The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1910-08-25
.kHODCES REPLIES TO
| ROGERS CRITICISMS
FULL STATEMENT OF HIS FL
NANCIAL FAILURE AND SET
TLEMENT OF DEBTS.


ouch upon questions involved i'll
he Congressional campaign, and |
n informed that there have been
brinted for circulation in this dis
rict 9 900 copies of this letter.
Thinking possibly that this cir
stilar signed by Mr. T l Rogers
might fall into hands of parties not
thoroughly acquainted with Messrs
Rogers, J E Ellerbe and my
belf, who might thereby be misled,
will, briefly as possible, give the
bublic my version of the situation.
Whenever l have had occasion to
refer to circular issued against me
Ewo years ago by Mr. Rogers, l in
5ariably stated that / would not dis
russ its merits, for the reason that
the party who assumed responsible
ItY for its contents was not in this
race. Have refrained from discus
sing Mr. Rogers since the campaign
opened and even before. / am i'll
bio wise responsible for the news
paper reports--never saw any of
them until they were published.
lat Dillon, after the speeches,
gave the reporter all my papers and
|at Marion l asked Col Banks to
|publish Mr.. Rogers letter in full.
He copied the letter and told me
the would do so. l do not think
|Col Banks is responsible for the
fact that it was not published in
full.
& In reference to circular my
friends were kind enough to issue
5n my behalf two years ago, l am
mot willing to allow Mr. Rogers, as
Ftute and adroit lawyer though he
may be, to read therein a meaning
kforeign to its contents and purpose.
Early in the nineties, during the
panic, I failed in business, as did
|other honorable gentlementhrough-
Eout the country. l turned over to
my creditors all I had, not even re-
|taining a personally homestead.
FL went to work and by economy
and industry in two years l had
succeeded in accumulating small
Ec a pital-suficient to enable me
5once more to commence business
IN a small wav- l prospered and
! In FIVE years was enabled to set
tie those old iebts satisfactory to
my creditors Those who did not
accept my assignment and obtained
Judgment / compromised, but those
who held open accounts and notes
against me l paid in full as per my
promise to them, and there is moth
ing in circular ISSUED by my friends
two years ago at variance with this
statement.
The Bennettsville Hardware Co.
was not a corporation when owned
eby me, and upon investigation it
will be established that the papers
conveying this business to Messrs.
yelling & Bonnoit were signed by
myself, not as an agent, but as
sole owner.
The P A Hodges Manufactur-
ing Co was a corporation organized
Ito manufacture harness, with "a
paid up capital of SIS, 900, and l
eowned S24,5OO of its stoc k.
Through misplaced confidence in
the ability of another and through
no fault of mine this plant was
wrecked. Soon after l assumed
active management of the business
I learned that it was liable for ap-
proximately $4,000 in excess of
its capital stock and other assets.
II being a corporation l, individu-
ally. could not be individually held
for its obligations, but l felt
morally bound and assumed them
and made provisions for their pay
ment. I even caused a mortgage
to be given on my home which was
in my wife,s name and bought with