Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-05-14

FUSION IS URGED IN
DOUBTFUL DISTRICTS
'ro-Germans, PacifiStS and
Extreme Socialists Should
Be Eliminated; Place Ma
tons Good Above Party,
lay MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL trAsso w,rsI

10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEsasp WiFsl
Washington, May l3.-Amerlcan
voters are called upon to elect only
loyal and war-till- victory men to con-
gress next election, in an appeal pre-
sented to congressional leaders today
by delegation representing the
League of National Unity. The two
great political parties are asked to
JOIN forces in doubtful districts to in
sure the choice OF congressman who
viii be answering in their support
of the government in the conduct OF
the var.
In the party which received the
delegation were Representatives Fer
ris of oklahoma and Woods of Iowa.
chairmen respectively of the demo-
cratic and republican committees;
representative kitchin of North Cas-
olina, democratic floor leader in the
house, and Representative Gillett of
massachusetts,, acting republican
leader
The appeal says in part,
The nation must be able to count
upon both parties nominating men at
the coming congressional primaries
who are wholehearted and unequivo-
cal supporters of the war aims of our
government and its purpose to prose-
cute the war to a successful termina-
ton
In the interest of the nation we
ask for more. II in any district it be-
comes likely that an, anti-war candi-
date will be successful, II IS the i'm
perative duty of the two leading
parties to effect coalition against
the non-American or anti-American
candidate in order to defeat him,
AN equitable arrangement should
he effected between the two parties
covering all such districts as require
the expedient of coalition in regard 10
the election of a disloyal candidate.
"If in any congressional or sena-
torial election there prove to be dan
ger of the election of disloyal candi.
dates, it will become the duty OF
Americans, regardless of party affil-
iations TO defeat such candidates and
to set loyalty TO the nation above per-
sonal loyalty to the party.
Let no party nominate or elect to
congress and candidate on a so-called
peace platform The American ma
ton under the leadership of the pres
ident of the United States, command
cr-in-chef of the army and navy, is
for peace; but a righteous and endur-
ing peace cannot be secured until
America and the allied powers shall
have achieved victory over the arm
les and governments of the central
powers or their peoples, having re
pudiated those who havee been guilty
of the crime of willingly initiating and
carrying on the war, shall. in the in
terest Of just peace. have recognized
their right to control their own des-
tiny.
TlAn IN
i've WOODS, Elihu Root. one of the
signers of the appeal wrote:
II don't believe there is single
congressional district which has not
a staunch loyal majority. but | un-
derstand that there are probably from
twenty to thirty districts of which
there are enough pro-German and
pacifist and extreme socialist votes to
make it possible for a disloyal candi-
date to he returned a plurality If the
loyal votes divided pretty evenly be-
tween the Republican and Democratic
parties. Such men would do infinite
harm to our country in congress:
their election would bring aid and
comfort to the enemy, would uisheart-
on all loyal citizens, and would De us
creditable to both parties.
"Of course, parties must continue,
their organization must be maintained
and neither one ought to make the
patriotism of the other means OF OBJ
tanning an advantage of the future,
but after all, the differences between
parties are of trifling consequence, as
compared with the issue OF life or
death for our free republic which de-
pends upon winning this war. If In
a district there is the least chance that
a disloyal man may be sent to con-
gress there is only one issue in that
district; that is the issue of loyalty.
The patriotic course seems plainly
to be for your two committees TO
agree upon what districts would be
in the least doubtful in three corn
cred fight, and in such districts where
the Republicans seem to have the best
prospect for votes urge the Democrats
to get behind a loyal Republican can
ldidate and in districts where the DEM
ocrats seem to have the best prospects
for votes. urge the Republicans to get
behind a loyal Democratic candidate"