Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-07-04
WILEY DEFENDS
PEACE TELEGRAM
ol0 NOT vNV 70 INFLUENCE
pResioeNT NOT 70 %.
CLARE Wan.
PEACE ONLY WITH HONOR
Nae supported Every Movement lsek.
lne to vindieatleN ~ Amsrl.
can Anne In Fight
for Liberty.

Senator Whitley has no apologies Il
make for his signature to the message
to President Wilson asking the execu
tive to maintain peace with honor, q
possible. but declaring his willingness
to abide by the Presidents decision
The Senator says:
MY attention has been called to N
attack made upon my In the st. Louis
Star. the personal organ OF my oppo
nent, both in it, news and editorial
columns. based upon a telegram dated
March s. 1917. addressed to the Presi
dent Of the United States and signed
by me. along with a number OF other
citizens OF st. Louis. An attack upon
the Americanism Of myself or any
other candidate III becomes q newspa.
per with the record a. recently made
by the St. Louis Star. This ~so-called
independent st. Louis newspaper in
the st. Louis city campaign OF 1917.
upon the very day that President VIII
son asked Congress for a declaration
Of war against Germany, declared it.
self openly and strongly against VIII
liam c. Connect. the Democratic can
didate for Mayor Of the city of st.
Louis, who was running upon a plat.
form OF loyalty and Americanism and
was supported on that platform by the
st. Louis Republic and the st. Louis
Post-Dispatch
III the Star makes that attack in
good faith as . protested servant of
the public and believes that the send.
ing Of that telegram units me from
serving my state in the Senate, why
did 1t not serve the interests OF the
public by attacking me when my ap-
pointment was under consideration by
the Governor? 1t had In its files then
the same information 1t displays in
bold headlines now. 1t was under the
same obligation to serve the public
then that 1t rests under now. II that
telegram disQualifies me now II dis.
qualified me then. But. instead Of de.
nouncing me as impossible as 1t
does now, 1t carried favorable edi.
torial comment upon my appointment.
Why the sudden change Of front? The
answer is plain The repertorial and
editorial columns did not at that time
speak responsive to the campaign
management that follows hot upon
this reprint with the impudent and
insolent request that l withdraw from
the race. And. further, the Star knew
then and knows now that my record of
loyalty to the President and to the
country was u~nimpeachable by fair
and honest means. The Star knew
then and knows To- that to question
my Americanism because Of that tele.
gram was dishonest and unfair.
What is that telegram? 1t was ad.
dressed to the President, whom / had
followed from the time of his first
nomination through the campaign Of
1912. supporting him upon the plat.
form and at the polls; during the four
years Of his first term and in the cam.
paign Of 1916 supporting him again
upon the stump and at the polls.
supported the President when, at the
outbreak Of the European war, he
counseled Of the American people the
strictest neutrality. I supported him
when he demanded Of the belligerents
that they respect the rights OF Ameri.
can citizens. I supported him at those
critical times when with unequaled
patience he labored to keep the United
States out Of the conflict and at those
times when he sought for the United
States . peace with honor and respect
for American rights.
Il supported the President when he
demanded Of Congress the passage Of
the armed.ship bill. and had I been In
the Senate at that time I would have
voted for the bill. stood with him
when he demanded the defeat Of the
McLemore resolution, and had I been
the Congress- at this time I would
have voted against that resolution. I
wa with him when. early in 1917. he
asked the belligerent nations to state
their peace terms with q view Of
bringing an end to the conflict. and. |
when he called upon Congress
tho declaration It war aeainst
Germany. and had I been in the Unit.
"a States Senate ct that time I would
rave voted for the declaration OF war.
Since the declaration, both n Unit.
% states Senator and q . private cit.
lssn' ! have continued 10 stand BY the
President, and have given the utmoat
. the support Of his administrators
md Of the measures be has advocated.
~ H. |