The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-02
DEBATE IN PRATTVILLE.

Prattville, Oct 1-(SpeciaI. )-There was a joint debate on the Constitu- tional Amendment at the court house in this city last night between Oscar Lewis. of Tuskegee, and Kyle B. Price, of Elba.
 The meeting was called to order at o'clock by the selection of H. E. Gip- son. as Chairman. and the time for the speeches was divided by allowing MT . Lewis one hour for his opening speech, when he would be followed by MT Price in a speech of one hour and twcn- ty minutes, and Mir. Lewis would then occupy twenty minutes in replying.
 MT. Gipson opened the meeting by briefly stating it's object, and in a few words introduced MT. Lewis.
 Mir Lewis prefaced hIs remarks by calling attention to the seriousness of the question of allowing the amend ment to be placed in the Constitution and stated that the people were arous- ed over the question as never before. The movement, he said, was purely po- litical in its nature; conceived in in- iquity and pushed in unfairness.
 He called attention to the fact that there were many voters of the State who had failed to pay their poll taxes They did not expect an election this year and had not paid poll tax. The Legislature was plead with to allow the people more time in which to pre- pare to vote on so important a measure but this was refused and a special election was called in order to dis franchise the many voters in Alabama who had slept on their rights.
 It would have been far better, he said if the money to be expended In holding this election had been used in building a tuberculosis sanitarium which was a crying need in the State
 He read the Amendment. and stated that if the first section was all there was to it he would not be found op- posing it. But the first section was mere blind to cover what followed He referred to the balance of the Amendment and dwelt at length upon the clause in reference to storing H. quors.
 He had read an article by Hon. Flu gene Ballard in a recent issue of The Prattville Progress, and stated that MT Ballard had perverted the meaning of the law in this article. and he gave a practical illustration of the definition of prima facie evidence.
 The possession of liquor, except ir ones own home. made him liable tC indictment and the grand jury would be derelict in duty if it failed to in- dict
 He thought that Brooks Lawrence whom he characterized as "carpet- bagger from Ohio," should first try his reform methods on his own State. Ohio he said, could not. under It's laws. li- cense liquor dealers. but taxed them and possibly MT. Lawrence would like to see what money that was spent for whiskey from Alabama go to Ohio.
 He read a list of the prohibited H. quors under the present Iaws, and said all were included, except ''pot-liquor, and supposed this would be included if the amendment carried. The amend ment people he'd excluded liquor from every place but the home, and now wanted to exclude 1t from there' but the defeat of the amendment would prevent them from doing 1t.
 Mir. Price followed MT. Lewis and took issue with him on many of the points he advanced, His talk was fine temperance argument He argued 1T favor of the amendment, but his speeel was more devoted to condemnation oi liquor than to anything else.
 There were about 400 present to heai the speeches. and booth speakers were 1 applauded vocferously