The Washington herald., 1918-10-26
WILSON ASKS
PUBLIC TO BACK
HIM AND PARTY
Appeals for Return of
Democratic Congress as
Vote of Confidence.
REPUBLICANS ASSAILED
Says s,G.O.P.Victory Would
Be Taken as Repudia-
ton Across Water"

PRESIDENT wilson yesterday ap-
pealed to the American voters to
make the next Congress Demo-
cratic, in order that it might not
, hold up his hands in the further
prosecution of the war.
In an appeal issued at the
White House, the President made
the issue of the coming election
clear and plain by asserting that
the return of a Republican ma
jority in either the Senate or
House would be interpreted
across the water" in no other
way than as a reputation of his
leadership.
Republicans Alarmed.
At the same time the President
gave full credit to the Republicans
now in Congress for their support
of the war. but pointed out that al
though they have been pro-war they
have been anti administration.
The direct and forceful manner in
which the President made his state
ment of the issues was hailed with
| delight by the leaders of his party,
but caused gloom and forebodings
among the ranks of the Republican
leaders who have been waging a
persistent campaign against the
| Presidents policies. 1t sent these
Republican leaders scurrying into
secret conference out of which
| there came at nightfall a formal re-
! ply in which they assert that the
Republican party stands for uncon-
| ditional surrender and for carrying
on the war until that end Is accom-
plished.
The Republican answer to the
! Presidents appeal is signed by
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. mi
nority leader in the Senate; Senator
Reed Smoot, chairman of the Sena-
Itoriai committee: Representative
, Fred H. GiIlett. Republican leader
in the House: and Representative
Simeon D. Fess. chairman of the
/ Congressional committee.
Following is the Presidents state
ment to the country:
My Fellow Countrymen:
The Congressional elections
are at hand. They occur in the
most critical period our country
J has ever faced or is likely to
| face in our time. II you have
approved of my leadership and
wish me to continue to be your
unembarrassed spokesman in
affairs at home and abroad.
earnestly beg that you will ex-
! press yourselves Enthusiastically
! to that effect by returning
| Democratic majority to both
| the Senate and the House of
! Representatives am your
servant and will accept your
! judgment without cavil, but
my power to administer the
| great trust assigned me by the
Constitution would be seriously
impaired should your Judgment
be adverse, and l must frankly
| tell you so because so many
critical issues depend upon your
verdict No scruple of taste
must in grim times like these
be allowed 10 stand III the way
of speaking the plain truth.
l have no thought of sue-
gesting that any political party
- poA III matters of
| triotism. l feel too keenIy the
SACRIFICES which have been
| made in this war by all our
citizens, irrespective of marty
afhliations, to harbour such an
| idea. 1 mean only that the dif-
ficulties and deIicacies of our
present task are of a sort thai
| makes it imperatively neces-
sary that the nation should piya
its undivided support to the
Government under unif;.d
leadership, and that a RepubJI-
can Congress would divide The
! leadership.
| The leaders of the minority
IN the present Congress have
unquestionably been pro-war
| out they have been anti-admin-
lstration- At almost every turn
since we entered the war. tbev
nave sought to take the choice
OF policy and the conduct of m.
war out of my hands and put a.
! under the control of instrumen-
talities of their own choosine
Th1s is no time either for al
Nhed conusel or for divided
leadership. Unity of command
| Is as necessary now in civil ac-
tion as it is upon the field of
battle. If the control of tba
House and Senate. should he
taken away from the party now
IN power. an opposing majority
could assume control of legisIa.
ton and oblige all action to he
taken amidst contest and oh
struction.
The return of Republican ma
jority to either House of the Con-
gress would, moreover, certainiv
De interpreted on the other side
OF the water as a repudiation ~
my leadership. Spokesman of the
Republican party are urging Won
to elect Republican Congress In.
order to. back up and support the
President, but even IL they should
In this way impose upon some
credulous voters on this side ~
the water, they would impose on
no one on the other side. 1t Is
well understood there as weU as
here that the Republican leaders
desire not so much to support the
PRESIDENT as to control him. Tba