The Washington times., 1929-07-30
MES DIETER L0PS OFF y POUNDS IN COURSE OF 18 DAYS
SHORT BALLOT
AGAIN ISSUE
IN Va.

The short ballot again looms
as i leading issue in Virginia
politics, and d. b. Barger, Of
M ontgomery, prominent
farmer and former president
of the Virginia Farm Bureau,
has taken issue with the South
ern Planter, owned by ex-Gcv.
Westmoreland Davis.
In q recent edition Of the Southern
Planter there appeared = graph
under the caption Of aThs Power Of
Virginia's Governor" with . com,
ment headed "The short Ballot"
Barger states.
An Early Advocate
Barger said that Governor Davis
was among the first in the State to
advocate the short ballot, and In his
address. delivered to the general as
seinbly. August 13. 1919. recon-
mended the appointment Of . COM
mission. on the reorganization OF
State government in Virginia be-
cause he felt that successful gov
ernment required the principles ap-
piled to successful business and he
had been informed that millions Of
dollars could be saved by simpltfi-
cation and Capitalization OF govern
ment.
Governor Davis said in his in
auguraI address. February /. 1913,
according to Barger: Government
has been aptlg likened to q great
business interest. Of which the legis-
lature IL the board Of directors. the
people are the stockholders and the
governor is general manager.
THE dividends declared by such
public adventure should be the
protection of the weak against the
strong. the education of the people,
and the conservation and develop.
ment of the resources of the State
her agricultural. commercial, indus
trial and professional life.
Statement to Press
Barger submits the following
statement to the press:
Recently a case Of forgetfulnsss
was corrected by reference to the
records, and the incident seems u
havs passed off very pleasantly.
Since then, another case Of like ma
ture has risen, and the records will
again have to be referred to in order
to correct a similar lapse of mem
ory.
at is pretty we'll known that the
dominant factor in the ownership
Of the Southern Planter IS ex.
Gov. westmoreland Davis. and We
readers OF that paper often see the
earnaarks Of it's owners feelings as
well as thought in its editorials
particularly in matters political.
The issue of July Is not only
starts out with its first editorial
condemning the so-called short bal
lot. but devotes the whole of page
IL to q graph showing The Power
Of Virginia's Governor with char
acteristicS Westmoreland comment in
the corner thereof under the cap
ton The Short Ballot
"The farmers, to who the editorial
IL directed. are given to understand
that all the little round spaces on
the chart containing the names Of
various offices were formerly cleo
tive, and that the short ballot
which the voters passed upon and
accepted as an Improvement IN
State management has robbed the
people Of their rights.
Points Out Joke
"As q member Of the committee
on Consolidation and Simplificatton
in State and local governments, no
one saw more clearly nor advocated
more strongly the necessity for the
changes which Governor Davis
criticizes than I do. If such had
not been the case, the joke on our
| former governor might have gone
by default.
1T Is not for me to say that
II il envy, jealousy, or dislike Of
the incumbent of the executive
chair that has caused our former
executive to protest 50 vigorously
against the change in our State ad-
ministration; but it Is peculiar that
he should do so at this late date,
when he advocated those changes
| as far back as 1915"