The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-13
Formal Statement Was Made
Yesterday by Attorney Cen
eral of Intention to Run
Byrd Also In Race
Ellyson May Enter
Westmoreland Davis Another
Possibility - Fight Begun
Early May Prove Four-Cor-
nered One

John Garland Pollard. Attorney
General Of Virginia, will be candi-
date for the Democratic nomination
for Governor in the primaries of 1917.
This announcement was officially
made by Mr.. Pollard last night. in
written statement to the people of
Virginia. The statement follows:
Numerous inquiries have been re-
Iceived by me in regard to my possible
candidacy TO" Governor OF Virginia. 1t
has been impossible up 10 this time TO
answer these inquiries definitely. be-
cause l had reached no conclusion.
have now fiaaily made up my mind
that shall. at the proper time, form
ally announce my candidacy. While
make no attempt to conceal my
gratiScation that so many should think
me worthy to fill SO exalted an Office
Yet II Is matter of regret that il has
become the custom in Virginia to be-
gin 10 agitate the question as To who
snail be The next Governor before the
Governor IN Office has served out half
his term My endeavor shall be to
perform well the duties of the Office
with which the people have already
nonored me. and hope that my publ.
record viii be such as to justify the
position of those good friends who
nave already volunteered TO support
me for Governor.
Two Ayowed Candidates.
Mr. Pollard makes the second
fasowed candidate in the field. the
other being Richard f.. Byrd, United
State District Attorney, for the Veg,
ern District of Virginia. and former
speaker of the House of Delegates.
Mr., Byrd has never made formal
announcement Of his intention but Is
known TO he a candidate. J. Taylor
{ iapt5 =
Westmoreland Davis. former presi-
/ dent OF the Virginia Farmers Co.
operative and Educational Union are
prospective candidates
( when asked his intentions yester-
day Mr.. Ellyson had nothing to say.
Mr., Davis would not deny that he
will be a candidate, The announce
ment of Mr.. Pollard makes it certain
that Congressman Carter Glass will
I net he a candidate. as Mr. Pollard has
more than once let II be known thst
he would not oppose the Lynchburg
mar, Whether AIR, Glass will be a
/ candidate for the Senate In opposi :
| ton Ia senator Swanson in 1916 is
not known but his friends are urging
| HIM to do so.
| The news that Mr. Pollard would
enter the field was the cause of con-
: siderable discussion at the Capitol
yesterday among members Of the two
houses. The opinion was freely ex-
pressed that the attorney general Is a
strong man and that he will make a
good race against the field. Many
were OF the opinion that he would be
elected against all present and prob
able OPPOSITION, but there were others
/ who believed that as between Mr..
Pollard and Mr. Byrd the latter would
win. Many were anxious to know
what Mr.. Ellyson intends doing. bus
/ If there were any possessed of the ~.
( formation they did not reveal Il.
1 Interesting Fight.
| As between Mr.. Byrd and Mr..
| Pollard the fight promises to be In
teresting, but IL Mr.. Ellyson. or Mr..
Davis. or both. enter the lists the stu
alton will be complicated. Pollard,
Byrd and Ellyson all voted the State
wide prohibition ticket last year, the
former two taking the stump for the
"drys' Mr.. Byrd spoke in the South
west, while Mr.. Pollard spoke in Tide
water Virginia and in the cities. The
attorney general entered the enemies
country. delivering dozens of speeches
and when ne was sighted among the
crowd around Anti-Saloon League
| hea dauarters the night of the election
he was enthusiastically applauded.
/ As between the two candidates now
Continued on Second Page.)