The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1910-08-25
PA. HODGES REPLIES
TO THE CRITICISMS OF T.
|. ROGERS.
A Presentation Of Hodges Side of
: The Controversy. The Ver-
dict Is with the People.

dict is with the People.
Editor Herald:
Mr.. T. 1. Rogers has given to the
press a letter purporting to- touch
upon questions involved in the
congressional campaign, and l am
informed that there have been
printed for circulation in this dis
trict 5000 copies of this letter
Thinking possibly that this cir
cular signed by Mr.. T. l. Rogers
might fall into hands of parties not
thoroughly acquainted with Messrs
T. l. Rogers. ]. E. Ellerbe and my
self, who might thereby be mis-
led, l will, briefly as possible, give
the public my version Of the situa-
tion, Whenever l have had occa-
sion to refer to a circular issued
against me two years ago by Mr..
Rogers, 1 invariably stated that
would not discuss it's merits for the
reason that the party who assumed
responsibility for its contents was
lot in the race. Have refrained
from discussing Mr.. Rogers since
the campaign opened and even be-
fore. l am in no wise responsible
for the newspaper reports-never
saw any of them until they were
published. At Dillon, after the
speeches, l gave the reporter all
my papers and at Marion / asked
Col. Banks to publish Mr.. Rogers
letter in full. He copied the letter
and told me he would do 80. l do
not think Col. Banks is responsible
for the fact that 1t was not pub
lished in full.
In reference to circular my
friends were kind enough to issue
in iny behalf two years ago, l am
not willing to allow Mr. Rogers
astute and adroit lawyer, though
he may be. to read therein a mean
ing foreign to it's contents and pur-
pose. Early in the nineties, during
the panic, l failed in business, as
did other honorable gentlemen
throughout the country. turned
over to my creditors all had, no,
even retaining a personally home.
stead. l went to work and by
economy and industry, in two years
/ had succeeded in accommodating q
small capital-sufficient to enable
me once more to commence busi
ness in a small way. prospere6
and in five years / was enabled tc
settle those old debts satisfactor,
to my creditors. Those who die
not accept my assignment and OBJ
tanned judgment compromised
but those who held open accounts
and notes against me / paid in full
as per my promise to them, and
there is nothing in circular issued
by my friends two years ago al
variance with this statement.
The Bennettsville Hardware Co.
was not a corporation when owned
by me, and upon investigation il
will be established that the papers
conveying this business to Messrs
Wellington & Bonnoit were signed
by myself, not as agent, but as sole
owner.
The P. A. Hodges Manufacturing
Co. was a corporation organized
to manufacture harness, with a paid
up capital of $4,000, and l owned
$24,5OO0 Of it's stock Through
misplaced confidence in the ability
Of another and through no fault OF
mine this plant was wrecked. Soon
after / assumed active management
of the business / learned that it
was liable for approximately $25,-
600 in excess of it's capital stock
and other assets. 1t being a corpo-
ration l, individually, could not
be legally held for its obligations,
but l felt / was morally bound and
assumed them and made provisions
for their payment. / even caused a
mortgage to be given on my home
which was in my wife's name and
bought with her money, for my
legations. There was only one
suit brought against this company
and that was brought by Mr.. Rog-
ers for disputed account and in m,
absence judgment was obtained
Ny attorney being of the opinion
that the case could not be tried at
that term of the court had ,aft
Bennettsville to fill important en-
gagements at distant points in the
state. and though my attorney was
allowed less than "a hours to COM