recalls the historic prcccdcnts
Tor his course
QUOTES WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN
NO less parsonage than George
Washington the revcrcd first Fresiden,.
pleaded for unified leadership iu1ng tho
War of tho Revolution. without which,
he SAID Our enemies will triumph and
hy throwing thcir weight into the dis
Affected scale mavnn accomplish the
ram Of the goodly fabnc We have been
weaving
1T was the martyred Lincoln who, in
asking the election of q friendly Con
gress urged the people not TO swap
horses while crossing a stream.
During the Spanish-Amerlcan war
Republican leaders. some Of them now
strangely arrayed against President Viii
son. begged the country 10 give President
Mckinley vote of confidence by keeping
in power members of his party in both the
House and Senate
EOoSENELT IN APPEAL.
Among the men who Joined in these
appeals was Colonel Roosevelt who sald
that . refusal to sustain the President,
whether vou will or moi will be read IN
; he eyes of Europe As = refusal ID sustain
the war Such 3 refusal hc Colonel
said, will give heart 20 our defeated
ant agoniSts
Another who in 1905 demanded sup
por. uf President Mckinley under con
dJtions analogous to those nov confront
ing President Wilson. Was Senator Lodge
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