The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-22
JOINT DEBATES ARE
 STILL UP IN AR
Shapiro and Rice Cannot
 Get Together
BEDDOW TO BOWMAN
Only Question to Be Settled Between Them Is the Division of Time. No Letters Between Long
 and Burr

lhe CloSlnB nlSnt or the lOcal option campaign seems to be hanging fire, and the final arrangement is somewhat in doubt. It has been stated that in ad- dition to the debate between Colonel Bowman and Chairman Beddow, which is practically assured, other meetings between the opposing factions would take place, participated in by Isadore Shapiro and Charles E. Rice and Bor- den Burr and Tom Long. Mir. Shapiro challenged MT. Rice to a joint debate, which he declined on the grounds that his duties as secretary of the Saloon Opposition league demanded his full att
 tention and suggested that Borden Burr
 take his place. MT. Burr has not re-
 ceived any challenge and is ready to
 meet MT. Shapiro at the time and place suggested in the following correspon- dence:
 Birmingham, Ala. August 21, 1911. MT. Isadore Shapiro. Legal Adviser, Local Option Campaign Committee. Dear Slr-Your letter of the 18th instant, inviting me to meet you Wednesday night in joint discussion was not received by me until yester- day and this is my first opportunity to reply. As stated by you, At the election on the 24th inst, we are to de- eide, first, whether the county shall be legally wet or dry. Second, if 1t be legally wet then whether intoxicants are to be sold through the dispensary or through the open saloon.' Your invitation confines the discus sion to the second proposition. which, in my opinion will be a mooted one, because the people have already made up their minds to vote dry. Don't you think you are rather late? We have
 had a standing challenge for your speakers to meet us on the stump. You refused because, as your chair man stated, Tt is the custom of the
 weak to challenge the. strong Evil dently the strong have now become the weak, and the weak strong, since
 at the last hour some of your speak
 CTS are issuing challenges.
 "On August IA, less than a week ago, we respectfully asked from you a
 division of time at meeting which | you invited us to attend and hear some plain English about us, and you re- piled using the following language
 This campaign on the part of the | local optionists Is being conducted on lofty plane. You have proven your selves utterly devoid of decency and
 fair play and wholly incapable of con lining your harangue to the issues Because of. your demonstrated incapa-
 oility to be fair and decent, cannot
 consider favorably your request Have you so soon changed your mind l Have we moved up to your decent plane or have you fallen down to ours? Have you descended from your lofty plane and
 become welded to hysteria? Your mental | operations change too swiftly for any one
 to ever take you seriously. My work as secretary is too crowded and too i'm aortant for me to give myself the per sonal satisfaction of meeting you; but | if your ideas about joint discussion do not change again in the next few hours and you are willing to debate the full fs-
 sues in the case, that Is, the question of
 whether wet or dry, and if wet whether dspensary or saloons, and will secure fl oI1f your chairman a letter of credit, MT Burr will arrange to be present and dis
 cuss the issues with you.
 we would suggest that invitation be cx tended to ladies as well as to gentle men to attend. The seating capacity of the Orpheum is quite large, and we differ
 with you as to your importance being suf-
 folently great to justify a crowded house os men only.
 Please let us have your reply at once Very truly yours,
 CHARLES E. RICE, Secretary" Shapiro'a Answer
 | Mir Shapiro promptly sent the following answer:
 August 21, 1911.
 MT Charles E. Rice, Secretary Saloon Opposition League, City:
 Dear Sir-I have yours of even date You state that the people have al- ready made up their minds to vote dry | and yet you wish to discuss proposition which Is so definitely decided! This is | characteristic prohibition logic. Isn't your de sire to debate this first proposition a silent though eloquent admission Of the fact that the people have not made up | tleir minds as thoroughly as you would | have me believer. Does not the advocacy | of the dispensary by the dry leaders
 admit their political weakness? If con- | tinuation of the present system of prohi-
 hilton Is the best solution of the situa- | ton, why should you advocate the es- 1 tat lishment of dispensary? If you have
 enough strength to carry the county dry why should you even breathe the word l 'd'spensary? Are your supporters, who have already made up their minds to
 vote dry as fickle and changeable as | I am?
 "I regret exceedingly that your duties as secretarv are so onerous and that | yo,,r side has so much more work to per- lforn-although you have already won CD
 that you are prevented from accomn,o- dating me. Since the people have already
 made up their minds to vote dry what i, more is there for you to do? Can't you | accommodate me? Are you afraid that my mental operations change too swiftly l, MT. Tom l.. Long, I understand, has invited Mir. Burr to joint discusslon This eliminates MT. Burr insotnr as l am concerned.
 4 "In order to accommodate tou l will !! adhere to your proposition of discussing ! the two issues on the terms contained in my previous communication.
 ! Although the seating capacity Of the I Orpheum is quite large you have most or
 the voters with you. have you not. So'
 why not accommodate our people? Why
 should you desire to pack the theatre Nith
 non-voters? entertain the highest esti-
 nation for the ladies. but this is prob
 lem to be determined by men only. Voters,
 not ladies, are to be convinced.
 | Awaiting further communication. I am
 your very truly, ISADORE SHAPIRO"
 Rice Sends Reply
 l Mir Rice replied as follows:
 | August 21, 1911. "Mr. Isadore Shapiro. City:
 { Dear Sir-I am just in receipt of your
 letter of the 21st inst, In reply to mine