Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-02-25
CHALLENGE TO
JUDGE MANN
The NOttaXay Candidate Is Asked to
Define His Position on Prohibition
Legislation if Enacted.

Richmond, Va, Feb. 22.-If elected
Governor, will Mr.. Tucker or Judge
Mann sign or veto Statewide prohibi-
tion bill if the next Legislature passes
such a measure?
That question, from present political
indications, promises to become one of
the most far-reachlng factors in the
gubernatorial race in Virginia The
Richmond Times-Dispatch, The News
Leader, and the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
have, in their editorial columns, pro-
pounded the question to the candidates,
and neither have yet answered. 1t is
recalled that both candidates stand
squarely on the local option platform.
Following the editorials in other news
papers, discussing the question, the
Richmond Journal, which is supporting
Tucker, comes out in long editorial,
and challenges Judge Mann to state
just what he will do with prohibition
measure, if one is presented him by the
Legislature for his action. The Jour
nsls editorial also discusses Judge
Mann's public and war record without
gloves
The challenge to Judge Mann to clear
the political atmosphere as to how he
stands on the prohibition question is as
follows:
The Journal will not insult the intel
ligence of it's readers by saying that
Judge Mann is the friend of the Anti
| Saloon Taoc,,,a ~, . he f-;ovJ . 8 H. n.
ocratic State organization (which in the
past has taken in the saloon element
He may eventually declare himself for
one or the other of these antagonistic
organizations. Al the present time he
is straddling.
$50 thoroughly convinced is the Jour
nal that Judge Mann is evading the issue
that it does not hesitate to challenge
him to declare whether or not, in the
event of his election, he will use his in
huence for Statewide prohibition, or
agree to sign a bill carrying such a
measure into effect. If Judge Mann
chooses to regard this as a challenge
land we sincerely hope that he will, we
trust that we shall haye his answer
without undue delay. We do not think
that he can we'll postpone his answer
much longer.
ITO come right down to the real, un-
vanished fact, the situation is this-and
any man who chooses to make q little
inquiry ON his own initiative must agree
with us:
The Anti Saloon League leaders be-
lieve that the election of Judge Mann
would place in the Governors chair a
champion whowould side with them when
the great issue of Statewide prohibition
comes before him in the form of bill
for his signature.
ION the other hand, the liquor forces
believe that the Democratic State or
ganization will be able, when the time
comes, to ward off any extreme legisla-
tion looking to the abolition of the liquor
traffic in Virginia as Statewide propo-
sition.
Here are the alternatives. Either
the Anti-Saloon League people will, if
Mann is elected Governor, press for
Statewide prohibition, and knock into a
cooked hat the hopes of the saloon
crowd; or the saloon people, through the
Democratic organization, will knock IL
to cooked hat the hopes of those mem
bers of the Anti-Saloon League who
trust in Judge Mann.
Judge Mann will give neither side a
definite answer. Why?"