The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-10-26
HODGES SEEKING
FARMER Governor
SAYS TIME HAS, COME TO DOWN
THE "OLD LINERS" AND TO
ELECT MEN TO OFFICE WHO
WILL GIVE ALL A JUST AND
FAIR DEAL.
Editor The Press and Banner:


lima, do you possibly realize the bur-
dens of responsibility that we are
face to face with for the next year
and for years to come? Shall we
meet them as brave men under the
leadership of the great God Of ma
tions or shall we become disgruntled'
discouraged, demoralized and give up
and surrender 20 evil forces and in
f1uences?\I don't believe a word OF
. it. Such is not the history of our peo-
pie.
1t seems that in every grave and
disastrous crisis that the farmer is
the under-dog and is the great bur-
den bearer. He has toiled like a
slave. has had to stint his women
and children almost to the starvation
point and in a great many instances
his children have been reared IN
gross ignorance. No greater sacrifices
were ever made by the serfs of Rus
sia than by our farm women and chill
dren, and yet as individuals without
organization we have achieved Won
ders. After every disaster we have
come back and gone to heights never
dreamed of, but to say that the agri-
cultural people of this state are sat-
ished with their condition would be
stating an untruth; so my fellow
farmer herein lies our great respon-
.sisAity. ....-
We are face to face with an eco
ncmic breakdown, and the eyes of
the>state are turned towards the till
er of the soil. The farmer today IS
regarded as the bulwark of the state
as has always been the case; but he
is without the sympathy and appre-
citation that he should have and this
is because he has failed to organize
and demand his rights. The schem-
ing politician doesn't want the far
mers organized in the farmers be-
half but if he can. get the farmer
torn to pieces to further his cause
he is satisfied. No doubt the farming
class has been frightfully discrimi-
mated against in taxation. There
comes time when every thing the
farmer produces fails to make him
I any profit and there is nothing with
which to pay taxes with; yet a great
proportion of the profit producing
class escapes taxes entirely but the
farmer never escapes his.
The question that the farmers
have got to ask themselves is, can
and will the old line politician, wheth-
er in the general assembly or as gov
ernor, make any attempt to. change
these conditions? I think not; hence
the imperative necessity Of cleaning
out the old liners and putting in a
farmer as Governor and a general
assembly of farmers and business
men who would give all the people a
just and fair deal, without strife and
contention as has so often character
lied political affairs in South Caro-
Zine before.
Who can measure the responsible
ty of the old staid farmer as from
day to day he goes over the hills and
through the valleys communing with
natures god?
Our minds look into next years
campaign and we shudder, we stand
aghast, our blood runs cold, because
we see the vile demagogue politician
with the tongue of serpent, with
lying slander upon his lips sowing
discord, enmity and hatred all over
South Carolina. A devil lncarnate.
We see the evidences of very strong
probability of dragging the prohibi-
tion or liquor question into the next
campaign. My fellow countrymen
did you know that the bootleggers
and the illicit distillers could and
would raise 100000 or more if nee
essary to elect liquor governor OF
this State? There is no doubt of it
and do you believe there is man
in South Carolina who would be gov.
ernor on such a platform if he
could? I do. Not in the campaign
would he avow himself liquor can