Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-07-26
PRIVATE CHENAULT
TO CAPT, SWOpE
Man In Ranks Tells Officer He
Sees No Reason Why He
Should Support Him.

The correspondence between City
Attorney J. P. Chenault- t-who was
Private Chenault in the war-and
Capt. King Swope, republican candi-
date for congress, is reaching an in
teresting stage as the congressional
race draws to a close. "Private"
Chenault doesn't seem the slightest
! convinced that he should support
Capt. Swope and says SO in frank
manner in his reply to Capt. Swope's
letter. Mr.. Chenault wrote as fol-
lows:
y Richmond, Ky.
rA7 July 26, 1919. I
Hon King Swope, 4
Republican Candidate for Congress,
Eighth Congressional District,
Danville, Ky.
In view of the fact in your answer
to my letter of the 3rd you asked me
some questions, ! deem it proper to
reply thereto.
did hear part of your speech here
at Richmond and did hear you make
the statement that you did not claim
preference or support solely on the
ground of having been in the army,
but later / scrutinized one of your
posters with your picture, in uniform,
and the catch-phrase emblazoned
thereon "Stand by the soldier they
stood by you." Still later received
your letter asking that / support you
solely on the ground that we had both
been in the service, and felt justified
in putting the construction which ]
did on your representations.
/ was elected and am now serving
as City Attorney of Richmond by the
Democratic party, and l was surpris-
ed at being ask to desert my party
nominee and vote for the nominee of
another party, solely because the
other party's nominee happened to
have served-along with over 3,000,-
900 others in the United States
Army.
l asked you If you would vote for a
democrat against Judge Kerr, solely
because the democrat had been a
soldier, because l knew that Judge
Kerr is your friend, (as Judge Hardin
is mine) and because l thought the
two properly comparable for devotion
and loyalty to country, who had given
unstimtedly of their time, labor and
money during our Country's time OF
trial.
( You reply by stating that Judge
Hardin did not go to the Spanish
American War, that he shirked mill
tary duty then and for that reason
he should not be supported. You do
not state what Judge Hardin's age
was at that time-you do not state
whether or not Judge Kerr went to
war at that time-and you do not state
whether or not you would vote for 2
Democratic, who had been soldier,
against Judge Kerr! This is the first
time ever heard Of this question be-
ing raised on candidate-it is as
novel as your idea that all enlisted
men should vote for any candidate
who has been Captain.
You state in your letter that you
are surprised to learn since ! was in
the army that l am so hostile to the
needs of the soldiers. Where did you
learn that? You could not in reason
deduce that conclusion from my let
ter as l said nothing in anyway de-
rogatory to soldiers or their needs.
do believe that enlisted men are
entitled 10 extra pay-having been
one myself, that is but natural--but
i am not ready to admit that your
election to Congress would in any
wise increase our chances of getting
any such extra pay.
know that the Democratic party
has consistently advocated every kind
of beneficial legislation for soldiers,
and know personally Judge Hardin's
attitude in this connection, and know
that he will advocate and support any
and all reasonable measures favorable
to enlisted men. And / take it to be- a
reasonable inference that he will be
more effective champion of our
cause than you would be--at least
we have his record of public life and
service from which to draw our con-
clusions as to his ability and effect |
iveness. @
AS to the Bureau of War Risk In
surance only know that / was paid
in full, and that my wife received
her allotments. in full. have no
brief for or against that Bureau |
Frankly, i do not feel that the
mere fact alone that man happens
to have been a Captain in the Army
is sufficient, guaranty of his quail
fication to represent the Eighth Dis
trict in Congress. There are a great
many other questions which natural
ly present themselves kind of |
an officer was he? What did he do
for Tor to!) enlisted men while he
y 4. 4. \