Part 26 (1/2)

June 18, 1918

DEAR GOVERNOR:

I think the attitude of the leaders of the Republican party, as reflected in the speeches of Will Hays, National Chairive you the opportunity at the psychological n I think for the present our policy should be one of silence and even a show of indifference to what the leaders on the other side, Messrs Hay and Penrose, are saying and doing This will, no doubt, ees and by the tieneral appeal, the whole country will realize how necessary it is for you frankly to ask for the reelection of the Deht, delivered at Philadelphia, in urging the election of a Republican Congress, Will Hays said: ”We will bring the Government back to the limitations and principles of the Constitution in tiain bind up the wounds of war, renew our prosperity, adreatest econoth at home and abroad, etc”

Senator Penrose at the saress said: ”Let us keep up an efficient Republican organization in Pennsylvania and all through the United States, and make a successful Republican contest at every opportunity in every congressional district and at the next Presidential election, and endeavour to assure the election of Republican candidates”

I think these speeches will give you an opportunity some time in September or October frankly to state just what your attitude is toward the con, and thus lay before the country what the Republicans hope to gain by bringing about the election of a Republican Congress I would suggest that someyour attention to partisan speeches of this character, e the parts I have mentioned, and ask your opinion with reference to the plan of the Republican party to regain power In other words, we ought to accept these speeches charging incoe, and call the attention of the country to the fact that the leadershi+p of the Republican party is still reactionary and standpat, laying particular emphasis on what the effect in Europe would be of a divided leadershi+p at this ti the lines of the Indiana platforo would carry to the country just the iht to make This letter should be issued, in my opinion, some time in September or October

[Illustration:

In view of the unprecedented record or this Congress, doesn't the President wish to make some statement?

The Secretary

CLS

(Transcriber's note: also contains two manuscript letters)

Incidents in the daily routine at the White House]

While it would see of ed in preparing the way for an appeal, ere si what other administrations had done

Some time after this the President communicated with Colonel House, and when I next discussed the matter with the President, he inforreed that the thing to do was frankly to come out without preliminaries of any kind and boldly ask for the election of a Deht thehim into the discussion was one that would be most effective and would cause least resentment; but he was firm in his resolve to follow the course he finally pursued He was of the opinion that this was the open and honourable way to ask for what he thought would be a vote of confidence in his administration

It has often been stated that in this matter the President had acted upon the advice of Posthout the country who criticized the President's appeal, pointed an accusing finger at General Burleson and held him responsible for what they said were the evil consequences of this ill-considered action Simply by way of explanation, it can be truthfully said, in fairness to General Burleson, that he had nothing to do with the appeal and that he had never been consulted about it

These facts are now related by y for what the President did, for in openly appealing to the country he had entlee Creel, in his book, ”The War, the World, and Wilson,” says: ”In various elections George Washi+ngton pleaded for 'united leadershi+p,' and Lincoln specifically urged upon the people the unwisdoraph in Herndon's ”Life of Lincoln,” I find the following appeal:

He did his duty as President, and rested secure in the belief that he would be reflected whateverIndiana 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 letter written to General Sherton, September 19, 1864

MAJOR GENERAL SHERMAN:

The State election of Indiana occurs on the 11th of October and the loss of it to the friends of the Govern the whole Union cause The bad effect upon the Nove the State Government to those ill oppose the war in every possible way, are too much to risk if it can be avoided The draft proceeds, notwithstanding its strong tendency to lose us the State Indiana is the only i in October whose soldiers cannot vote in the field Anything you can safely do to let her soldiers or any part of thereatly 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 intended to impress you with the i all you safely can, yourself being the judge of what you can safely do

Yours truly, A LINCOLN

Mr Creel shows that the precedents established by Washi+ngton and Lincoln were followed by Presidents McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft:

In a speech delivered at Boone, Iowa, October 11, 1898, President McKinley pleaded for a Republican Congress in these words:

This is no ti I have said in these desultory remarks, it would be to remember at this critical hour in the nation's history we must not be divided The triumphs of the war are yet to be written in the articles of peace

In the saress 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 They will draw no fine distinctions A refusal to sustain the President this year will, in their eyes, be read as a refusal to sustain the war and to sustain the efforts of our peace commission to secure the fruit of war Such a refusal otiations 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