The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-28
CALM BEFORE THE STORM Is THE
WAY THE PRESENT sITIA-
TIoN LOOKS TO SOME.
KING TO OPEN HERE
Will ESTABLISH HEADaJ ARTERs
f~ FEW DANs--Two QUESTIONS
PROMINENT IN CAMPAIGN
ron THE HOUSE.

The almost oppressive quietuess
which has characterized the campaign
fer state Offices in Virginia up 10
date PROMISES 10 he broken shortly
4sith the springlng Of few surprises
there is opposition 70 only two OF the
lncurahenls these being Attorney Gen
e~al Williams and Commtssi oner of
Agriculture koiner, but these four men
re expected 70 make things rather
llvelx i'm the state beginning in a
snort white
Floyd King 81 CLIFTON Forge. who
IA seeking the job Of Attorney General
Williams viii open headquarters in
Richmond the last part Of this week
or early next week. At present ne
is ENGAGED in court IN Allegheny coun-
* h8f Adjournment IN expected by
MAJ 4th. AZ the latest, at which time
Mr.. King viii rome 70 Richmond and
open headquarters IN Murphy hotel
He is planning also TO establish head
quarters ln Norfolk and Lynchbnrg
and probably in Roanoke, re Is al
ready nj work in Clifton Forge.
Williams at Work.
ATTORNEY General Williams has ai-
ready begun his campaign and IS al
shfs time out Of the city on business
incidentally putting ia few EcEs for
himself The attorncY-genera has
promised his friends that ne VIII stir
things at the proper time. hut when
asked reported charges that he had
been quoted as saying shrdleutnoal
been quoted az having prepared he
refused to discuss the matter.
J. Thompson Brown OF Bedford
county. who Is opposing Commissions
Of Agriculture koiner, is hard at work
re has not established headquarters
as vet but viii do go here shortly
His friends are active throughout the
state Saturday at Newport News 9
Thompson Brown club was organized
the first in the State TO he formed foi
any candidate ia the field. Here, too
their are hits Of lively times, but al
the work to date has been Of tht
gum shoe variety.
Interest in politics this year cen
ters largely in the local elections fol
the house OF delegates. Two questions
Of the highest importance have beer
injected into many of these campaigns
They are the liquor question and tbs
matter of tax reform,
The Liquor Question.
The Jordan enabling act. providins
for the subn1issio to the people oi
fhe question of prohibition, was de-
fested two wears ago in the senate. ar
ter having passed the house OF deIe'
gates by an overwhelming majority
There Will be no election OF senators
this year. all OF them holding over
hut the prohibition forces will moi
MAI, until the terms Of these men ex-
pire to renew their fight. Acting upon
the plan agreed upon at the Roanoks
convention in February efforts viii oe
made to increase the already heaNs
majority for the enabling act In tbs
house in order to impress the senate
with the sentiment in the State in it'
favor and later, Just before the gen
III
who voted against the bill two years
ago will be deluged with petitions from
their respective districts. In the mean
time, the night will be waged in those
house districts in which the wet
delegates have opposition.
AS live an issue as the liquor cues
ton Ia that of tax reform. This ques-
ton has been given more than usua
prominence this year through the eff
forts Of State Auditor C.. Lee Moore
10 enforce the law. Grand turies have
summoned witnesses, many OF them
for the first time to. 10 qutzz thoss
believed to have handed in returns fol
assessment far below the true Valua
ton of the property to be assessed
and many thousands of dollars pave
been added to the-State treasury n
a consequence
Ineuuity of the System lately.
The searchlight, however, has beer
shifted from the evasion of taxes Il
the matter Of the inequality of assess
uaents and the tangled state of TIT
laws on taxation Seventy counties
in Virginia draw more out of the Stat
treasury that they turn in, thus throw
ing the burden upon the other thirt,
and upon the cities. the latter o
which pay the greater part of all th'
taxes paid into the State treasury
hui more stress is laid upon the fac
that individuals, wherever they MAJ
live. are compelled to pay double tax
alton in many instances and that thu
laws are SO loosely drawn that the!
are easily evsded. Moreover 1t Il
charged the State ternpts TO evasion
BY the injustice Of the system, o.
rather lack of system.
Accordingly, more attention Is be
ing paid TO the tax question this yea
than ever before and numerous can
dldates have announced their candi
8acies for nomination on a platform
containing plans for reform and prac
tIcaIly every candidate has expressed
himself tn favor OF some kind @
change In the laws The fee system
also. IL involved 10 a greater exten
than ever. and declarations for and
against chiefly against. the system
are made by numerous candidates.