The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-23
INTEREST FELT | IN ELECTIONS Prohi Question in Mary land and Virginia. FIGHT IN OLD DOMINION Anti-Saloon League Favors Local
 Option. Announced Candidates For Governor Are Opposed To Statewide Pro-
 hibition, But They Both
 Favor Local Option.
FIGHT IN OLD DOMINION
BY ALFRED J. sroFER.

BY ALFRED ,. sTOFER. Washington, Feb. 22.-(Special.)--Ai
 the nations capital lies between the
 states of Maryland and Virginia. very
 great interest is felt here in the agita- | ton the liquor question Is causing Tn l both commonwealths.
 This question has also been a live | one for several years in the~ District of Columbia. although there does not l seem now any likelihood of Congress taking any action one way or the other for some time.
 The refusal of Representative Carter Glass to become a candidate for Cover
 nor of Virginia and enter the primaries
 to be held next summer has probably
 narrowed the fight for the Democratic
 nomination down to two men-State Senator William Hodges Mann of Not
 toway county. and former Congress-
 man Henry St. George Tucker of Lex
 ington. The chances are no one else
 Will be In the race. although there is yet plenty of time and several other
 well known men are being talked of.
 If MT. Glass had come out for the
 'somination, 1t is said he would un-
 doubtedly have advocated state- wide prohibition. Messrs. Tucker and Mann
 have both announced that they are op-
 posed to that policy and that they favor local option. The recent con- vention of the Anti-Saloon League of
 Virginia at Norfolk. put itself on
 record as favoring at this time local option rather than state wide prohibi- ton. As Judge Mann is a member of
 mat organization. as he is the author of the Mann liquor law, under which local option Is operated. and as he is mighty anxious to be the next Cover nor of the Old Dominion, many Of his poiitical opponents within and without the pemocratic party are charging that deal has been arrangeds be- tween him and what some people called the Democratic machine" in vfrrInia tof which they say Senator Martin |, ene guiding spirit) whereby the Anti saloon League will agree to stand h1 the regular organization.
 The action of the Norfolk convan.,or rom ali that can be learned. is quite uispieasing to considerable faction tr the league. They insisted loudlv ,nr m statewide prohibition ard are sata to De sore and disappointed because ,bs .n'ehtion turned them down w,tbir hn Pas. IeW days reports have. reacbad are seriously thinking of con,ins ma ma. TOT statewide prohibition IT tbs. o.' It VIII De because they think they ,,,', pe apte 10 get the support of tNa ,,. men in the league ' ui.ra
 Repubs May M,x-
 DoWn In Southwest yirgip,o ,n ae several prominent Republicans os ans "no are reported to he ahxious to hop into the fight. in tba lief that they may be able to do rn .So democracy this year on account of inc liquor question. Owing to the mineraI ana other development in that part of the state many men have been made rich within the past decade. and there IS getting to he pretty strong pro- tection sentiment among the people also, and this has tended to swell inc Republican ranks out that way Re- sides. most of the settlers from the North and West who have been attract ed to Southwest Virginia on account of the opportunities to make money are Republicans. Congressman Bascom Slemp. the only Republican member of the House from Virginia, and Chairman of the Republican State Committee. is understood at this writing to think fa- vorably of the proposition to have the Republicans come out for Statewide prohibition. It Is also quite certain that he Is going to have one of the rich men from out in his section of the State put up for Governor, so that no matter what the result the election in November Is going to be one that will hot 6o os
 MT. Tucker, who is a very active man in his movements. proposes to get face to face with most of the Democrats whom he has not already met. for he has been making a campaign by pre- c!ncts for nearly year. Both he and Judge Mann have opened political head quarters in Richmond.
 The ardent advocates eof Statewide argue that as long as wines and ltouors are sold in Richmond. Nor folk Petersburg, Newport News and and can be shipped to "drv" counties. their cause Is injured Uley ,nsist that the business shall be closed out all over Virginia, and as they cam not get that from the Democrats. some of their leading men are holding out overtures to the Republicans, promising thet marty a substantial vote If they will come out for Statewide prohib- ition.
 Indications are that the fight over the liouor question will be an animat- ed one In Maryland during the neNN two years strong movement has been going on to have the Maryiaho Legislature submit the prohibition is- sue to the voters of the State. This of course Is violently opposed by most of the politicians in the city or Baltimore, regardless of political af- eItation. The distillers and brewers of Baltimore are much alarmed. A de- mand is now being made that the rep of the big city in the Leg isIat,Lre be increased for several req sons, but the people out in the coun- ties do not take to the suggestion worth a cent AS the matter lies with them the chances are the represen- tation will not be changed for some time to come if ever. Most of the counties outside of Baltimore are now "dry." The country people numerical lv outnumber the city people. The Baltimoreans complain that they have to pay more than their just share of the taxes and do not have proper rep resentation. They have been after Governor Brothers to urge In a mes sage to the Legislature that all this be changed But the Governor comes from a small town in the northern part of the State. and he Is not disposed to hearken unto the demands of the city folks He Is standing by the ru- ral folks In way that pleases them greatly.
 Baltimore distillers and brewers have A large trade in some of the Southern States, and if Maryland goes dry" all over there will be thunder to pay for these men who have so much money invested in the plants of that city
 SENATE GETS ESTIMATE