The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-20
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Willard said

met many thousand voters IN person,
and have letters from thousands Of others
plcdglng their active support. I fully
realize that exaggerated statements are
not votes. and make no extrnvagant
claims. Based on all OF tho Information
| 1 have received personally and by let
| ter, am warranted In saying that 1
will get pluralitics In the First, Third,
Sixth, Seventh and Tenth Districts, and
n large majority In tho Eighth District.
rho size Of these pluralitics can only
be conjcctured, as all depends upon tho
number Of the votes cast IN tho pri-
| mary. li'G
II will get a large vote in the Second,
Fourth and Ninth Districts, and my sup-
port In the Fifth will surprise the best
posted politicians.
"Thc plurnlities OF the other candidates
In the Second. Fourth and Ninth Dis
tricts Will be small, and n1y majority In
the Eighth will greatly exceed any ad-
verse majority In the Fifth District.
''rhe pluralities i will get In six dis
trlcts will overcome any possible plu-
ralties against me In tito other four dis
trlcts. .ll "a " +
Wherefore claim with confidence that
I Will be nominated on tho 22d Instant
Judge Mann's Reply.
Judge Mann makes tho appended
statements 75
n believe am going to be nominated
by a safe plurality. ] will carry four OF
the ten congressional districts, and viii
stand second in ench OF the other SIX
districts. which will be divided as to
first place between my opponents. In
several Of the cities and some OF tho
larger counties my friends advise NE
that Will get more votes than my COM
petitors combined ~ have spoken In
very nearly every county and many Of
the cities of the, State, and ! baac my
conclusions upon my observations and
upon reports Which have been received
at my headquarters within the last few
days from every section Of the Common
| wealth. u
II do not attribute this favorable con-
| dillon Of affairs to my own merit, but
Ito the splendid efforts OF the many loyal
| friends have made during my twenty
| five years Of party service. and to the
! the quiet but powerful Influences which
are behind the moral assure for which !
stand Then, too, my friends have been
able to urge several reasons why | should
be Enomina ted. which do not apply to
my friends who are opposing me.
First. For many years. commencing
when my competitors were yet In their
boyhood, I have served the party in
every campaig speaking wherever the
chairman thought could accomplish the
most good, and travelling always at my
own expense. NJ / have never held any
political office except my service in tho
state Senate. while they have both been
highly honored and are young enough
to walt for great ter preferment.
Second AS n boy 1t was my good
! fortune to serve the Commonwealth as
! private older in the Confederate army
MY. friends have urged that there will
probably never be another eN- Confeder-1
| ate soldier a candidate for Governor,
IND there Is a strong sentimental at,
| tachmcnt to the Confedcracy and all that
| If all virginias. There are about 260U0
Did soldiers In the state. and ! am in-
| formed that a very large percentage OF
| them will vote for me. @.t 4
Third. Ny most powerful support and
the bitterest opposition ! have ,encoun-
| tered have both come from the fact that
| 4. WIS the pal ron OF the Mann law"
| This law is an.amendment to the gem
eral revenue law. and provides that IL
| ,cnse to sell Intoxicating liquors In the
cbuntry districts having no police pros
lection shallt not be granted unless a
ma jorlty or the qualified voters favor
| the granting of the license, and 1t shall
appear thattit would not be against the
moral or material welfare Of the com
munity to establish bar-rooln at that
particular point. 4s
1t does not apply to cities towns over
500 inhabitants, or5to watering places. It
has resulted N the closing OF over 500
cross-road grogEeries; and by reason Of
the increased tax which, In connection
with The measure, was imposed on the sa-
looms which remu med. the States revenue
from liquor license is now about SLOT ,000
Per annum more than 1t was under the
cid eaw The law under which bogus
clubs have sprung up Is In no sense q
part of the "Mnnn law" and ! am, and
Railways have been, opposed to It.. Tho
criminal expenses also have been reduced,
and It is significant that there has not
been single case Of a criminal assault
on n white woman, or a single lynchlns In
the country districts Of Virginn. since
this law became effective two years aud
a half ago. have asked my opponents
In a hundred speeches wherein the law
is wrong, and I have never received q
rel ply. Mr.. Willard ~~s said that there
ought to be an appeal to the Supreme
Court. My amendment mnde no change
whatever IN the law In TIM respect
"A bitter fight was started against ME
by the liquor people rs soontas my call
diducy was announced: in fact as soon
as my name commenced to be prominently
mentioned 1t has been commended by
some that the liquor question is not an
issue In this contest and yet the same
people who mako this contention charge
that If am nominated, the whIskcy pco-
pic will desert the Democratic party. Ap-
parently they think 1t Is Mt least III, issue
! with the liquor people; aud, 1t Is, for the
saloonkeepers Of the State, almost with
out exception. are oprSsed to my nomlna-
ton. | gave to the press about two weeks
since, a circular letter issued by tho
Liquor Dealers Association Of Virginia to
It's members. which had fortunately fallen
into my hands, calling upon all their peo-
pie to qualify to Vote, and asking for con-
trIbutlons. This letter proved coneluslve-
~ that the saloonkeepers are trying to
control the Legislature. and they are
Just MS certainly trying to accomplish my
defeat. y II you doub,. It, examine your
own neighborhnod and see how they
stand They have apparently forgotten
the singing rebuke tlh'y received at tho
hands or the press and tho people when