wWfJ!'fffWWli'PflPftk -
lili
w$
KlV't
.' " 4":'H- ' ri
m i,
ll I 1
16
The Commoner
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 51
?('
h:
i
i'
wj -o
i
II
it -t
1
''
r
Mi
' '.
HI 1 ) iit
iiF. .fl
r .."
--, ' r
-. t 3 .
Sw '
Kansas New Democratic Governor
Topoka dispatch to tho St. Louis
Republic: "This will bo tho winter
of our discontent," was tho comment
" of State Republican Chairman J. N.
Dolley when the state canvassing
board finally declared Senator
; George H. Hodges elected governor
by a plurality of 29 votes over
Arthur Capper,- the republican con
testant. For twenty-five days tho citizens
, of the state waited for a decision of
i the canvassing board. The Capper
attorneys wont into tho supremo
court and fought determinedly
against tho issuance of a certificate
of election to Senator Hodges.
Tho stato was raked as with a
fine-tooth comb for errors that
would overturn the democratic ma
jority. But the greater the search
lor tneso votes the more assured
, were the democratic leaders that the
Hodges majority, at first fixod at 31,
would stand. In all the three weeks
of litigation and quibbling tho Cap
per forces wore able to cut Hodges
lead down two votes.
Senator Hodges is the second
democratic governor tho state has
elected in its fifty years of history.
Thirty years ago George W. Glick
was elected over John P. St. John,
who was running for a' third term.
Johnson county, the home of Governor-elect
Hodges, now claims the
title of "mothers of governors."
Tteally this title can be given to the
town of Olathe, which is the home
of former Governor St. John and
Govornor-olect Hodges, as it also is
ihe birthplace of Governor Herbert
Hadley of Missouri and Governor
Brady of Idaho.
Governor-elect and Mrs. Hodges
will not be strangers to Topeka so
ciety when they come to occupy tho
executive mansion in January. Mr.
Hodges has served eight years in the
stato senate, and his interesting
wife has made many visits here dur
ing the sessions of the legislature.
Mrs. Hodges will preside over the
destinies of the mansion with that
charming grace and ease that will
make every visitor feel at home.
Mrs. Hodges is tho type of woman
Who knows how to IioId her hiiRhnnrf
and whose gracious manner with his
supporters only strengthens the ties
of friendship.
"I wasn't born in Kansas, but I
didn't miss it very much," Governor
elect Hodges said. He was talking
about his boyhood experiences at
Olathe when the little village seemed
far out on tho edge of the world.
He was just three years old when
his father and mother and a brother
and sister landed at Olathe from
Richland county, Wisconsin.
It was an August day that Mother
Hodges will never forget. Just as
tne iamlly were- removing their
household effects from a covored
wagon, in which they had traveled
from Wisconsin, a great, black pall
crept over the world. It was a total
eclipse of the sun.
A few years later tho father died
- and Mother Hodges was left alone
. with her two little boys as her sole
. support. "I knew George and Frank
would bo equal to the emergency,"
she said, "for even in their childhood
they thought only of how they could
help me and make my burdens
easier. I think there is no other
comfort in the world so sweet to a
mother as to know that her boys
have been good to her and have
lived honorable and useful lives. And
every mother who loves her boy will
agree with me, I know."
Governor-elect Hodges began life
as a herder of the town cows. With
his brother Frank they herded forty
cows belonging to Olathe citizens
during several cummers. They wero
paid $1 a month for herding each
cow. Early in tho morning thoy
would round up the herd and drive
them out to the big prairies sur
rounding Olathe and thoro watch
them as faithful shepherds until
nightfall. In a little basket thoy
carried their luncheon, which they
ate under the welcome shade of a
bunch of willows which grew near a
spring.
Mother Hodges grew reminiscent
and talked about tho distinguishing
characteristics of tho next governor
of Kansas. "Ho was a bundle of
energy and ambition," sho said. "I
think he was the most energetic boy
I over knew, and during his whole
life ho has been busy and doing
things.
"Ho was always the first one of
tho family up in the morning and he
was on the go until bedtime.
Naturally, a boy as full of life and
energy as George possesses did many
things that called from me at times
severe roprimand and punishment.
But he learned to know that this was
not a pleasant task for me.
"Frequently when I would promise
to punish him for some infraction of
my rules he would literally laugh me
out of the idea, and, like a reindeer,
would scamper off and say to mo,
'Come on, mother, and catch me.'
Of course, I couldn't catch the little
rascal and didn't try to.
"Soon, when he knew I was all
over my temporary 'mad spell,' he
would slip around and climb upon
my knee, put his arms aTound my
neck and kiss me and tell me how
much he loved me. On every such
occasion, as many other mothers will
recall, he would promise me that he
would always be a good boy."
When George and Frank Hodges
wero large enough to earn wages
they learned the trade of lathing and
became experts at this business.
They nailed the laths on scores of
houses in Johnson county, and hardly
a week passes that some farmer who
has lived there for a third of a cen
tury or more does not come into the
lumber yard office and remind them
of the time when they nailed the
laths on his home.
The Hodges Brothers own nine
lumber yards in Johnson county.
Their yards and office at Olathe,
which are fireproof, are reputed to
bo the finest in the world.
Governor-elect Hodges established
his first lumber yard at Olathe with
borrowed capital. He had been
manager of a yard there, and one
day he decided to go into business
for himself. He had no money, and
during his life he had steadfastly ad
hered to his mother's advice not to
go into debt for anything. But he
decided once to break this rule,
which proved to be the beginning of
a splendid business ,,career.
He went to the local banker who
had known him from childhood and
asked him for a loan of $2,500. The
money was forthcoming, and a stock
of lumber was purchased and George
opened his yard. Things wero dis
couraging on tho start, for during
the first three weeks the total re
ceipts of the yard were only 25
cents. But the young man stuck to
it, and later his brother joined him
and today they are the leading lum
ber merchants of the state. Their
business averages more than a quar
ter of a million dollars annually.
While he was struggling to got a
start in the world, Governor-elect
Hodges became ah expert accountant
and bookkeeper. A few weeks after
his father died this friendless boy
purchased a set of bookkeeping and
studied it at night until he could
"run up" a column of figures as
quickly as any man in Kansas. He
also purchased some copy-books, and
in the old home at night he practiced
writing, and within three months be
came one of the best penmen in
Johnson county.
Governor Hodges is in the truest
sense of tho word a self-made man.
Ho did not neglect his education,
but, as is the case of hundreds of the
strong men of the country, the prac
tical benefits he derived came from
the school of hard knocks in carving
out a name and a place for himself
in the business and political affairs
of the state.
MMKfXtt
WhVSb
MODEL 1912
Hammerless Repeating Shotgun
20 GAUGE TAKE-DOWN
This new Winchester is the lightest, strongest and
handsomest repeating shotgun on the market. It
weighs only Stf pounds, yet it has great strength,
because its metal parts throughout are made of
nickel steel. In grace " of outline, and perfection
of 'detail and finish, it is unapproached by
repeating guns of other makes. It
i3 a two-part Take Down, without
loose parts, is simple to operate, and
its action works with an ease and
smoothness unknown in guns of
othermakes. See one at your dealer's.
Send postal to Winchester Repealing
Arms Co., New Haven, Conn, for circular
A 20 Gauge Indeed
Mr. Bryan's Books
The following books are a careful selection of the best things
from Mr. Bryan's writings and speeches. These books are all well
printed on good paper, bound in dainty, artistic style, and will be
thoroughly appreciated as gift books, or will make welcome addi
tions to the home library.
A Tale of Two Conventions
Mr. Bryan's own accounts of the conventions at Chicacro and Balti
more, as prepared for a syndicate of newspapers are There arefullv
revised. Added to these are notable speeches made In those inventions7
including those by Mr. Bryan himself, tho last being- his "Valedictory
An outline of tho convention which nominated Mr Roosevelt Is i also
given, with his speech of acceptance and that of Mr Will and com?
Si l iVf, r Party Platforms,0 an ihtroductionbaS.
PHcae?'n OOptpaidf CU"ent newsPaer cartoons, etc. 12mo. Cloth.
Mr. Bryan's Selected Speeches
M? Bn'8nmSJtaSotobi? 2Sr2?ont f(rm' ?.hoSe two volumes present
The Signs of the Times
The Fruits of the Tree
Confe1? EdinTuSrgdlfllFcrotfand' "MnF,0 Missionary
very dainty and 1 acceptable SmSi?,0 Xh 1910,' TnIs bok makes a
Board covers, illumfned with hLViSrt 2m,0' bound In beautiful Art
cents, postpaid handsome design in full gilt. Price, 50
Make All Remittances Pnhl Ani
Address Orders to THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
zjJ!St?.. . r .fjft?v. vh .tMteagaflifcKfaaL. m Lhu3Mt.
Ittn.