The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-07-10
SHOULD ELECT MEN TO SUPPORT
 PRES, WILSON

National Committees weekly paper published in Washington -hotly re- sents the suggestion that the people should Support the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy by elect ing to Congress this Fall men who will stand by the President and his war policies. Under the heading, ''The People Will Punish the Patriot eers at the Polls" the mouthpiece of the Republican national organization lamely seeks to justify its virtual de- mand that opponents rather than SUD- porters of the Administration be en- trusted with legislative commissions by the voters.
 Unity of action in Washington is as essential to the success of the war as unity of command is essential to mili- success on the battlefields of Europe. tary success on the battlefields of Eu- rope. This is not @ theory; it is a fact. In past wars the people of America invariably have stood by the party in power during the heat of the conflict. They supported Lincoln in the trying days of the Civil War, in response to his historic appeal mot to swap horses while crossing a river;" they support ed Mckinley during the Spanish-Am- erican war and they will support Will son during this greatest of all wars. The appeals of Lincoln's day and McKinley's day are as appropriate now as they were then. It may be distasteful to certain Republican lead CTS, who for one reason or another be- lieved it incumbent upon them to crit icize the President today, to have quoted the speeches they made twenty | years ago when their party was in power, but they must, in fairness, con- cede that the arguments then used may now be applied with equal force. Typical of many was the appeal made in 1898 by Colonel Roosevelt, then candidate for Governor of New York. He said:
 "Remember that whether you will or not. your votes this year will be viewed by the nations of Europe from | one standpoint only. They will draw no fine distinctions. A refusal to sus 1 tain the President this year, will, in their eyes, be read as a refusal to sus- tain the war and to sustain the efforts | of our peace commission to secure the 1 fruits of war. Such a refusal may not inconceivably bring about rupture of the peace negotiations. It will give heart to our defeated antagonists; it will make possible the interference of those doubtful neutral nations, who in this struggle have wished us ill."
 In similar tenor former President Benjamin Harrison pleaded for the election of a Republican Congress to support Mckinley. He is quoted in the Philadelphia North American of November 1, 1898, as saying:
 'tIf the word goes forth that the people of the United States are stand ing solidly behind the President, the task of the Peace Commissioners will be easy, but if there is break in the ranks-if the Democrats score a tell ing victory, if Democratic Senators, Congressmen and Governors are elect ed-Spain will see in it a gleam of hope, she will take frseh hope, and a renewal of hostilities, more war, may be necessary to secure to us what we have already won.'
 The Republican press of the country
 editorially took the same position
 Throughout the congressional cam paign of 1898 they made the concert ed appeal to the people to support the
 President that defeat of his party at
 polls should not be misinterpreted in the capitols of Europe, and particu- larly in Madrid.
 "We are at war with Spain," said the New York Sun at the time, "peace commissions and peace jubilees to the ,AI,,.3
 dent Mckinley and his administration are yet the burdens and responsibili-
 ties of a state of war not yet termin- , ated. And upon all patriotic citizens , of every political party rests the duty f of supporting the administration and
 sustain the Nations cause against al , foreign enemies, both by voice and by t vote"
 Said the Philadelphia North Ameri- 5 can on the morning of election, No yember 8, 1898.
 The voters will decide today wheth- . CT the administration of President Nc
 Kinley is to be condemned and the , conduct of the war vetoed" When the Republicans scored a vic tory at the polls, the North Ameri
 
 ton of the national honor and added r "It is a great triumph and must bt s a source of deep satisfaction and pro t found relief to our much-tried, much l enduring President. His policies ant s the policies of the party which h.
 represents have been approved. H, l can now proceed, encouraged and un l hindered, with their execution.'' s The Topeka (Kan.) Daily Capital e in an editorial on November 3, 1898 g took this view:
 "The Republican party puts 1t t
 the good sense of the country wheth
 CT or not the election of a Congress il
 sympathy with a President who ha < shown himself equal to every tes
 would be for the best interests of tn |, country at this time In such cam
 paign no American worthy of tn, : franchise should neglect his privileg I to vote, and every man who believe s in stalwart aggressive Americanisn r should hold up the hands of the stal l. wart American in the White House Il and see that his friends and neigh e bors do the same"
 Il The Chicago Tribune, on electio
 morning Tn lS9S, called on the voter e to elect only Republican Congressme e in this language:
 '- 'Whatever voters elsewhere may dc o those. in Chicago should show thei y appreciation of all the President ha ,a done and will do, if not hindered, b d re-electing the seven Republican Con = gressmen. They will support tn
 Presidents policy"
 The Kansas City Stars editorial c | November 3, 1898, said: