Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-07-12
SW0PE ANSWERS
CHENAULT LETTER
Republican Nominee for Congress
States Position Plainly On
Soldiers and Dependents


king Swope, republican candidate
for Congress at the special election
on the End day of August, who spoke
in Richmond recently to large crowd
OF voters and advocated legislation
in favor of the soldiers and their de-
pendents, received a letter from At
torney Joe P. Chenault, of this city
which was published in a recent edi-
ton OF this paper, to which Mr.. King
Swope has replied as follows:
Danville, Ky.
July 9th, 1919.
Hon. J. P. Chenault,
Atty. at Law,
Richmond, Ky.
Dear Sir:-
l have at hand your favor of the Bird
inst, and am pleased to hear from
you and glad of the opportunity to
answer your questions and will
will answer them as frankly as you
have asked them. I have been out of
the city for almost a week and that
is the reason I have not replied soon-
er.
At the time l wrote to you | did
not know you were a Democrat but
had l known l would have written tc
you just the same because as I have
said before l am not a bitter partisan
and am making my appeal to all mep
who were in the service and who be-.
lieve in beneficial legislation
for the enlisted men, ir.
respective of party affiliations.
am not abusing Democrats or any
one else but am making a clean fight
for the enlisted men who were in the
service and am advocating every
measure that will be of any benefit to
them
l can tell by the tone Of your lei,
ter that you did not hear my speech
at Richmond in which / stated that |
claim no preference, no honor and ask
no. support simply on the grounds OF
being in the army. | also stated tina,
the average officer in the army re
ceived as much and often times more
than he deserved. But ] asked the
support of all voters who believe in
the beneficial legislation ] advocate
in favor of the enlisted men. And
will ask you if you do not believe
that the enlisted men are entitled to
extra pay? If you do not believe
that some of the thousands of acres
of fertile government land should be
given in homestead grants to the men
who were in the service? If you do
not believe that the Bureau of War
Risk Insurance should be investigated
thOroly and the "swivel chair" officers
of that Department be made to come
out of the carpet?
And l will further ask you if you
noticed any of the above questions ad-
vocated in Judge Hardin's announce
ment and platform? Did you see any
mention of the soldier at all? Since
you were in the army l am surprised
to learn that you are so hostile to the
needs of the soldiers or that you
would let your political ardor so blind
you to the needs of the soldiers or
their dependents.
In answer to your second question
l will be equally frank in saying that
when the war broke out, Judge Kerr
offered his only son, who was accepted
and saw active service and Judge Kerr
never avoided, as you have stated,
single duty. On the other hand, when
the Spanish-Ameircan war broke outs
Judge Hardin was a young man like
you and like me- He had no depend
ents whatever, and altho' the young
men from all over our country offered
their services, and many gave then
lives, Judge Hardin never served
single day in the army.
N 70 4
will answer you very briefly and
frankly as follows: If my party had
been so unfortunate as to nominate a.
this time for Congress man who had
never served day in the army; who
shirked military responsibility while
OF military age; who, in his announce
ment and platform advocated nothing
for the relief of tire soldiers and their
all of which is true in the
case of Judge Hardin, and he should
be opposed by young Democrat who
had answered his country's call and
who stood for progressive and bene-
fetal legislation for the soldiers and
their dependents, / would consider it
a pleasure to vote for the young Dem
ocrat. And I furthermore believe
that the recent years and world war
have educated us to the point where
we vote for principles rather than by
1abit, local fear or dead tradition.
Trusting that / have answered you
'ully and that if you caused the let
,er you wrote me to be printed, that
you will give this answer the same
publicity exactly, same column and
,age, and do the justice Of printing it
n full and not in part, and let the let
er speak for itself.
Trusting also that / may have tho
pleasure of knowing you better and
you that I believe that you
sked me those questions from your
onscientious desire to be right, j am,
ir, Respectfully yours,
Gilt KING SWOPE.