University of Virginia Library

'Right On, Right On, My Fellow Virginians!'

By JIM MASSEY

"Last night when I walked
out into the cold night air and
foreboding skies, I thought I
could hear the echoes of
George Mason saying "Right
on, right on, my fellow
Virginians..." so declared
Henry Howell newly elected
Lieutenant Governor of
Virginia and announced
candidate for Governor.

Minutes before, Howell
stood before the Capitol in
Williamsburg, Virginia, with
his wife by his side, his two
daughters in front of him, his
son Henry, Jr. (Hank) and
Governor Linwood Holton
behind him and was sworn into
the second highest political
office in the state.

The big day had come for
Howell; finally his years of
uphill fighting for the
"common man" had brought
him this office and the
prospect for the governorship
but what did this day, with all
that it meant, hold for his son
Hank?

Hank, a first-yearman at the
University has a lot to think
about these days. Asked about
his impressions, Hank,
outgoing yet introspective
stated, "I couldn't really
believe he (Howell) was Lt.
Governor until he gave his
speech after being sworn in.
For all these years with just
about everybody against him,
then to finally make it to this
office. It was hard to realize."

Hank, looking back over the
hard driving Populist message
which his father carried
throughout the state and the
crusade type campaign
organized independent of any
political party, reflected, "it
felt like a victory for all the
people who feel the system is
inadequate, who feel it isn't
working and that it must be
made better."

The "peoples" message and
peoples perspective appears to
be the main thrust of the
Howell movement. At the
victorious election night
gathering in Norfolk, then Lt.
Governor elect Howell told the
gathering "I haven't won,
You've won, This isn't my
victory, it is the people who
have won."

Photo by Jim Massey

Hank, Dad, And The Governor

What was the campaign all
about, indeed, what is the man
all about? Hank related that
his fathers belief is that "I
can't go wrong as long as I
operate from love for people."
Hank stated, "He has a faith in
people, he draws so much
energy from people. Feeling
the people's needs and
working to make this
government meet those needs
gives such a warm feeling, it
gives such strength."

"Being the type of person he
is, when somebody's
electricity is cut off or they
have trouble with their
insurance company, people
think; I'll call Henry."

Hank looked back over the
years when his father was
sparse on friends within the
Capitol and General Assembly,
bills raised by him would lose
39-1 then be presented by
some other delegate and pass.
Hank spoke with admiration
of his father's tenacity and
clam, and spoke of where one
should gain security in what he
does.

Hank said, "Our security
should come from the good.
We should latch on to that and
shouldn't be dependent on the
things that are changing. Don't
rest your security on the
temporal things."

How does Hank view his
father? Hank said, "It's very
weird and it's very good to
have a father who is always
changing, always asking why."

"What can you say when
your father can come out in
public and say things like
"Right on, right on, Virginia"?

"He's very open and always
changing," Hank asserted.
Take the way he looks at
crime. He asks why. What are
the far reaching forces
effecting this person and he
tries to change those forces.
You don't find very many
people over 40 like that."

"Looking at what he's
doing, and what the people
with him are doing, well,
'Blows Against the Empire' is
the thing that comes into my
mind", Hank said.

Hank continued, "He's
always a motivation. I look at
the time he puts in and see the
hours I am wasting. I owe to
his giving me this life I feel,
and for finding ways that I can
help people.'

About his part in the affairs
of state, Hank concluded, "I
may not be acting now, but I'm
preparing myself."