Lexington dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1917-1919, 1918-08-21

To the Voters of the Ith Congress
3sional District:
Owing to the fact that the cam
paign throughout the District has not
enabled US to reach more than a
small percentage of the voters, / am
taking this opportunity of presenting
to the voters, of this District a synop-
sis Of the platform upon which have
been nlaking5 the campaign, so that
the people can understand clearly my
position upon certain questions which
are vital at this moment.
AS to the War Issue-I regard the
winning Of the war, and pressing it
to a successful: conclusion at the ear
liest moment possible, to be the most
vital Of ali questions. The serious
ness and fearfuiness of the conflict is
shown by the following facts. The
first three years of the war, up to
August 1, 1917. cost in human life:
Soldiers lost and killed
Allied Powers 4,337,OO0
Central Powers 2,667, 200
permanently disabled)
Allied Powers 3,1S3,oe0
Central Powers 1,936,0o0
Total amount soldiers killed or per-
manently disabled, 1928. 900. About
-four million men have been killed or
disabled for life each year on all sides.
Up to August /. 1918. from reports,
there will be about four million men
more killed and disabled. At this
rate, the man power Of the world is
being decreased at the rate Of four
million per year: - A.. ::iw !
The cost in money is shown by
the following facts: The last Con
gress appropriated twenty=one billion
dollars for carrying on this war and
other expenses Of Government, and in
an Congresses of the U. S. from 1871
to 1917. a period Of f26 years, there
was appropriated only twenty-siX bill
lion dollars for all wars and expenses
OF Government during tina. time.
When We contemplate the cost OF 1u-
man life and money that this warts
exacting Of the human race, we must
realize how important and essential
it is that the sooner it is pressed to
successful conclusion, the better for
all mankind. I have, therefore, ur-
campaign that the people of this coun
try should economic and conserve
all Of the resources Of the country pos
sible, cutting out for the time being,
the luxuries and pleasures of life,
get themselves down to actual living
expenses, and lend to the Government
at this critical moment in order that
we might successfully finance this
struggle to a victorious conclusion.
Public Highways and Drains. There
are millions Of dollars expended upon
dredging rivers that could be more
profitably expended on building high
ways, especially at this time. with
permanent cantonments established
in South Carolina, and other states,
great highways should connect these
up in way that would aid the mill
tary powers in easily moving from
one place TO another without any
great cost and expense to the Govern
ment, and at the same time, the indi-
vidual citizen would be benefited by
these internal improvements. The
Government is also expending about
ten million dollars annually in irrigat-
ing the arid lands of the West, 50 as
to bring them under cultivation. I
believe the Government with equal
consistency could spend millions of
dollars in draining the low lands of
the South. as it is far cheaper to drain
the low lands Of the South than it is
to irrigate the arid lands of the West.
The most fertile lands of the South
are the low lands, and not only would
drainage transform the low lands, es-
pecially Of Orangeburg, Richland,
Lee and Sumter Counties into rich
harvest fields, but ii would add very
materially to the health Of the Soutn
to have these low lands drained by
the Government
State Rights and individual Right
must be. preserved. have taken the
position in the campaign that while
we arc Welding UP state rights to the