Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-01-12
HARDIN MAY TRY TO
STAGE COMEBACK
Debated Congressional Candidate
Wants To Try Conclusions
With King Swope Again

Much surprise, and really in
credulity, was occasioned by a
brief item in the Louisville
Times last week to the effect
that Judge Chas. A. Hardin. of
Mercer county, who was defeat
ed for Congress by King Swope
in the special election last Au-
gust, intends to try to stage a
come back" ard seek the demo-
cratic nomination again this
year. However, the report is
confirmed by the Stanford In
terror Journal, the editor of
which is Judge Hardin's Master
Commissioner in Lincoln county
and one of the closest men to
him in the state.
According to this, Judge Har-
din will endeavor to retrieve the
laurels he lost to the young Re-
publican when the special cleo
ton was held last fall, to fill the
vacancy caused by the death of
Congressman Helm Just how
he will succeed in his ambition,
will be watched with much in
terest all over the tate For it
is telling no secret, to state that
politicians nearly everywhere
nave adjudged Judge Hardin "a
dead one" politically after the
disastrous race he ran against
Swope Many predictions had
been made that he would be
succeeded as Circuit Judge in his
judicial district. 1t has been re-
called that he lost his own dis
trict, composed of the four coun-
ties of Mercer, Boyle, Garrard
and Lincoln by heavier majori-
ties than any other counties in
the entire congressional district,
with perhaps the exception of
Shelby, which "fell down" heavi-
ly, also. Political experts were
said to have picked either At
torneys Kendr1ck S. Alcorn, OF
Stanford, or Henry Jackson, of
Danville, as certain to be the
next Circuit Judge in Hardin's
district
The defeat Of the Democratic
state ticket in the recent election
by 10000 majority = construed
by many as a complete repudia-
ton for the friends or machine"
of Senator Stanley, chief among
whom is Judge Hardin-had lead
many to order flowers for the
political bier of the Mercer
county jurist and political lead
er. Should he be able to con-
found them all by making
"come-back" where other nota-
bles like Jeffries, Willard, ct al,
had failed, his triumph will be the
more impressive.
The entrance of Hardin into
the congressional race, will there
fore add, decided zest to the
contest. 1t is said to be prac-
tically certain that Hon. William
II. Shanks, Lincoln, who ran such
a smashing race for Lieutenant
Governor, will be a candidate as
will Judge Ralph Gilbert, of
Shelby. Others have been men
toned, as previously stated, in
cluding Lieut. Col. Frank Ripy, of
Anderson county, Gordon Mont
gomery, of Adair county, Charles
+. Montgomery, OF Casey county,
Joe L. Robinson, Of Garrard
county and E. B. Hoover, of
Jessamine county.
1t is hardly probable that Mad
ison will have candidate. Cir
cult Judge Shackelford, the most
available man from this county,
is certain to be renominated and
reelected Circuit Judge in this
district next year without oppo-
sition. Friends already are be-
ginning to talk of him as the
logical man for the democrats to
redeem the state with as. head of
ticket in the next governorshlp
race. Democracy will not be able
Ito find leader who
can rescue the party from its re-
cent disaster with greater ease or
prove a more formidable and
capable candidate for governor,
in every way, say friends OF
Judge Shackelford SO it is
highly probable that he will not
be permitted to enter the con-
gressional stakes, but will be re-
served for a greater service for
his party in 1923.
AS far as the republican con-
lgressional nomination is concern
ed there will be nothing to it
but King Swope, the "boy Won
lder" who handed Judge Hardin
such a solar plexus blow last
August. Swope is in high favor
with his party. The big leaders