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to^jS6 all they can to'help you boys, and win'the war, but it seems that we ^ust can
not malce enough'twine, try as hard as we may, but j-'ou may rest assured that we are
behind you 100^, and will continue to be of any assistance possible to you,
t
Wc have been having some mi^ty hot weather here for the past ten days, so you
can imagine how the boys are swarming on the Hoover Rail, talkjjig politics and play
ing checkers. You are really lucky if you can get a seat,
' As I was raised in South Carolina, the way politics are’run in this State puzzles
me, as no campaigh meetings are he3.d, while in my home State, we make a great deal of
this. We select certain places in the county for the speech making, and along about
the first of August the candidates start out. Generally a large grove is selected in
which is erected a stand, on which all of the candidates are seated, and each one makes
a speech as he is introduced by the chairman of that particular meeting. About noon
the meeting adjourns for lunch, of which the local citizens have prepared an abundance,
consisting of barbecue, hash, coffee find bread, and it is all free. If you have never
tasted such a meal you have missed a lotw 'Besides that the good women of the commun
ity prepare great baskets of fried chicken, fried haixi, pickles, cpkos, pies and aDl
the oLher good things you can think of, which they spread on a cloth under the trees
for their family and friends, and lucky is the man who is invited to partalce, as the,
memory of that meal will linger with him a long time. Of course some of the boys
drink the water that warms them up sli^tly, and they shout lustily for their favor
ite candidates. That brings on arguments, and an occasional fight, just to enliven
the occasion, and at times the candidates call each other names, and have a fight on
the stand* It is all done in the excitement of the moment, and nothing but fists are
used, so no one really gets very badly hurt, and a good time is had by all. All go
home in the late afternoon, tired but happy. This gives the people of the vicinity
a chance to have a picnic, and spend the day with friends, and gives the people a
chance to see the candidates, and hear their platforms; I would love to go to another
gxDod old campaign meeting, as they are great occasions,
• Times bring changes, as you know, and familiar faces w ill be missing when you re
turn, not the least of which will be that of Shelton Feemster yho died last week,
Shelt was loved by all who knev; him, white and colored, and was a good citizen in
every sense of the word, as well as a most faithful servant. No one ever asked him
for a favor he did not do it if it were possible, and he filled any and all missions
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