The age-herald., 1898-03-24
 CHA,S B. POWELL REPLIES To MT Senn's Letter Declining to
 Enter Inc Joint Debate. QUESTIONS SENN'S RECORD In the Last Democratic Primaries-Says Prac- tee Has Placed the Contest in the
 Domain of Partisan Politics.

Charles B. Powell, candidate for associate judge e the city court last night furnished The Age-Herald with the following cepy of a letter addressed to Char,es A. Senn one of his opponents in reply to the letter of MT. Senn declining to enter into joint debate on the question of the advocacy of the free coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to l."
 MT. Charles A. Senn, Birmingham, Ala.
 Dear Sir: I have read your reply to my request for jo5nt debate in today's Age Herald You put your refusal on the ground that there ''Seems'' to be no issue between us for discussion, and you appear to be satisfied with the statement of your belief in the free coiange of silver at the ratio of 16 to l.
 You do not deny that at the last demo- cratic primary you voted for gold stand ard' candidates for the legislature and state senate, and that too at a time when a United States senator was to be elected. The city precinct in which you cast your vote in the democratic primary of 1896 South Highlands) was equally divided be- tween Porter, the gold standard candidate. and Cunningham the free silver candidate for the state senate, neither obtaining majority, the vote standing 130 to 13O. If you had cast your vote for the free silver candidate for state senator he would have carried your home precinct by two maJorl- ty. If you had usen your influence for hiIn no doubt the majority would have been larger At any rate, your vote would have added another precinct to the free silver column.
 If you at that time contended for the free coinage of silver at 16 to l, why did
 reIot tixra fI q fnC xxh n believed in the free coinage of silver at l6 to T.? That would have been the most di- rect way for you as Q voter to have se- cured legislation restoring the free coinage of silver as the legislature of that year elected a United States senator.
 "Your vote was an active endeavor to elect a gold standard United States sena- tor. There is no issue of fact between us. You do not deny that you voted for gold standard candidate for the state senate and for gold standard candidates Tor the legislature.
 Notwithstanding the fact that you have refused a public discussion, l snail con tinue to insist that your claim to have al- ways contended for the free coinage or gold and silver at the ratio Of l6 10 IS not sustained by your votes, In the last primary. I wished to discuss the matter publicly because l felt that the clrcuiars sent out by your friends privately were likely to leave the impression that you had always voted with us in our efforts to restore the free coinage of silver to us constitutional place in our laws. As you make no claim to have always voted for free coinage candidates the people can readily determine as to whether you are a consistent advocate of the free coinage or silver at the ratio of 16 to l. and your as sertion or mine will weigh very little in the matter, as they are at best the mere expression of opinion.
 aI realize that the office to which we . both aspire is a high judicial office, but un- der our laws 1t is made elective, and the democratic party has invariably made nominations for It's judicial candidates Neither of us can take this contest out of the domain of partisan politics. The law and party practice have placed 1t there We owe duty to the voters of the county ;, to be perfectly frank with them, and tell them how we have voted in the party pri- maries, for the gold standard or Tree coinage candidates.
 .oThis will enable them to determine the question as to whether you have always been in harmony with the democratic plat form. iouis 'otS