Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-04
BY JOSEPH p. TUMULTY
CHAPTER XxXIV
(Continued)

Some time after this the president
conferred with Colonel House.. and
| when I next discussed the matter
with the president, he informed me
that he and Colonel House had fin
ally agreed that the thing, to do was
| frankly to come out without pre-
liminaries Of any kind and boldly
ask for the election of a Democratic
congress. 7 told him that I thought
the method l had proposed for
bringing him into the discussion
was one that would be most effec.
tive and would cause least resent
ment; but he was firm in his re-
solve to follow the course he finally
pursued. He was of the opinion
that this was the open and honor
able way to ask for what he thought
would be vote of confidence in his
administration.
1t has often been stated that in
this matter the president had acted
upon the advice of Postmaster Cen
eral Burleson, and many of those
individuals throughout the country
who criticized the presidents ap-
peal, pointed an accusing finger at
Mr.. Burleson and held him respon-
sible for what they said were the
evil consequences of this ill-consid-
cred action. In fairness to Mr.. Bur-
lesson, it must be said, that he. had
nothing to do with the appeal and
had never been consulted about 1t.
These facts are now related by
me not by way of apology for what
the president did, for in openly APP
pealing to the country he had many
honorable precedents of which the
gentlemen who criticized him were.
evidently ignorant. AS Mr.. George
Creel, in his book, 1.-THE War, the
World, and Wilson, says, "In vari-
GUS elections, George Washington
pleaded for united leadership and
Lincoln specifically urged upon the
people the unwisdom Of swapping
horses in midstream.'
Lincoln's Appeal
In paragraph in Herndon's
life of Lincoln" find the follow
ing appeal: -
file did his duty as president, and
rested secure in the belief that he
would be reelected, whatever might
be done for or against him. The
Importance of retaining Indiana in
the column of Republican states
was not to be overlooked. How
the president viewed it, and how he
proposed to secure the vote of the
state is shown in the following let
ter written to General Sherman:
Executive Mansion,
Washington, September 10, 1864.
I" Major General Sherman:
The state election of Indiana oc-
ours on the 18th of October and the
loss of it to the friends of the gov
eminent would go far towards los
ing the whole Union cause. The bad
effect upon the November election
and especially the giving the state
government to those who will OPP
pose the war in every possible way;
are too much to risk if it can be
avoided. The draft proceeds, not.
withstanding it's strong tendency to
lose us the state. Indiana is the
only important state voting in Oc-
tober whose soldiers cannot vote in
the field. Anything you can safely
do to- let her soldiers or any part
Of them go home and vote at the
state election will be greatly in
point. They need not remain for
the presidential election, but may
return to you at once. This is in,
no sense an order, but is merely in-I
tended to impress you with the inn
portance to the army itself Of your
doing all you safely can, yourself
being the judge of what you can
safely do. Yours truly,
ga. LINCOLN"
Presidents Followed
Mr.. CrEel shows that the prece-
dents established by Washington and
Lincoln are followed by Presidents
Mckinley, Roosevelt and Taft.
In q speech delivered at Boone,
Ia, October II, 1898, President Nc
Kinley pleaded for a Republican
congress in these words:
This is no time for divided coun-
ellis. If I would have you remen1-
Der anything I have said in these
desultory remarks, it would be to re-
g>member at this critical hour in the
nations history we nuet not be di-
vided. The triumphsy of the war yet
to be written in the articles of
| peace"
In the same year Theodore Roose-
welt argued for Republican con-
gress as follows:
| Remember that whether you will
or not, your votes this year will be
viewed by the nations of Europe
from one standpoint only,A They will
draw no fine distinctions. A refusal
to sustain the president this year
| will, in their eyes, be read as re-
| fusal to sustain the war and to sus-
| tain the efforts of our peace COM
missio nto secure the fruit Of war.
Such refusal may not inconceiv-
ably bring about a rupture of the
peace negotiations. 1t will give heart
| to our defeated anita gOniStS. it will
make possible the interference of
those doubtful neutral nations who
in this struggle have wished us ILL.,
Roosevelt Did Same Thing
Ex-President Benjamin Harrison
besought the people to "stand be-
hind the president" Saying: