The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1916-08-25


Charlie to his Dear Tom," that
while | thought you would be
candidate against me, that | new
er said one unkind word about
you, but always said you were my
friend"
Just four years later now and
Mr.. Hudson dares to run for con
gress. He proceeds to make
clean race, with noting unclean
said against Charlie" SO far as
the prints or hearsay reveal. In
other words, MIR. Hudson had
desire to run for congess and give
Georgia at least two farmers in
congress; he proceeds in a clean
way for months, as stated, and
we hear nothing said against Mr..
Crisp-not even an attack against
the congressman's record nor lack
of record.
And 50 it remained for the man
in office, Congressman Crisp, to
begin the mud-slinging campaign.
Some folks say it is an act of
weakness to depend upon the in
competency of your opponent
rather than the strength of your
own record-but Mr.. Crisp seems
to think it best to belittle his
friend" and fellowtownsman of
four years ago, that he then pro-
posed to support for governor of
the entire state, but now attacks
as incompetent to represent a few
counties in Congress.
Mr.. Crisp was evidently mex
cuSably ignorant of Mr.. Hudson's
true worth four years ago, or he
is deliberately undertaking to
misrepresent him now. For, it
was Dear Tom" then "for gov
ernor," while it is anything else
now but Dear Tom :" and, so, in
this way "Charlie's" friend OF
four years ago-Mr. Hudson
who protected the farmers with
more fertilizer samples and analy-
sis than any other state commits
sioner OF agriculture, suddenly
becomes incompetent" in the
estimation of Charlie" -since
Dear Tom" happens to offer for
the seat in Congress occupied for
four long years by Charlie" and
who ought to have made a record
considering he's a "Parliamen-
tarian"-to stand fat-footed on
his record, sintead of starting the
mud-slinging against his Dear
Tom" he thought big enough for
Governor four years ago.
Meanwhile Mr.. Hudson has
been sick and in bed at his home
in Americas. While his opponent
was unable to sit up, Congress-
man Crisp has continued his at
tacks against Mr., Hudson. Two
years ago, Mr.. Crisp lost a year.
IN congress, out west for his
health, and the argument was
used that it would be real cruel
to oppose sick man; and so Mr..
Crisp was elected again-endors-
ed if you please-without opposi-
ton, and given two more years to
make record to stand on.
Usually the mud-slinging starts
with the man out of office and
wanting to Gust the man in off
ce; and the man in office prefers
to stand on his record, if he has
any, and avoid mud-slinging, but,
IN this case, the congressman, Mr..
Crisp, i'll office for four years and
should have d record to stand on,
starts the mud-slinging against
the Dear Tom" he would have
supported four years ago for gov
ernor of all Georgia, as now unfit
to take his place and represent
lew counties IN congress.
1t really looks strange that Mr..
Crisp saw proper to pursue this
course of mud-slinging and of
an attack on his opponent
and continuing it during the i'll
ness of Mr.. Hudson, rather than
assuming the higher plane of
campaign by depending upon his
record in congress, if in fact he
has made a record sufficiently
strong to stand upon.
Let the reader draw his own
conclusions of the whole matter.
These seem to be the facts of Mr..
Crisp's own making, let the read
er reason it out. If the mud-sling-
ing had not started this article
would not have been written.
However, serious doubt is ex-
pressed if Mr.. Crisp has gained by
starting his attacks; and, in
truth, he may have become some
what besmeared with the reflex