The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-30

4 -
stantiaIly In the following form. To
his excellency, the governor OF Vir-
| ginia The undersigned petitioners.
J each OF whom hereby declare that he
/ is a qualified voter OF the State OF
| Virginia and that he has not within
the past ninety days signed any other
similar petition. hereby petition your
excellency to call State election,
etc
Section of the act makes il the
! duty of secretary of the Common
wealth to certify to the governor the
fact that the number Of voters of
the State required by this act have
petitioned for an election under this
act accompanied by a statement show
ing the number so certified to have
thus pctitioned. and the total num-
Der of votes cast at the last preceding
regular election.
After discussing at some length
these provisions of the law the at
torney general concludes:
'5For the above reasons. I am con-
strained to hold, therefore. that only
those voters who were qualified voters
of the State at the regular election in
November, 1913, in this State for gem
era1 State officers should be allowed to
sign said petitions"
There is nothing sn the law which
prohibits man who had voted or
was qualified to'vote in the November,
1913 election in the State of Virginia
outside of the city of Richmond from
signing a petition in the city of Rich
mond In number of instances. not
fully understanding that their names
could not be reported to the clerk OF
the court except in their respective
counties qualified voters Ct the State
of Virginia signed the petitions in
Richmond along with Richmond
voters.
Such petitioners in some ins hnces
can vote in Richmond by procuring
transfers from their former places OF
residence where they had paid their
poll taxes, and in others, can vote IN
their respective counties.
For instance, r. G. Beazley ana
Charles w. Henley are voters In HEN
rico and Hanover counties, respective
Iy. J. s. Baker needs only transfer
from Charlottesville. as also Is the
case Of ]. F. Rihble, formerly OF Pc
tersburg AS an illustration of the
tnaccuracv Of the Local Self-Govern-
rnent articles 1t can be emphasized
that the %ano ~ II, Ename" given In
the News Leader as one of twenty
four persons who had illegally signed
the petition" shoNld have been j. H.
Evans. q qualified voter in Clay ward
of this city. These illustrations could
be multiplied from the case az hand.
In connection with the Local Self
Government articles In their wet or
gans. II is insisted that the issue Is
betwee local option and Statewide pro-
hibition, the Statewiders being desig-
mated "anti-,ocal optionists." This is
also in keeping with the cuttiefsh
policy Of those who are 'of inestima
BILE aid" to the liquor dealers of the
State, for they are not ignorant OF
the fact as contained in the enabling
act that the issue is not between local
option and Statewide prohibition. but
FOR Statewide prohihition''-or against
liquor--and against Statewide prohi-
bition"-for liquor,
Another Illuminating statement
taken from the Journal Ia ms follows:
1T is believed that in great
many of the country districts the pro-
portion Of names of nonvoters is
greater than has been found in Rich
mond. In many cases pastors OF
country churches had the petitions,
and though they seem to be cutting
their eye-teeth in politics. 1t Is prob
ably true that most of them have
little acquaintance with who In and
who is not actually voter, and who
have little realization of the import
10 strictly comply with technicalities
of law. In other words 1t is entirely
probable that the petitions were open
ed to signatures without much in
vestigation on the part of the petition
holders or signers, owing to eagernessa
to get as many pames as possible In
order to make an impressive show
ing"
Thus the great bulk Of the true and
nj ,yf ,;r,s l9yfGi9a of the
headquarters of the Local Self-Gov-
eminent associat.on-"the inestimable
aiders'' Of the liquor traffic--are held
up TO the scorn and ridicule of the
State by those astute directors of the
Of the said association,
hut this Is merely in keeping with
the methods OF the said association IN
beclouding issues and bei.ttling all
opposed to their protege, the whiskey