Evening journal., 1918-10-30
zen of Wilmington and of Delaware
THE PRESIDENTS APPEAL.

Washington, Oct. 26.-Following is the
text of President Wilson's appeal to the
nation +osupport his Administration blythe
return of-a Democratic majority TO Con-
gress:
The following is the Presidents appeal:
MY fellow countrymen: The con-
ressional elections are at hand. They
occur in the most critical period our
country has ever faced or is likely to face
in oar time II you have approved Of
my leadership and wish me to continue
10 be your unembarrassed spokesman in
sffairs at home and abroad, I earnestly
beg that YOU will express yourselves
unmistakably to that effect by returning
Democratic majority to both the Senate
and House of Representatives.
MUCH DEFENDS UPON ISSUE.
"T am your servant and will accept
your judgment without cavil, but my
power to administer the great trust as
signed me by the constitution would be
seriously impaired should your iudg-
ment 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
sacrifces 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 del
icacies Of our present task are of a sort
that makes it imperatively necessary
that the nation should give its undivided
support 10 the government under a uni
fed leadership and that a Republican
congress would divide the leadership.
REPUBLICANS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
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 con-
duct of the war out Of my hands and put
1t under the control of instrumentalities
OF their own choosing.
This Is no time either for divided
council or divided leadership. Unity
Of command is as necessary now in civil
action as 1t upon the field Of battle. II 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 legislation and oblige
all action to be taken amidst contest
and obstruction.
THE return of a Republican majority
to either House Of the Congress, would,
moreover, be interpreted on the other
side of the war as a reputation of my
leadership.
REPUBLICANS SEEK TO CONTROL WILSON.
"Spokesmen of the Republican party
are urging you to elect a Republican
Congress in order to back up and sup
port the President, but even If they should
IN this impose upon some credulous voters
on this side Of the water they would inn
pose on no one on the other side. II is
well understood there as well 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 chosen to sup
port their President by eleeting the Con-
gress a majority controlled by those who
are In fact in sympathy with the attitude
and action of the administration.
SPEAKS FOR NATIONS WELFARE.
81 need not tell you, my fellow coun-
bINIneni bndJ aI1 asking your support
not for my own sake or for the sake of
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 councils can
be endured without permanent hurt to
the country. But these are not ordinary
times.
"If in these critical says, 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 as
socistes on the other side of the sea- |
submit my difficulties and my hopes TO
49,, NooJrouD lN,lao,.