The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-14
TUCKER OUTLINES VIEWS
FAVOR|NC LOCAL OPTION
From Moral, Social and
Political Standpoint.
FOR LOCAL sELF-GovERN,iENT
Principles Involved, He Says, Are
Embedded in Virginia Institutions.
Local Option Not Invented To De-
termine Liquor Question.

Public men in Virginia arc rapidly
indicating their position on the prohi-
bition question which Is to be voted on
At the polls throughout the State on
September - Attorney General John
Garland Pollard has just returned from
tour OF speechnakins in the interests
of state wide prohibition. Harry st
George Tucker, former member OF
! congress and candidate for Governor
IN the Democratic primaries against
Governor William Hodges Mann. has
written to Judge George l.. Christian
the following statement of his views
supporting local option:
! Judge George L. Christian, Chairman:
My Dear Judge.-I am In receipt OF
your letter of July 80 asking for my
views on the pending election i'll the
| state involving the adoption or re-
lection by the people Of the enabling
act
had thought my views were so we'll
known on this subject that am a little
candidate for governor four years
ago before the people Of this State |
expressed my opinion in every speech
made throughout the State in favor
OF the local option principle. and as
against Statewide prohibition | came
to that view very deliberately, and
| Indeed. time has only strengthened
my conclusion that il is the Correct and
sound view. whether considered from
moral political or social standpoint
ment by which the government is
brought close 10 the people and gives
To each voter the maximum of power In
the administration of the affairs Of
the government. Is one which encour-
ages individual responsibility and en-
larEes the powers of the people. II a
law is proposed to the people of Nir-
sinia. supposnr there arc 100000
voters in the state. each mans vote
Is u unit and has power to influence the
result as one in 10000. If it be n
/ ia er ~ & M 10
which an election is held. and there
are l,5o0 voters III the county. his
power TO influence the election is as
one to l.5oc. If the question Is one in
which maEiStcrial district or town Is
involved in which there arc 500 voters.
the Potentially of his vote is one 10
800. The nearer home the question
comes. the greater power the voter has
Now. IL must be admitted by all that
the people are most Interested In those
concerns which come nearest to their
homes. and where the home is affected
the neaNr home the question comes.
the greater influence should be given
questions Of county administration
which interest only the people or one
county come nearer TO the people OF
that county than those which affect All
the people Of the state. so the influencc
of the voter is greater In the county
election than In the state election, and
which arise in a magistcrial district are
stu nearer To each citizen OF that dis
trict than even the county affairs so in
voting upon such matters his influence
! is Increased In the proportion indica ted
above.
The result is mos, wise. IL is not n
modern principle. II is NOT a principle
invented for the determination OF the
liquor question. IL Is Il principle ms old
as the Anglo Saxon race from which
wc sprung. Embedded in its institutions
as a bulwark of liberty aud II defense
against tyranny \ great many people
Continued On Sixth Page)