The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-15
Outlines to Hearers the Plat
form Upon Which He Is
Making Campaign
PURE ELECTION LAWS
STATES GREAT NEED
Candidate for Attorney Gener-
alship VIII Go to Covington
Today---Rest of Itinerary
Not Yet Arranged
Especial to The Richmond virginian. J

ttSpecial to The Richmond Firginian.)
LOUISA, VA. July l5.--John Gar
land Pollard, opening a ten-day
experimenting campaign here. today
addressed good crowd in the coun-
" courthouse in the interest of his
candidacy for the attorney general
ship. The candidate wore his usual
genial smile, made a good speech,
which was delivered in a pleasing
manner, and held the close attention
OF his audience.
Mr.. Pollard jumped from here to-
night to Covington. where he speaks
tomorrow. The rest of his itinerary
has not teen announced
The Great Need.
Mr.. Pollard. among other things.
said.
Il am not dgsgruntled office
seeker, nor a disappointed politician
/ received without exception the few
political honors Ia which i have
aspired. / have no political enemies
70 punish. no political debts TO pay.
come before you as n Democrat. not
running on an abstract political creed,
but with a definite program of justice
and right. ! represent no faction. un-
less. indeed ! may be called Il fac
tionaiist because | have always ear
nestly and actively supported those
men and measures which seemed to
me to be for the best interest OF the
State. love the Democratic party.
Since reaching my majority l have
never failed to contribute Of my time
and means TO the advancement OF Its
interests.
have always thought that the
welfare Of Virginia could be best
served by and through the Demo
cratic party. and though often treated
as an alien ard stranger by the su-
thorities OF my party. l have never
bottled or sulked- nor given my party
anything less than my loyal support.
have not in the past ever attempted
20 conceal my position either as TO
mes or measures. and now that am
4 candidate for office. cannot with
proper self respect fail 10 tell the
people where I stand. 1t IL true that
the office of attorney general has no
legislative functions, but the people
have a right to know something OF
the opinions OF their candidates on
the issues of the day.
For Pure Election Laws.
consider the first and most fun
damental need Of the State to be a
thorough publication of her general
and primary election laws. The good
Of the State and the preservation Of
the party demand that our election
laws be put above suspicion. 1t is a
significant fact that today hundreds OF
good and loyal Democrats IN Norfolk
are refusing to 20 into the primary
because they know that in recent cleo
tons they have been so miserabiy de-
frAuded by ballot~box suffers and
thieves, made bold by deficient cleo
ton laws which legislature after leg
tel fui ted n rpn1e1y In the
recent Young Maynard contest in
Norfolk il was shown that hundreds
OF dead men were voted. Such con-
dttion of affairs no honest man can
tolerate or condone.
1t Is true that no election law, how
ever strong. can ever prevent occar
eional fraud. but mere casual ex-
animation of our election laws will
show that they invite fraud These
laws. though changed in recent years,
are in their essence relics of recon-
struction days. and now that the ne
gro liz eliminated from politics we, to
put II mildly. have simply forgotten
70 change the character OF our cleo
Sion laws,
The Real Enemies.
1t Is not fair that the men who ex-
pose these conditions should be called
malconsents, nor that they should be
/. charged with advertising the short
comings of their State. The real ene-
mics of Virginia are those who su-
pinely rest under such conditions and
seek to cast slurs on those who dare
protest. The people OF Virginia are
honest. They want square deal at
the ballot box, and l do not hesitate
to say that II l am elected attorney
general OF virginia snail iet no strict
Cohstructloh OF the duties OF the once
prevent me from suskeseins ana au :
vocaung ana using the inhuence OF
tne once 10 promote measures which
X VAL MAKE eHectiVe me VIII Q! tne
peopie. IN my OPINION there Is no
the violation Of the sanctty OF the