The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-10-31
WHAT PRES. WILSON ASKS


Washington, Oct. 25.-Presidcnt
Wilson Friday issued an appeal to the
people to return q Democratic congress
in the November elections IL they ap-
prove of his course in this critical
period.
Return of Republican majority to
either house OF the congress, the presi-
dent said, "would be certainly inter-
preted on the other side of the water
as reputation of my leadership"
The president said he would accept
the country's verdict without cavil but
that, If it was adverse, the power to
administer the great trust assigned to
him would be seriously impaired.
The text of the presidents communi-
cation is as follows:
"My Fellow Countrymen--The con-
gressional elections are at hand. They
occur in the most critical period our
country has ever faced or is likely to
face in our time. II you have approved
of my leadership and wish me to con-
tinue to be your unembarrassed spokes-
man in affairs at home and abroad, I
earnestly beg that you will express
yourselves Enthusiastically to that effect
by returning a Democratic majority to
both the senate and the house of re-
presentatives.
81 am your servant and will accept
your judgment with cavil, but my
power to administer the great trust
assigned me by the constitution would
be seriously impaired should your judg
ment 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 to stand in the
way of speaking the plain truth.
Unified Leadership Needed
81 have no thought of suggesting
that any political party is paramount
in matters Of patriotism. feel too
keenly the sacrifices which have been
made in this war by all our citizens,
irrespective of party affiliations, to
harbor such an idea. mean only that
the difficulties and delicacies of our
present task are of q sort that makes
it imperatively necessary that the ma
ton should give it's undivided support
to the government under unified
leadership and that Republican con-
gress would divide the leadership.
"The leaders of the minority in the
present congress have unquestionably
been prO-war. but they have been anti
administration. At almost every turn,
since we entered the war, they have
sought to take the choice of policy and
the conduct of the war 1,t of my
hands and put it under tie control of
instrumentalities of their own choos-
ing.
This is no time either for divided
counsel or for divided lead ership.
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 senate should be taken away from
the party now in power, an opposing
majority could assume control of leg
islation and oblige all action to be
taken amidst contest and obstruction.
THE return Of a Republican ma
jority to either house of the congress
would, moreover, certainly be interpre-
ted on the other side of the water as
a reputation of my leadership.
To Control, Not Support
"Spokesmen of the Republican party
are urging you to elect Republican
congress in order to back up and sup
port the president, but even If they
should in this way impose upon some
credulous voters on this side of the
water, they would impose on no one
on the other side. II is well UNDER
stood there as well as here that the
Republicans desire not so much tn sup
port 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
find it very difficult to believe that the
voters Of the United States had
chosen to support thei~ p 'esiicnt by
electing to the congress a majority
controlled by those who are not in
fact in sympathy with the attitude
and action of the administration.
81 need not tell you, my fellow
countrymen, that am asking your
support, not for my sake nor for the
sake of a 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 liberty to make such an appeal to
you. In ordinary times divided coun-
sells can be endured without perman-
ent hurt to the country. But these
are not ordinary times. II in these
critical days it is your wish to sustain
me with undivided minds, | beg that
you will say so in way which it will
not be possible to misunderstood either
here at home or among our associates
on the other side of the sea. submit
my difficulties and my hopes to you.
WOODROW WILSON"