East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-11-04
DON'T LET THE POISON
SPREADIsRsn KEEP you
FROM SUPPORTING WILSON

M M
III have no thought Of sliSkeaEi
that my party is paramount "a mat
ters of PATRIOTISM" said President
Wilson In his apepal for support last
week. The appeal IN full. given be-
low shows the reas 0Bs why the pres.
ident made his bid for support:
4 Ny Fellow countrymen: The con-
lgressional elections are at hand. They
occur in the most critical period our
country has ever faced or Is likely 10
face in our time. II you have APPROX
ed of my leadership and wish me to
continue to be your unem barrassed
spokesman In affairs at home ana
abroad, earnestly beg that you will
express yourselves unm istakably TO
that effect by returning a democratic
majority to both the senate and 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 1 must
frankly tell you so because so many
critical issues depend upon your ver-
dict. No scruple OF taste must in
grim times like these be allowed to
stand In the way OF speaking the plain
truth.
Unifded Leadership Needed.
I have no thought Of suggesting
that my political party is paramount
In matters OF patriotism. / feel too
deeply the sacrifices which have been
made in this war by all our citizens
Irrespective Of party affiliations to
| l.. nf1IN
that the difficulties and delicacies OF
our present task are of sort that
makes II imperatively necessary that
the nation should give its undivided
support to the government under a
unified leadership and that a republi-
can congress would divide the leader
ship.
The leaders OF the minority in the
present congress have unquestlonably
been pro-war. but they have been an
decentralization. At almost every
turn since we entered the war. they
have sought to take the choice of pol
ICY and the conduct of the war out OF
my hands. and put Il under the CON
trol Of instrumentallties Of their own
choosing. fsxE
This is no time either for divided |
council or for divided leadership. |
Unity Of command is as necessary now |
in civil action as il 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 op- |
posing majority could assume control |
OF legislation and oblige all action to
be taken amidst contest and obstruc-
ton.
Not TO Support, but Control.
The return of a republican major
ty to either house of the congress
would, moreover. be interpretative on
the other side of the water as a re-
pudiation of my leadership. Spokes-
men of the republican party are urg-
ing you to elect a republican congress
In order to back up and support the
president, but even if they should in
this impose upon some credulous vot-
ers on this side of the water they
would impose on no one on the other
side 1t is well understood there as
well as here that the republican lead
ers desire not so much to support ,the
president as to control him.
The peoples of the allied countries
with whom we are associated against
Germany are quite familiar with the
Significance Of elections. They would
lind it very difficult to believe thai
he voters of the United. states had
,hosen to support their president uy
siecting TO the congress a majority
controlled by those who are not III
act in sympathy with the attitude
md action of the administration
1 need not tell you, my fellow coun-
rymen that l am asking your support
;ot for my own sake or for the sake
II a political party, but for the sake
# the nation itself. In order that its
inward unity of purpose may be evI.
lent to all the world. In ordinary
lines / would not feel at liberty 10
make such an appeal to you. In ordi.
ary times divided counsels can be
without permanent Aurt to 4
he country. But these are not ordi- n
ary times. n
If in these critical DAYS it is your
sish to sustain me with undivided
minds / beg that YOU will say SO in a
,ay which it Will not be possible to I