Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1918-11-01
President Wilson Appeals for Demo.
cratic Congress. r.
-.My Fellow Countrymen I:

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 unembarrassed
spokesman in affairs at home and
abroad, I earnestly beg that you will
-exlfess yourselves unmistakabiy to
that effect by returning democratic
msjority to both the senate and house
Of representatives.
Il i am your servant and will accept
your Judgment without caviI, but my
power to administer the great trust
assigned me by the constitution would
be ssriously impaired should your
judgment be adverse and must frankly
tell you 20 because 20 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.
''Ihsve no thought Of suggesting that
any political party is paramount in
matters 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 and delicacies of our
present task are of sort that makes
It imperatively necessary that the
nation should give its undivided sup
port 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 out of my hands
and put it under the control of instru-
mentalities of their own choosing.
This is no time either for divided
council or for divided leadership. Tho
unity of command is as necessary now.
in civil action as it is upon the field of
battle. II the control Of the house and
the senate should be taken away from
the party in power an opposing majority
could assume control Of legislation and
ohligs Ill action to BE- taksn amidst
coatsst and obstruction - !. I
The return Of republican majority
70 either house Of the congress would
moreover be inte,pretative on the other
side Of the water as reputation of
my Leadership. Spokesman of the
republican party are urging you to
elect republican 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. 1t well understood
there % well % here that the repub.
lican leaders desire not 20 much to sup
port the president Is 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 their president by electing
to the congress majority controlled
by those who are in fact not in SYM
pathy with the attitude and action of
the administration.
I need not tell you, my fellow coun-
trymen, that l am asking your support
not for my own sake or for the sake of
Q apolitical 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 l would
not feel at liberty to make such an
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