Republican farmer., 1918-07-12

erican war and they will support Will son during this greatest of all wars The appeals of Lincoln's day and McKinley's day are as appropriate now as they were then. It may be distasteful to certain Republican lead CTS, who for one reason or another be- | lieved it incumbent upon them to crit 1 icize the President today, to have quoted the speeches they made twenty years ago when their party was in power, but they must, in fairness, con- cede that the arguments then used may now be applied with equal force Typical of many was the appeal made in 1898 by Colonel Roosevelt, then candidate for Governor of New York. He said:
 | "Remember that whether you will or not, your votes this year will be viewed by the nations of Europe from one standpoint only. They will draw no fine distinctions. A refusal to sus- tain the President this year, will, in their eyes, be read as a refusal to sus- 1 tain the war and to sustain the efforts Of our peace commission to secuRe the fruits of war. Such refusal may not inconceivably bring about rupture of the peace negotiations. It will give heart to our defeated antagonists; it will make possible the interference of those doubtful neutral nations who in this struggle have wished us ill"
 In similar tenor former President Benjamin Harrison pleaded for the election of Republican Congress to support Mckinley. He is quoted in the Philadelphia North American of November 1, 1898. as saying:
 eff the word goes forth that the people of the United States are stand ing soIidly behind the President, the task of the Peace Commissioners will be easy, but if there is a break in the lranks-if the Democrats score a tell ing victory, if Democratic Senators, Congressmen and Governors are elect ed-Spain will see in it a gleam of hope, she will take frseh hope, and a renewal of hostilities, more war, may be necessary to secure to us what we have already won."
 The Republican press of the country editorially took the same position Throughout the congressional cam paign of 189S'the made the concert ed appeal to the people to support the President that defeat of his party al polls should not be misinterpreted in the capitols of Europe, and particu- larly in, Madrid.
 I've are at war with Spain," said the New York Sun at the time, peace commissions and peace jubilees to the contrary notwithstanding Upon Presi- dent Mckinley and his administration are yet the burdens and responsibili- ties of a state of war not yet termin- ated. And upon all patriotic citizens of every political party rests the duty of supporting the administration and sustain the Nations cause against all foreign enemies, both by voice and by vote"
 Said the Philadelphia North Ameri- can on the morning of election, No vember 8, 1898.
 The voters will decide to&ay wheth- CT the administration of President Mo Kinley is to be condemned and the
 conduct of the war vetoed"
 When the Republicans scored a vic tory at the polls, the North Ameri- can accepted the result as a vindica-
 ton of the national honor and added: ''It is a great triumph and must be a source of deep satisfaction and pro- ? found relief to our much-tried, much
 enduring President. His policies and |. the policies of the party which he represents have been approved. He
 can now proceed. encouraged and un- 7 hindered, with their execution"
 The Topeka (Kan.) Daily Capital 7 in an editorial on November 3, 1898 took this view:
 "The Republican party puts it tc the good sense of the country wheth- : CT or not the election of a Congress ir sympathy with a President who has shown himself equal to every test would be for the best interests of the country at this time Q. In such a cam paign no American worthy of the franchise should neglect his privilege to vote, and every man who believes
 in stalwart aggressive Americanism
 should hold up the hands of the stall
 wart American in the White House
 and see that his friends and neigh
 bors do the same"
 The Chicago Tribune, on election
 morning in 1898, called on the voters
 to elect only Republican Congressmen
 in this language:
 "Whatever voters elsewhere may do
 those in Chicago should show their appreciation of all the President has done and will do, if not hindered, by
 re-electing the seven Republican Con- gressmen. They will support the F Presidents policy"
 The Kansas City Stars editorial o1 , November 3, 1898, said:
 "The people have stood together : regardless of politics, in supporting , the Government in prosecuting the s war and there is sound logic in the
 contention of the Republicans that
 there should be no change in the con- f trol of Congress, until the issues aris- , ing out of the war are settled"
 Out on the Pacific Coast, like sen-
 timent prevailed, as witness the fol
 lowing from the Seattle Post Intelli- < gencer:
 ''The people believe in and trust the 5 President; they are proud of the s achievements of the army and navy;
 they have confidence in the wisdom
 of the administration policy and ex- : pressed their confidence by electins ., members of Congress who will work in harmony with and aid the President in his plans And the St. Louis Globe-Democrat , observed:
 ) "A Congress hostile to the executive 5 would multiply the difficulties need lessly and dangerously"
 Il If then, why not nowf
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