The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-04-22
1rncr MANN CANpIDATE.

UDGE MANN A CANDIDATE.
In the daily papers of the State
which were issued on last sunday
Morning. the card Of Judge Mann ap-
neared in which he formally announc-
"a himself as a cand idate for Govern
ar His platform is short and yet COM
prehensive
He declares for better schools, better
roads and such administering OF the
financial affairs Of the commonwealth
As will eventually lead 70 decrease IN
the tax rate. All that is excellent, and
no Democrat can object TO II.
On the liquor question he has this TO
say:
81 have taken my position on the
liquor question because Of what be
Heve to be the best interests OF the
people Of the commonwealth, l have
been and am now in favor Of the pas
sage and enforcement Of laws which
will so regulate the liquor traffic as
10 best conserve the moral and mater
ial interests Of the people; but be-
lieve that these laws should only be
passed when demanded by a strong
nnblic sentiment which will secure
their enforcement. The Democratic
party has by legislative enactment de-
clared such to be its policy, and the
people at the polls have approved It's
action. As the party Of intelligence
and conservatism in this State, it can
and should decide what the interests
Of the people in this aud all other re-
spects demand
And that is excellent too, for every
decent Democrat in the State would
have all our laws so written and so
executed as "to best conserve the moral
and material interests Of the people,
and if the suggestion had come from
either Ayres, Willard or Swanson,
other declared aspirants for the high
honor. and in connection with this
further statement "but 1 believe that
these laws liquor laws should only
be passed when demanded by a strong
public sentiment, which will secure
their enforcement no unfavorable
comment could have been justly made
upon them, but coming from Judge
Mann they have aroused wide spread
comment far from complimentary, and
in some cases sharp criticism. 1t is
known 20 the voters of the State that
as County Judge Of Nottoway for many
years, Judge Mann persistently and
consistently refused to grant license to
sell liquor, giving as his reason that
there was no proper place nor fit per-
son. lie was just as consistently and
just as persistently overruled by the
Circuit Judges, and while so refusing,
ali other Judges Of the State, Demo
Gratis without exception, were granting
such licenses, rs they believed and
knew that "a strong public sentiment
abroad and in the Commonwealth de-
manded that they should. Among
these Judges, so granting licenses to
sell intOxicants, was the late Judge f..
~ Watkins, Of tins county, as pure Of
soul and sanity Of spirit as ever lived
beneath the stars, and who now, as we
believe, has gone above the stars. and
with stars in his crown to live aud
reign with the Saviour he served so
faithfully aud well while on earth.
Judge Mann, then, in the discharge of
his first duties as official Of Virginia,
defied "strOng public sentiment and
continued so to do until he declined re-
election as Judge Of his county.
His next official position was that as
Senator, and he began his new career
as such by inaugurating an initial pro-
hibition fight, as he himself admitted.
These things being so We do not under
stand how he can claim that his policy
on the liquor question is that Of the
Democratic voters Of the State. Some
one may answer that he Is right and
the rest all wrong, and this can be
granted with out altering the fact that
Judge Mann is not In accord with his
party on this question, and this being
so we repeat what has been before said
In the columns Of the Herald, that his
candidacy is fraught with danger %
the party.
II four candidates contest for this
honor at a general primary, and that
seems probable, We believe that Judge
Mann would win. unless the winner is
required TO get majority Of all the
votes cast.
But the question is not TO be decided
this year and We postpone further con-
sideration until some future time, clos
ing with an extract taken from an able
editorial Of the Newport News Times
Herald, which strikes as as pertinent
and well put:
at has been our pleasure on previous
occasions 10 support Judge Mann, but
IN the campaign that is to come we
shallremain with the Democratic party
and let the prohibition party take care
Of its own candidates.
Senator Bailey is right in re-endors-
ing the time honored motto: "To the
victors belong the spoils." Any other