Omaha daily bee., 1918-10-26
WILSON STARTS
OFFENSIVE IN
POLITICAL WAR
President Issues Statement
] Appealing for Election of
Democratic Congress on
Ground War Needs.

Washington, Oct. 25.-President
Wilson today issued an appeal to
the people to return a democratic
congress in the November cleo
tons if they approve of his course
in this critical period. Ere
turn of a republican major
ity to either house of the con-
gress," the president said, would
be certainly interpreted on the
other side Of the water as repudi-
ton of m, leadership" The pres
ident said he would accept the
country's verdict without cavil,
but that il it was adverse the
power to administer the great trust
assigned. to him would be ser
iously impaired.
Presidents Statement.
Following is the presidents ap-
peal: +
My fellow countrymen: I
"The congressional elections are
at hand. They occur in the most
critical period Our country has ever
faced or is likely to face in our
time. If you have approved of my
leadership and wish me to continue
TO be your unembarrassed spokes-
man in affairs at home and abroad,
earnestly beg that you will ex-
press yourselves Enthusiastically to
that effect by returning a democrat
ic majority to both the senate and
house of representatives.
II am your servant and will ac-
cept your judgment without cavail,
hut my power to administer the
great trust assigned me by the con-
stitution would be seriously i'm
paired should your judgment be ad-
verse and / must frankly tell you
SO because so many critical issues
depend upon your verdict. No scru-
pie of taste must in grim times like
these be allowed to stand in the way
of speaking the plain truth.
All Parties Patriotic.
II have no thought of suggesting
that any political party is paramount
in matters of patriotism. I feel
too deeply the sacrifices which have
been made in this war by all our
citizens, irrespective of party at
fi1ations, toAharbor such an idea, |
mean only that the, difficulties and
delicacies of our present task are
of sort that makes it imperatively
necessary that the nation should
give its undivided support to the
under unified leader
ship and that a republican congress
would divide the leadership.
"The leaders of thte minority in
the present congress have unques-
tionably been pro-war, but they
have been. antti-administration. At
almost every turn since we entered
the war they have sought to take
the choice of policy and the con-
duct of the war out of my hands
and put it under the control of in
strumentalities of their own choos-
ing. \
This is no time either for divided
council or for divided leadership.
Unity 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 all action to be taken amidst
contest and obstruction.
The return Of republican ma
jority to either house of congress
would moreover be interpreted on
the other side Of the water as a
liquidation of my leadership.
Spokesman OF the republican party
are urging you to elect republican
congress. in order to back up and
support the PRESIDENT but even if
they should in this impose upon
some credulous voters on this side
Of the water, they would impose on
no one on the other side. 1T is well
understood there, as we'll as here,
that the republican leaders desire
not so much to support the president
as to control him.
Germans Understand.
The peoples Of the allied coun-
tries with whom we are associated |
against Germany are quite familiar
with the. significance of elections.
They would find it very difficult to
believe that the voters of the United |
States had chosen to support their
president by electing to the congress
a majority controlled by those who |
are in fact not in sympathy with the |
attitude and action Of the admins
tration.
! Il need not tell you, my fellow |
countrymen, that I am asking your
support not for my own sake or for
the sake of political party, but for
the sake of the nation itself, in order
that its inward unity of purpose
may be evident to all the world. In |
ordinary times ! would not feel at I
liberty to- make such an appeal to
you. In ordinary times divided
can be endured without
permanent hurt to the country. But
these are not-ordinary times.
IF in these critical days it is your
wish to sustain me with. undivided
minds, beg that you will say so in
! way which 1t will not be possible
to misunderstood, either here at
home or among our associates on
the other side of the sea. / submit