Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-11-19
MR.. GUDGER TELLS WHY HE
WAS DEFEATED BY MIR. BRITT.

Congressman James M. Gudger, jr,
yesterday afternoon gave to the press
his first public statement since the
election on Tuesday, November g.. in
which he was defeated for reelection
by James T Britt, the republican pro-
gresSiVe nominee.
His statement follows:
''As an aftermath of the recent cleo
ton, many reasons have been assign
ed as a reason for the failure to elect
democratic congressman to represent
the tenth congressional district. l
have been requested to give my YER
sion of the situation and therefore
make this statement:
First: The loss to the democratic
party of 125 members in the house of
representatives indicates an unrest on
the part of the people and great
many seem to believe that the business
depression now existing in the coun-
try is a result of democratic legisla-
ticn; as a matter of fact, however, the
business depression is attributable to
the European war. The low price of
cotton and the temporary depression
CT the lumber industry at this time has
necessarily caused falling off in this
district.
Second: The we'll organized plan
OF the republican leaders to sacrifice
ell republican candidates in the inter-
est of their congressional candidate in
studiously carrying out a system of
swapping and trading edded many
votes to their congressional ticket.
Third: The unfortunate bitterness
engineered in the primaries which
caused many men who, though partici-
pating in the democratic primary voted
the republican ticket, justifying them
selves for this action on the ground
that their favorite candidate failed to
receive the nomination, preferred to
vote for republican rather than the
democratic nominee.
'This disaffection was encouraged
by men who ask party recognition and
yet refused to support the nominee
and was the chief and greatest factor
in bringing about the defeat of the
democratic party in this district.
"The alleged cause of my defeat as
given by the republicans and concur
red in by my democratic enemies to
the effect that "the personality of the
republican candidate was no inconsid-
cradle factor in. the result is ridicu-
lous to the point of egotism and is in
tentionally used to further injure me.
1.-THE solictorial race in Buncombe
county verifies my statement; the re-
publican candidate for solicitor ran be-
hind the congressional candidate 1000
votes. Will the republicans say that it
was a lack of personality on the part
of their candidate for solicitor that
caused him to run so far behind the
the republican congressional candi-
date, or will they not do that candidate
the justice to attribute it to. the real
cause: to wit, he was sacrificed to
further Mr. Britt's interests?
"a discriminating and unbiased de-
mocracy will readily understand that
my defeat was largely due to the ac-
tion of certain democrats Who voted in
q democratic primary, thereby pledg-
ing themselves to support the demo-
cratic nominee, and then Joined in with
the republicans and assisted them to
defeat their own party's nominee.
"The turning over of the congress
sional district to the republican party
(by the failure of the democrats to
support the democratic nominee) will
be far-reaching in its injurious effects
in the close counties of the district in
the future. Their action and vote has