Over the years, Henry Howell has often seemed a

Over the years, Henry Howell has often seemed a lonely man struggling against conventional ways for what he felt best for Virginia. Strangely enough, history has proven that he was generally foresighted and right. And today he is the right man at the right time to be elected Virginia’s Governor.

The essential reason for Henry Howell’s election is the need for a specific shakeup in the established order of Virginia’s politics. We are and will remain highly fortunate to have in the existing Virginia balance of power both Senator Harry F. Byrd, Jr., in Washington and a strong conservative legislature in Richmond. But a healthy system of checks and balances in this triangle calls for change now to an “outsider” such as Mr. Howell in the Governorship. Republican John Dalton is a first rate person. His time for Governor is not now.

Long before it became fashionable, Mr. Howell was talking about human rights. He fought a lonely battle in the General Assembly to insure that all of Virginia’s children, black and white, received an equal education. He has fought to assure that every citizen of the state had the opportunity to vote. He has fought excessive electric and phone rate increases in the interests of Virginia consumers.

But his commitment to a major shift of government authority from the state to local jurisdictions is Mr. Howell’s most important position in this .election, and most distinguishes him from his Republican opponent, John H. Dalton. This shift is something that Rappahannock county needs. Our Board of Supervisors should be relieved of many of the restrictions that our state laws place against them. Mr. Howell correctly points out that Virginia state government demands that localities accept responsibility for many programs, but has given them no