The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-10-25
WILSON APPEALS FOR
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS
On the Ground That Election of Repub-
lican Majority Would Be Inter
preted Across the Water as
Reputation of my
leadership"

Washington, ID. T.. OCT. Zo.-Pfesldent
Wilson to-day issued an appeal to the
people to return a Democratic Congress
in the November elections if they APP
prove Of his course in this critical pc
niod.
Return of Republican majority to ei-
ther 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
if it was adverse, the power to admins
ter the great trust assigned TO hlm
would be seriously impaired.
Following is the presidents appeal;
my fellow eountrymen: The congress
sionai 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 lead
ership and wish me to continue to be
your unembarrassed spokesman in affairs
at home and abroad, ] earnestly beg that
you will express yourselves unmistak-
ably to that effect by returning Demo
cratic majority to both the Senate and
House Of Representatives.
81 am your servant and will accept
your Judgment without cayil, but my
power to administer the great trust as
signed me by the constitution would be
seriously impaired should your Judgment
be adverse, and | 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
Il have no thought Of suggesting that
any political party is paramount in mat
ters of patriotism / feel too deeply 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 of our
present task are of sort that makes 1t
imperatively necessary that the nation
should give its undivided support to the
government under a unified leadership
and that Republican Congress- would di-
vide 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 out of my hands
and put it under the control of instru-
of their own choosing.
"This is no time either for divided
council or for divided leadership. Unity
of command is as necessary now in civil
action as ii is upon the field Of battle.
If the control of the House and the SEN
ate should be taken away from the party
now in power an opposing majority could
assume control of legislation and oblige
all action to be taken amidst contest and
obstruction.
"The return of Republican majority
to either house Of the Congress would,
moreover, be interpreted on the other
side of the water as repudiation OF my
leadership, Spokesman of the Republi-
can party are urging you to elect q Re
publican Congress in order to back up
and support the president, but even If
they should in this impose upon some
credulous voters on this side of the water
they would impose on no one on the other
side, II is we'll understood there as well
as here that the Republican leaders de-
sire not so muCn 10 suppoIt J1c pleel-
dent as to control him.
"The peoples Of the allied countries
with whom we are associated against
Germany are quite familiar with the sig
nifcance Of elections. They would find II
very difficult to believe that the voters OF
the United States had chosen to support
their president by electing to the Con-
gress a majority controlled by those who
are in fact not in sympathy with the at
titude and action of the administration.
Il need not tell you, my fellow coun
trymen, that am asking your support
not for my own sake or 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 APP
peal to you. In ordinary times divided
counseIs can be endured without perma-
nent hurt to the country. But these are
not ordinary times.
IF in these critical days it is your
wish to sustain me with undivided minds
l beg that you will say so in way
which it viii not be possible 70 misunder-
stand 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"