The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-10-31
WILSON ASKS u. s. TO
VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS
Says Republican Majority Would Be
Wrongly Interpreted in
Europe.

Washington, Oct. 25.-President
Wilson today issued an appeal to the
people to return a Democratic con-
gress in the November elections if
they approve of his course in this
critical period
Return of Republican majority to
either house of the congress, the
president said, "would be certainly in
terpreted on the other side of the wa
ter as a reputation of my leader
ship"
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.
Following is the presidents appeal:
| "My fellow countrymen:
"The congressional elections are at
hand. They occur in the most critical
period our country has ever faced or
is likely to face in our time. If you
have approved of my leadership and
wish me to continue to be your un-
embarrassed spokesman in affairs at
home and abroad, l earnestly beg
that you will express yourselves un-
mistakeably to that effect by return
ing Democratic majority to both the
senate and house Of representatives.
| II 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 imported should your
judgment be adverse and l must
frankly tell you so because SO many
critical issues depend upon your YER
dict. No scruple of taste must in
grim times like these be allowed to
stand in the way of speaking the
plain truth.
! 81 have no thought Of suggesting
that any political party is paramount
in matters of patriotism. I feel too
deeply the sacrifices which have been
made in this war by all of our citizens,
irrespective Of party affiliations, to
harbor such an idea. I mean only
that the difficulties and delicacies Of
| our present task are Of a sort that
makes it imperatively necessary that
the nation should give it's undivided
support to the government under un-
flied leadership and that Republican
congress would divide the leadership.
! "The leaders of the minority in the
present congress have unquestionably
been pro-war, but they have been anti
administrative 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
instrumentalities of their own choos-
ing. !.
"This is no time for divided council
or for divided leadership. Unity Of
command is as necessary now in civil
action as it is upon the field of bat
tie. If the control of the house and
the 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 major
ity to either house of the congress
would moreover be interpreted on the
other side Of the water as a repudia-
tion of my leadership. Spokesman Of
the Republican party are urging you
to elect Republican congress in or
der to back up and support the pres
ident, but even if they should in this
impose upon some credulOuS voters on
this side of the water they void i'm
pose on no one on the other side. It
| is we'll understood there as we'll as here
that the Republican leaders 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
find it very difficult to believe that the
voters of the United States had chos-
en- to support their president by elect
ing to the congress majority con-
trolled by those who are in fact not
in sympathy with the attitude and ac-
ton Of the administration.
| 81 need not tell you, my fellow
countrymen, that ! am asking your
| support, not for my own sake, but for
the sake Of the nation itself in order
| that its inward unity Of purpose may