Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-05-15
BADLY BEATEN.

feat of Senator Hardwck, assigning
entirely logical and accurate reasons.
1t has been only few days since
The News took that definite position
but it must be apparent now to any
unprecedented observer of political in
dications and conditions n Georgia that
The News is merely summarizing the
actual state of affairs.
Hardwick is beaten, badly beaten
It is doubtful if he will carry half
dozen counties. Indeed, The Times
Recorder will not be surprised If he
fails to carry a single county.
Nowhere in this state is there any
Hardwick sentiment-nowhere at all,
unless it be in some of the provinces
of Prussia.
The former "Hardwick men" are
now missing When the roll is called,
they do not answer
There is not a single public man in
Georgia who defends Hardwick.
There is not a single newspaper in
Georgia which is supporting him.
There is not single Hardwick club,
not even in his own county. For that
matter, the leading citizens of Wash
ington county indignantly repudiate
suggestion that the county will vote
for Hardwick
There is not a single volunteer
speaker for Hardwick.
There are none to praise him, no
one to defend him, while there are
thousands who denounce him for his
conduct which they have ranked as
disloyalty.
Was there ever an office-holder in
Georgia, to say nothing of a United
States Senator from this state, whose
very name became reproach? Has
any citizen of this state ever received
such a huge measure of public con-
tempt?
1t is really remarkable, when you
come to think of it, that a man occu-
rying the high Office that Hardwick
does should be in such desperate
straits at home, among his own peo-
pie.
Why, it were folly to attempt to de-
fend the mans record. The man who
is known as "a Hardwick man"-and
there are few with the temerity to
brave the name-is Immediately look
ed upon with something akin to sus-
piston, and is pointed out as a citizen
not wholly in sympathy with his gov
eminent.
Talk of Hardwick sentiment-there
is none! Not even in the rural dis
tricts,> to which Hardwick has deliber-
ately made his appeal-an appeal
which is in reality an insult to the very
people whose friendly regard he pro-
fesses to have-not even "out in the
country" is there any Hardwick talk
There may have been once upon
time, but there is none now.
The farmers have learned more
about Hardwick and his despicable
record. They have learned more about
the war They have sons at the front.
They themselves are feeling the pinch
of the times. They know that we are
in this war up to our necks, and that
we must fight to swim ashore. And
they know that anyone who obstructs
the work necessary for the carrying
on of the war is, in effect, traitor to
the best interests of the nation.
The farmers have also learned that
it is as unpopular as it is unpatriotic
to "he FOR Hardwick," and they are
not for him, except, perhaps, in iso-
lated instances.
Hardwick is beaten, badly beaten
If he should fail to continue his
campaign and practically retire from
the race, we would not be bit sur
prised. For it is going to be danger
Gus for Hardwick, or for any man, to
pursue the course he has started, and
he is bound to realize it ere long, just
as he is certain to awake to the fact