Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-02-19
ANTI-SALO0N LEAGUE MEET.
The Most Enthusiastic Gathering Ever
Held South. - r.
A POWERFUL SURPRISE TO SOME.
Incidents Of Norfolk Conyenfian.

the temperance people of the State as
favoring local option and the, candidacy
OF Judge Mann in the pending guberns-
toriai campaign. AS between State
wide prohibition,and the local right of
deciding on the question of license or
no license to saloons, there is reason to
believe that majorit, of the voters of
the State will favor the latter. On that
question, Judge Mann has been frank,
consistent and logical. and his position,
taken early and earnestly maintained.
IN favor of prohibition 10 all places
where there was no police protection.
has commended itself to the approval
of conservative and thoughtful men,.
even those in the liquor traffic.
The Inference is fair that. the forth
coming campaign will be devoid of ex-
cltement and even of the ordinary in
terest incident to such contests. 1T
will simply be choice of men, and as
both candidates are men of high char
acter and unquestioned ability, and as
the following of Judge Mann is over
whelmingly greater than that of his
opponent, it would be the wise and
graceful thing for Mr.. Tucker to follow
the example of Mr.. Stuart and with
draw from the contest, and thus SPARE
the Democratic party the necessity of
holding what is clearly an unnecessary
primary. Will Mr.. Tucker measure up
to the greatness Of his opportunity
Oanville Register,
The State convention of tbe Virginia
Anti-Saloon League began. its sessions
at Norfolk last night, with large rep
resentation Of the mensrwho have been
active and influential in the anti.liouor
movement which through the medium
OF the local option law has swept over
this State and has achieved surprising
results during the last eight years. A
feature of the opening session of the
convention was the address. Of Judge
William Hodges Mann. of Nottowav.
who has. been identified with the move
ment from its inception and who is
universally known by reason of the
fact that he Is the patron of the Mann
bill regulating the sale of liquors in
rural sections. ..-,t
In the course of his address Judge
Mann thus .commends the local option
plan: ....,
+ This principle Of local option, which
permits communities to settle this great
question for themselves, has not been
slow in its operation, as results will
show. but the determination of the
question by the communities for them
selves has mads-lsw enforcement easy :,
-apd the Old Dominion. has moved, for
ward along temperance lines in, such
a way and presents today a condition
SO advanced, so solid and satisfactory,
that the the league may be proud Of its
splendid leaders, and follow with conf
dence and with unbroken front the
banner of temperance, which has never
been advanced because of clamor and
has never been held back because of
want of courage on the part of its
bearers"
Clearly, it seems to us from this par
agraph, Judge Mann prefers to cIeave
to the local option principle and fight
battles out on that line rather, than
adopt the Statewide prohibition agita-
ton. which in the judgment of many is
subversive of the Democratic principle
of local self-government and savors of
coercion by the mass. |