The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-06-04
PLOT AGAINST
PRESIDENT WILSON

now, when one looks back and CON
siders some of the things that were
said about the President before he
sailed for Europe one wonders how
any man calling himself an American
could have been willing to so at
tempt to discount and weaken the
power and influence of our own Presi-
dent.
The task confronting the President
was so onerOus, so Solemn, so Oppres-
siye. so fraught with results affecting
the destiny Of the human race that it
would seem any President placed III
the position OF Mr. Wilson ought in
Justice to have received the undivided
support Of his people. 1t was no time
to play politics, and any attempt tC
even weaken the influence of the
President ought to have been froWned
upon with contempt by every decent
Americana; but this support which
ought to have been united, this sup
port which ought to have been gener-
ously given, was denied to Mr. VIII
son. 1t is absolutely true that he was
shot in the back by some of his own
people as he was leaving America on
the greatest mission abroad ever un-
dertaken by an American. (AppuaSe.)
Mr.. Speaker, men do not do desper
ate things without strong reason, and
charge here and now that these con
temptible attacks upon President Will
son before and during the Versailles
conference were made for one purpose
only, to wit, to promote the prospect
of Republican success in the coming
elections.
Surely there are times, Mr.. Speaker,
when the official head of nation is
in fairness entitled to the sincere,
generous support of all the people
of such nation. There are times when
good men are glad to discard all poll
tical differences. There are times
when every decent Republican is
proud to follow a Democratic Presi
dent During every hour President
Wilson spent in Europe he was en-
titled to such unstinted support, but
it seemed that certain Republican
politicians, even during that critical
period, thought more of party success
than they did of the great struggle
to make war between nations less
probable. Let us not forget this: Mr..
Wilson was not only President, he
was the Commander in Chief OF
the Army and Navy and the
war was still on. The attacks on him
were just as unwarranted as the at
tack of a soldier on his commander
during battle. (Applause.) l remem.
Der well the great message of the
President to Congress in which he an
nounced to the world the conditions
upon which America would agree to
end the war.
Suppose some Member of this body
had then attempted to discredit the
President by announcing that he Pres
ident did not speak for America, that
he did not in that message truly rep.
resent the sentiments of the American
people; what do you suppose would
have happened? How do you suppose
such an announcement would have
been received by this House and the
American people? And yet Mr.. Will
son was just as truly Americas rep
resentative in Europe as he was the
! day he delivered that message.
Let us go one step further Mr..
/ Speaker. in developing the plan to
weaken the power and Influence OF
/ this great man. What happened here?
! On June 8. 1919, the gentleman from
i Massachus Mr. Walsh) introduc-
ed the following:
Joint resolution Oh. J. Res. 1857
relating to the powers and duties OF
tho office of President.
Resolved. etc. That any absence Of
the President from the l;Gl;+s of the
U1ired Staes for a p9rina exceeding
"a hours is hereby declared to he in
ability to discharge the powers and
duties of said office, and such inabili
~ shall terminate upon the actual re.
turn of the President to the scat Of
the government of the United States.
During the period of said inabiliay
the Vice President shall act as Presi-
dent with full power and authority to
discharge the duties of said office.
And on July 9. 1919, regret to say
the gentlemen from Kansae nv
Campbell.) the genial kind-hearted
chairman OF the Committee Oh nui-s ;,
| felt constrained to introduce the fol
! lowing BILL
A bill II. r. ITO amending chap.
ter %. United States Statutes at
Large. being AN act for establishing
the temporary and permanent seat OF
government of the United States" ap
proved July 16. 1890.
Be it enacted, etc, That from and
I after the passage of this act it shall
be unlawful for the President of the
United States, during the term of his
office, to absent himself from the ter
ritorial jurisdiction of the United
States or to perform the duties of his
office at any other place than at the
seat of government established by the
Act for establishing the temporary
and permanent seat of government OF
the United States approved July IS,