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IA DODGES REPLIES TO! 11BOGERS' CRITICISMS PrOLL STATEMENT OF HIS FIEnancial FAILURE AND SET- I I TLEMENT OF DEBTS. Ktiitor County Record: ? -'Mr T I Rodgers has given to Hhe press a letter purporting to i Hsuck upon questions involved in ne Congressional campaign, and I ' ' - > i i XX) iniormea znai mere Jiu\*r iatcu irinted for circulation in this dis3Ct9,000 copies of this letter, fc Thinking possibly that this cirttlar signed by Mr T I Rogers' light fall into hands of parties not horoughly acquainted with Messrs ! * I Rogers, J H Ellerbe and my-1 elf, who might thereby be misled, I briefly as possible, give the tablic my version of the situation.; Whenever I have had occasion to efer to circular issued against me wo years ago by Mr Rogers, I inariably stated that I would not disross its merits, for the reason that >arty who assumed responsibil-1 y" for its contents was not in this Bee. Have refrained from discusing Mr Rogers since the campaign pened and even before. I am in Mo wise responsible for the newstaper reports?never saw any of j |tem until they were published, i it Dillon, after the speeches, I rave the repor.er all my papers and ft Marion I asked Col Banks to mblish Mr. Rogers' letter in full. | ie copied the letter and told me! le would do so. I do not think Hoi Banks is responsible for the ! act that it was not published in ' jail. In reference tc circular my i friends were kind enough to issue in my behalf two years ago, I am lot willing to allow Mr Rogers,as-! Ute and adroit lawyer though he may be, to read therein a meaning tioreign iu u?> uu.ii.ciii.> duu puipuat. IEarly in the nineties, during the1 [panic, I failed in business, as did j lother honorable gentlemen through-, Pbnt the country, I turned over to 1 Bay creditors all I had, not even re- j Staining a personalty homestead.' pi went to work and by economy and ndustry in two years I had j Succeeded in accumulating a small ^capital?sufficient to enable me fence more to commence business (in a small way. I prospered and; in five years . was enabled to settle those old iebts satisfactory to my creditors. Those who did not accept my assignment and obtained judgment I compromised, but those I who held open accounts and notes j ^ against me I paid in full as per my , I promise to them, and there is noth- i !:ing in circular isssued by my friends! 'two years ago at variance with this j statement. v ' The Bennettsville Hardware Co. j ? 5 was not a corporation when owned ; Mby me, and upon investigation it j will be established that the papers j ^conveying this business to Messrs. \ ; Welling & Bonnoit were signed by ^myself, not as an agent, but as) (. sole owner. j- The P A Hodges Manufacturl' ing Co was a corporation organized } to manufacture harness, with*a P paid up capital of $25,000, and I i owned $24,500 of its stock. r Through misplaced confidence in j . the ability of another and through j . no fault of mine this plant was! . wrecked. Soon after I assumed i active management of the business I learned that it was liable for approximately $25,000 in excess of its capital stock and other assets. It being a corporation I, individually, could not be individually held for its obligations, but I felt " morally bound and assumed them and made provisions for their pay1 m^nt I even caused a morttraee to be given on my home,which was : lp my wife> name and bought with her money, for my obligations. There was only one suit brought against this company and that was brought by Mr Rogers for a disputed account and in my absence judgment was obtained. My attorney being of the opinion that the case could not be tried at that term of the court I had left Bennettsville to fill important engagements at distant points in the.State, I and though my attorney was al-| lowed less than 24 hours to communicate with me I was unable to reach Bennettsville in time for the trial. This was not compromised at 50 per cent, as stated by Mr Rogers,but about 70 per cent of the amount claimed was paid, the remaining 30 per cent being approximately the amount of counter claims against the company bringing suit. The circular issued by my friends two vears atm was distributed in Marlboro county and especially at Clio 011 the day of the campaign meeting there, which was nearly a month before Mr Rogers issued his circular. It was printed in Pee Dee Advocate office?110 attempt at secrecy was made?was published in papers all over the district?was seen by dozens of people in the county before l>eing published, whereas the circular of Messrs Rogers and Hllerl>e was printed by a person bound to secrecy?all coaxing and importunities failed to get from him an admission that the circular had been issued. If Messrs Rogers and Ellerbe honestly believed there was merit in their circular, why all this se-1 crecy? Why did they wish to keep it from me, until too late for reply l>efore the primary." The envelope inclosing Mr Rogers' circular mailed me shows by postoffice stamp that it was mailed Saturday morning, August 22,'90S, when Mr Rogers knew I was in 1 Hartsville, having left Bennetts ville at 3:3i> o'clock Friday after- ' noon, August 21, 1908. and could not return until Saturday night? too late to reply and get to the peo-} pie l>efore the primary the follow- I ing Tuesday, August 25. 1908. I; have other evidence that the pur-! pose of Messrs Rogers and Kllerbe ' was to prevent my securing their circular, but the above is sufficient. Now I ask why this persecution? Why should T I Rogers hound me thus? Mr Rogers is a relative of J K Kllerbe and connected with him by marriage. The late Governor Ellerbe, a brother of J E Ellerbe, was a brother-in-law of T I Rogers. Before Mr Rogers' last circular was issued, J E Kllerbe stated during his speech at Xebo in Marion county that he proposed to flood that county with circulars, I or words to that effect. The circulars are being distributed. Is this not significant? This is not the first time that Mr Rogers has attempted to besmirch my busiuess character and reputation. Those who know me and are familiar with my business career have always been ready to bespeak their confidence. Was my business failure in the nineties and the settlement of my affairs in 1904 clean and honorable? On account of former attacks upon me by M r Rogers I deemed it right and proper to secure the two letters following: "Bennettsville, S C, August 20, 1906. "Mr P A Hodges, Bennettsville, S C. "Dear Sir:?At your request I beg to state that in 1894 when you assigned all your property to me for the benefit of your creditors, it was done after I carefully considered your entire business affairs. Owing to your heavy losses by making advances on liens, it was all that could be done to pay up each creditor and guarantee to each one his pro rata share of the assets. You turned over to me at that time your entire property, which was sold and paid to the creditors accepting the terms of the assignment. There were some who did not accept and reduced theirclaims io judgment anu hince maiuincyuu have paid off all claims and settled all costs in the courts. In my opinion your conduct was straight throughout. "Yours truly, "T W BOUCHIER." "Bennettsville, S C, August 20, 1906, "Hon P A Hodges, City. "Dear Sir:?You request from me a statement as to your moral conduct in reference to your failure in business about the year 1894. I % represented the largest, of some o the largest creditors against yoi and was familiar with all the de tails of your failure and the wind ing up of your business, and then was no fact or circumstance con nected with the whole mattei known to me that would the least tend to reflect upon your charactei as a Christian gentleman. Yoi gave up all your. property to voui creditors cheerfully and it paid 2 good dividend on your debts. Thost that did not accept this dividend n'orti off<arTt'Qrrl nritli Ki* i?aii and the record is clear and honorable in every particular. '' I will add that I have had many dealings with you during the whole of your business life among us and have always found you fair and upright, and a true gentleman. Your administration of our town has been clean and successful, and you have been wholly impartial is: the administration of the law. "This certificate is given you ir a spirit of simple duty, and maybe used as you may deem best. "Yours truly, "HH Newton." Below is reproduced in full the circular my friends issued in my behalf two years ago, and which Mr Rogers has so violently criti cised in his recent circular and ir the one issued two years ago: "an address to the democrats voters ot the sixth district. "We, the undersigned neighbor! of P A Hodges, Marlboro's candi date for Congress, do hereby com mend him to the Democratic voter: of the Sixth Congressional distric as .an able, consistent and loya Democrat,a business man of sagac itv and ability, a Christian gentle man of high ideals and pure life, ; man who has never proved recrean to any public or private trust, anci who,we believe, would bring bono and prestige to this district as ou Representative in Congress. "Mr Hodges is a native of thi county and has spent his life amonj us, and we feel that he is worthy c any honor that his fellow-citizen can bestow upon him. He was fou times elected Mayor of Bennetts ville, and he discharged the dutie of this office with conspicuous abil ity and fearlessness. He dealt jus tice to all with an even hand, with out regard to the financial or socis standing of those charged with th violation of law, and hisvigorou prosecution of law-breakers dimuch toward driving all forms c vice out of the city. "MrHodges is a man of recog nized business ability and integrity Several years ago, when he wa just beginning what promised to b a successful mercantile career,ther came a panic and two bad cro years,and the failure of those whor he had furnished supplies to pa; their accounts caused him seriou financial embarrassment for a whilt but he was not satisfied for his cred itors to lose, and he went to wor and settled every dollar of indebl edness against him, though it too him several years to do it. "Mr Hodges is an earnest an loyal church and Sunday-schoc worker. He has been for fiftee years a steward and a trustee of th Methodist church, for ten yeai chairman of the board of stewards and for fifteen years superintenden of the Sunday-school. He was lay delegate from this State to th last general conference. Last winter when the trustee of Columbia College were lookin; over the State for the best man t make their financial agent, th choice fell upon P A Hodges, al though no layman had ever befor occupied that important and re sponsible position. He undertoo! this work with that zeal and enthu siasm which always marks his ef forts, and the remarkable succes with which he has met in his cam paign for the college shows that th trustees made no mistake in select ing him. "As he would have to be awa; from Bennettsville most of his tinn in the interest of the college, he re signed his official positions in th< city and church the first of thi: year. Should he be elected to Con gress, he will have till the assem bling of the next Congress, in De f cember, 1909,to finish the campaign i for the endowment of Columbia - College. "Mr Hodges comes from an ag- j j ricultural family. He was born and . reared on a farm; his brothers are r farmers; he knows the needs of ; farmers and will work for their in terests, as well as for those of all i other honest occupations in the dis: trict. i '' Marlboro sends forth this son of! > hers with the earnest hope that the I Democrats of Darlington, Flore nee,! i Georgetown, Horry, Marion and i . Williamsburg may also recognize! his merits and fitness for the posi- j r tion to which he aspires, and join | . in giving him a sufficient number of, I ballots to make him our next Con- \ I gressman. "T S Evans (Farmer and Couni ty Commissioner), I "T K McCall (Merchant and , Chairman Sewerage Commission), "K L Hamilton (Merchant and t Meml)er Board Public Works), > "PA McKellar (Wholesale Gro-1 cer and Member City Council), "J R Patrick, Freight Agent A J C L Railroad. ; "J L Napier, M D, (Chairman' r State Board Medical Examiners), ' ! "C B Crosland (President C B Crosland Company), i "AS ^ownsend, M D, "Chas R May, M D, ; "H W Carroll (Merchant), "O Atwood Matthews (Druggist j| , and Chairman State Board Phar* maceutical Examiners), "J O Breeden (Merchant and Member City Council), t "C E Exum (Cotton Euyer), j "L J Breeden (Major of Bennettsville), "RK Breeden (Farmer), a "H H Newton (Attorney at Law t and Farmer), [ "J K Owens (Attorney at Law), "R L Freeman (Editor Pee Dee Advocate), "TW Carniichael, M D, "Sam J Pearson (Jeweler), ' "J A Faison, M D. f "Note:?Friends of Mr Hodges, who got up this during his absence s 011 the campaign; could have ser cured hundreds of signatu^fes, but i- thought it superfluous to multiply s the witnesses. These representative citizens, representing the various callings and professions, are suffi-1 cient to establish the facts set; l* forth." il In spite of Mr Rogers' construce tion of this letter, not one of the gentlemen who signed it has asked ' to be relieved of the responsibility d of its contents or expressed any uneasiness of his veracity being questioned. PA Hodges. : Built on Honor P \ Sold on Merit ' There are mo its and and- about our guarant-e, and no rebate " schemes about our sales. We k prefer to believe that our customers are sensible )>eople in search d of a square deal, and we make it jj our business to treat them as ^ such. When you buy a ' Stieff Piano j >1 you'get what you pay for, and a pay for what you get. Expere ienced buyers know that this constitutes the only bargain you ,s can count on?all other bargain forms are gambles, and the pur* ^ chaser is usually the loser. Hon0 esty may not lie the best policy, e but years of practice convince us [ that it is good enough. If you e contemplate the purchase of a , piano, don't f til to examine the 1 Stieff. A showdown is onr delight. I ! Chas. M. Stieff e MANUFACTURER Baltimore, - - Md. V ?0? Southern IVareroom i s 5 West Trade Street Charlotte, - - - N. C. C. H. WILMOTH, Manager. / Educate Your Childi KINGSTREE GRADED AND prepares Boys and Girls for Collet Climate unexcelled. Flowini Competent Instructors. Thorc Music. Building well Heated jSpacious Auditorium and Sp Boarding Pupils and Go-operation Fall Term Begins Monda For further Information apply to J. W. Swittenberg, Superintendent. C Kingstree, 5 | Excellent F< ? To secure good banking facilitiei efficient service and to receive 1 ? earnest desire of every man who c 5^ These are a few of the imports ? characterized the operations of SZ LIAMSBURG for years past. T1 ? thoroughly appreciate the confidei p their institution by each individua ? erted every effort to afford the ve g sible to obtain. g Upon this basis, we solicit your; | Bank of Willi ? Kingstree, ? CW Stoll, President. E C El F Rhem, Zice-President. CWB To Tobacco Farme So confident are we in our positk highest prices?grade considered?j in the State. Our buyers are unsurpassed. We Guarantee ! If after the sale you are not pleas higher prices are paid elsewhere, w fare to any market in the State, wh sales and iudflre for vourself. Then lieve that our prices are not as higl the hogsheads and we will sack and railroad for shipment free of cost t< ROOM FOR Improvements sufficient to give u have been completed and we extern welcome. Our buyers represent a turers, and our own.Mr Slaughter i BANNER WA King'stree, Laurence H. M Civil Engineer?Si ROAD AND DRAINAGE LAND SURVEYING A Nesmith P. 0. l imJ&I ? If not ready now, wi ^ we wl U let you pay la mall if you prefer. BUSIN1 WMtUUlD u *?* 'Z??ZAW*m' iiou] t k 'en at Home. HIGH SCHOOL ro nr Diioinooo jC Ul UllOIIIUtiUI g Artesian Wells- . rngh Training in 4^ and Ventilated, ilendid Libraiy. of Patrons Solicited. y, Sept 19,1910 E. C. Epps, !lerk Board of Trustees. ;. c. abilities | s, to obtain prompt and 2 iberal treatment, is the 3 pens a bank account. 2 mt features that have the BANK OF WIL- 3 le officers and directors 3 ice reposed in them and 2 1 depositor.and have ex- 3 fry best service it is pos- 3 account 3 amsburg | s. c. 2 5PS, Cashier. ^ 4 OSWELL, Asst. Cashier. 3 7 iUWiiuwuMMUumift rs in General I ' 1 -90 >n to secure for yoir the >aid by any other market Satisfaction edand you believe that e will pay your railn>ad 1 lere you may witness the if you conscientiously bei or higher, you furnish [ deliver your tobacco to ) you. I ALL sail necessary floor space I to one and all a hearty k II the leading manufacs mightier than ever. REHOUSE So. Car. cCullough irveyor ENGINEERING ND MAPPING - - s-c- v LYS for our FULL BOOKKKBPQ OOUBSS SCHOLAB8HIP If iu write at once and state where iu saw this ad. Regular price Is 00. To advertise this school, only limited number of scholarships III be sold at the low rate of 126. rite and. have one reserved and ter. we can also teach you by ESS COLLEGE. M UfOOSrOIATBD 1<B4 iBViuua* m-M.. - !