The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-30
STAGE IS READY FOR
POLITICAL CAMPAIGN
With All Candidates Announced. Con-
tests VIII Open Up in
short Time.
WAR MAY DETR\CT INTEREST
GubcrnatoTiaI Candidates Have Busy
Headquarters Here--Contest for
Officc of Public Instruction Believed
VIII Be Center of Fight.

With the announcement by Car
ence II. Erner. the newly appointed
treasurer of the state. that he VIII
not run to succeed himself IN the
August primary, the entrance OF sem
ator John X. Saunders. of MfddleseN,
In the race for the office of attorney
general and the failure of quorum
at the called meeting of the state
Democratic committee indicating, IT Is
said, that there Will not he state
convention before Lne primary, the
numerous candidates and their friends
/ have now settled down for strenuous
campaigning until the eve Of August
) I. There are fifteen candidates IN the
race for state positions, only one OF
whom is unopposed that being Com
missioner George W. koiner, of the
department of agriculture.
( Just what effect the war Will have
on the warmth OF the political con
tests and the interest shown in them
! by the voters are questions answered
! variously by Observers. While the
majority OF the people have been
slow in realizing the extent OF the
demand on this country for partici-
patton In the great war, interest in
things military viii grow as the IN
tensity Of the political campaign in
creases. which may prevent the latter
thought that it is declared they de-
mand. The warning has been sent
out that, while war is admittedly the
absorbing interest OF the day the
very condition of the Countrys affairs
should bring every voter to the polls.
While the war Will doubtless divert
much of the popular mind from the
contests, which will make the fights
less bitter on account of the absence
- = 49, -
veters will exercise their suffrage
with greater care and be guided more
by patriotism than partisanship in
selecting their candidate.
/ While the three Cornered guberna-
torial fight is the most important. it
| is declared that the contest for the
/ superintendency Of public instruction
will be the center OF all warmth
shown in the campaign. Here the
| two candidates, r. G. Stearnes, the
present incumbent, and Harris Hart
OF Roanoke, will lock horns for the
capture OF an office in which it has
been charged that politics plays q
large part in its administration. Not
! withstanoing the assertions of his OPP
ponents Mr. Stearnes is busy with
the affairs Of his office. more occupied
by the demands upon him than en-
gagged in waging campaign. He
I stands on his record IL Ia said, asd
he invites the public scrutiny.
The three candidates for governor
are strongly entrenched in their
headquarters here. Great activity Is
shown in their operations, and all OF
them have corps Of clerks engaged
in handling the increasing work Of
the campaign. Westmoreland Davis
the Loudoun candidate. has offices in
the building of the Southern Planter.
but he will move this week to Muir
phys Hotel. ]. Taylor EHyson has
his offices in the Mutual building, and
John Garland Pollard is working out
his campaign from offices in the Lyric
building.
The entire list of candidates for
state positions IS as follows:
+ -Westmoreland Davis. OF
Ioudoun; J. Taylor Ellyson and John
Garland Pollard. OF Richmond.
Lieutenant governor rank &
Buchanan. Of Smyth, and Martin Will
liams. OF Giles.
State reasurer-Charles A. John
son. Radford, and A. O. Burks Buena
Vista
Secretary of the commonwealth
B. .. James, Phil +. Brown, OF Blue
Ridge Springs. and ], II. c. Grasty. of
Stanton.
Attorney general--John r. Saun-
ders. OF Middlesey, and Hugh A.
White, Of Rockhridge.
Secretary of agricuture--Geo Gorge
w. koiner, of Augusta.
superintendent of public instruc-
iuon-~R. c. stearnes, Roanoke, and
Harris Hart, Roanoke.