Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-05-12
CANDIDATES MEET IN
DEBATE AT STANFORD
Congressional Aspirents In 9Th
District Talk to Voters There
About Their Views

Stanford, Which was court day in Lin
coin county. Judge Gilbert will speak
here Court Day in June, and has in
vited his two opponents to be here
also, Sc it is entirely probable that
Madison democrats may have oprCr-
tInity of hearing the three candidates
also. The Interior Journal has the
following about their meeting at
Stamford, which will be of interest
here, where all these are looking for
votes. Of course:
All three of the candidates for the
democratic nomination for Congress
spoke here yesterday afternoon, hut
the crowd that heard them was snail
and not a great deal of enthuiasm
was aroused. Hon. H. G. Skies, Of
Grab Orchard, was master Of cere-
monies and in chosen words he intro
duced each speaker. Judge Ralph Gil
bert, of Shelby, was the first to pre-
sent his cause and he did so in very
rdignifed speech of fOrty-five minutes.
He stated his position on q number OF
questions and was particularly strong
in his stand on the whisky question,
declaring that he was against the re
peal of the Volstead act. He openly
charged that his opponents were both
wet, or rather for light wines and
beer. He said that Col. Ripy has
printed on his cards the words, "Hc
can win" "What makes him think
so, 1 would like to know? askeG
Judge Gilbert. F'In Anderson cotu,-
ty there are 1,600 good Democrats
and when he ran for county attor-
ney there last August he only got
476 votes" said he. IF he can rot
win in his home county, how can he
expect to win in the eleven Of the
district?" asked the judge. He said
that he was not running Tor the Of
of the money or the honor, but thai
O fthe money or the honor, but that
he believed he could do some good
for his district and constituency and
he wants to do it.
Col Frank L. Ripy was next in
troduced. He paid q handsome trib-
ute to the late Congressman Harvey
Helm and told how he missed his
friendship as well as his companion
ship. He challenged the statement
made by Judge Gilbert concerning his
remarks about his defeat for county
attorney of Anderson, saying that
Judge Gilbert had left the impression
that the successful candidate for
county attorney of Anderson, saying
that Judge Gilbert had left the in
preston that the successful candidate
for county attorneys had gotten 1.G0p
votes to his ACT. "There were less
than 1000 votes cast in the race and
the majority against me was only 81,
he said. Explaining the reason Of his
defeat, Col. Ripy said that he had re-
turned from the service only a few
days before the primary and that ne
had no time to see the people and
that he made little OF no effort to Sc
his service for his country but that he
asked no honor5 because Of it. He
promised to redeem the district from
Republican control if given the n0min-
atom, which he was confident he would
receive. In answering Judge Gilbert's S
charge that he was "wet," Col. Ripy
said that he did not consider the wet
and dry question an issue in this cam
paign. No platform had yet been
made by the Democratic party, but
that when one was made he would
stand on it. "Should the Democratic
party at San Francisco convention
assembled declare for the repeal
of the Volstead act, 1 shall acquire;
should it endorse it, shall be with
my party. Again I insist that l DO
not deem the whisky question an is
sue in this campaign" said he.
Private George T. Davis, of Liber-
ty, was the third and last speaker
He said that his candidacy was just
two weeks old and that it was spread
ing like wildfire. Some thought on
the start that his candidacy was g
joke, but from the many who had
come to him and pledged their sup
port, he was certain that the people
had come to the conclusion that he
meant business. Private Davis made {
really good speech and that he made
some friends for himself there is M
doubt. He is ready talker anC
has a remarkably store of inforna
ton about men and matters gener
ally. He went to school with judge
Gilbert and fought in the world wa
under the same flag with Col. Ripy
and both are fine fellows and goo,
friends of his, but said he, "the for
mer is a Beckhamite and the latte
a Stanleyite, and that class of poll
ticians having been dispensed witt
at the Louisville convention, NOV
that both OF the gentlemen Withdraw