Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1918-06-28
DID NOT TRY TO INFLUENCE
PRESIDENT NOT TO DE.
CLARE WAR.
PEACE ONLY WITH HONOR
Has Supported Every Movement Look
ing to Vindication Of Ameri-
can Arms In Fight
for Liberty.

Senator Whitley has no apologies to
make for his signature to the message
to President Wilson asking the execu.
tive to maintain peace with honor, II
possible, but declaring his willingness
to abide by the Presidents decision
The Senator says:
"My attention has been called to an
attack made upon my in the st. Louis
Star, the personal organ Of my oppo
nent, both in it's news and editorial
columns, based upon a telegram dated
March s, 1917, addressed to the Presi.
dent of the United States and signed
by me. along with a number of other
citizens of St. Louis. An attack upon
the Americanism of myself or any
other candidate ill becomes a newspa
per with the record as recently made
by the st. Louis Star. This so-called
independent st. Louis newspaper in
the st. Louis city campaign of 1917
upon the very day that President Viii
son asked Congress for a declaration
of war against Germany, declared it
self openly and strongly against Will
liam c. Connect, the Democratic can
didate for Mayor of the city of St
Louis, who was running upon a plat
form of loyalty and Americanism and
was supported on that platform by the
st. Louis Republic and the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch.
IF the Star makes that attack in
good faith as a professed servant OF
the public and believes that the send.
ing of that telegram units me from
serving my state in the Senate, why
did it not serve the interests Of the
public by attacking me when my ap
pointment was under consideration by
the Governor? 1t had in it's files then
the same information it displays in
bold headlines now. 1t was under the
same obligation to serve the public
then that it rests under now. II that
telegram disqualifies me now it dis
qualified me then. But, instead of de
nouncing me as impossible as il |
does now, it carried favorable edi
torial comment upon my appointment
Why the sudden change of front? The
answer is plain The repertorial and
editorial columns did not at that time
speak responsive to the campaign |
management that follows hot upon
this reprint with the impudent and
insolent request that withdraw from
the race. And, further, the Star knew |
then and knows now that my record OF |
loyalty to the President and to the |
country was unimpeachable by fair |
and honest means. The Star knew
then and knows now that to question
my Americanism because of that tele |
gram was dishonest and unfair.
What is that telegram? 1t was ad |
dressed to the President whom had
followed from the time of his first
nomination through the campaign OF
1912, supporting him upon the plat
form and at the polls; during the four
years of his first term and in the cam.
paign of 1916 supporting him again
upon the stump and at the polls.
supported the President when, at the
outbreak of the European war, he
counseled of the American people the
strictest neutrality. / supported him
when he demanded of the belligerents
that they respect the rights of Ameri.
can citizens. l supported him at those
critical times when with unequaled
patience he labored to keep the United
States out Of the conflict and at those
times when he sought for the United
States peace with honor and respect
for American rights.
81 supported the President when he
demanded of Congress the passage OF
the armed-ship bill. and had ! been in
the Senate at that time I would have
voted for the bill. I stood with him
when he demanded the defeat of the
resolution, and had l been
in the Congress at this time would
have voted against that resolution. {
was with him when, early in 1917, he
asked the belligerent nations to state
their peace terms with view OF