The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-06
Speakers Divided But Later
Came Together and Held
Debate As Scheduled
O'NEAL ASKED QUESTIONS :
WHICH ARE UNANSWERED
O'Neal Charges Conferences Were
Held in Montgomery at Which
Conner Was Decided on for
the Senate.

Emmett O'Neal yesterday in Birmingham
sit became noticeable that numerous
women and children wearing white rib
bons were getting on the train This
was especially true at AlbertviIIe and
Boaz. These women went through the
train, pinning ribbons on all the passen-
gers. Mang men GU our side were thus
decorated
Colonel ONeal was speaking concern
ing the incidents of his debate at Gun
tersville Monday with Judge Samuel D.
Weakley, about which reports of vastly
different natures have been made The
gentleman from Florence was seen at
! the Morris hotel and there asked for
statement
"On arriving at Gpntersville," continued
O'Neal, II gathered up my papers and
started for the scene of the intended de-
bate. En- route 1 was stopped by George
M. Rains, Col. s. T. Smith, Sheriff Lewis,
Representative Coleman and others who
informed ME that the house had been
packed with women. children, ministers
and others favoring the amendment. 1t
was said that many as 1000 men could
not secure seats. 1t was charged that for
some time the women of the entire COM
munity of Marshall had been canvassed
and urged to attend the meeting"
Colonef O'Neal here stopped to remark
that the debate was originally planned
for Decatur, and was transferred to
Guntersville on request of Judge Weak
ley
WELL" continued oNeal. I'VE walked
into the building and 1 stood before the
people | declared that as there were
thousand men on the outside who
would like to hear the debate 1t would
be better to transfer the speaking into
the open. This was objected to by John
A. Lusk and Others 1 then informed
the audience that would speak to those
on the outside. Judge Weakley agreed,
stating that he would address those on
the inside. This we did
! The audience (as was reported in an
afternoon paper to which Judge Weakley
i spoke was made up in the greater part
! of women and children. On the outside
were about 1000 men. These We're all
voters. and from the reception given mo
| l am inclined to the belief that Marshall
county will pile up an overwhelming ma
| jority against the amendment.
I'VE had joint debate, however At
O'Clock in the afternoon we met 1t
was planned TO speak near the court
house. / noticed, however, that so many
women We're gathered Immediately around
the speakers that | suggested speaking in
the middle of the crowd. There was OBJ
lection to this. However, | asked the
crowd which was the fairer plan, and
d HARRISON in no H..
de- So we got in the middle of the
vast throng and debated. | went after
the judge in hammer and tongs style. |
had the rejoinder-the last word-and was
laying it on pretty thick, attacking the
judge, his record the administration and
frustrating his defense of the amendment,
when | noticed that he had disappeared
On discovering this the debate was prac-
tically at an end When your opponent is
absent you can't say things against him
that you could were he facing you. Judge
Weakley, be 1t said in his favor, however
apologized while returning to Birming-
ham, explaining that he had to change
a shirt on account of having become
SO hot.
"On the ground that he is a candidate
for office, that he has been a public Of
| fetal, and that it is his amendment which
We are opposing, | attacked his record.
I asked him several very pointed ques-
tons, and none of them were answered
| satisfactorily.
lone of these questions was as follows:
You say that there is no politics In this
movement on the part of the pro-amend-
| ment faction. However, you are a candi-
| date for governor And l challenge you
! to deny that before submitting the bien-
| NAL session amendment to the people
there was meeting in Montgomery at
| which 1t was agreed that Conner should
mi For ha a noro
| And | challenge you to deny that before
! submitting this prohibition amendment
| to the people, there was meeting in
Montgomery at which you, Conner Fred
M. Jackson and others were present, and
| at which 1t was determined that you
! should run for governor?
Another of these questions was: Judge
| Weekley, l demand that you state to
these people whether or not you consider
| the attorney general of Alabama and his
| assistant competent men to pass upon and
| take charge of important litigation. If
| they are incompetent, they should be
| discharged If they are competent, why
| did you accept such fat fees from the
| state-the money of the people-when the
attorney general, for nothing, would and
| could have done the work as well as
| you? Why did you let your avarice
| overcome your love for the dear peo-
pie?
| Judge Weakley, you state that the sec
| ond section of the amendment Will not
| permit of a search of the home in view
| of the fact that such would be in con-
| prevention to the provisions of the inter-
| state commerce clause. Then is 1T not
| true that your proposed amendment, con-
| ficting as 1t doess with the interstate
| commerce provisions and the constitution
| of the United States, is either unconsti-'
| tutional or, it contains subtle meaning
| which is aimed at the constitutional liber-
| ties of the people? And is 1t not true,
in addition, that according to your own
argument I would be as much protected
in having whisky at my office as at
my home?
Judge Weakley did not make direct
reply to either of the questions" con-
tinued Colonel O'Neal with a great
deal of subtlety he evaded them all and
they are still unanswered
Unless there occurs a change in the
schedule today, the debate between Judge
Weakley and Colonel O'Neal, planned for
tonight in Montgomery. will be held. The
debate in Mobile, too, unless there Is
change in the schedule, will occur to-
morrow night.