The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-28
LONG CHALLENGES SEED ID DEBATE Fight Growing Warm in
 Lauderdale ELECTION IS OCT. p Seed Says He Is in Hands of Prohibition Committee and Must Let Them Answer Longs
 Challenge
ELECTION IS OCT. 25


 committee of Landerdale county, and un- til I confer with that committee l cannot accept the challenge of MT. Long.
 To this effect spoke Lieutenant Gov ernor Walter D. Seed, who spent yes terday in Birmingham. MT. Seed Is en route to Lauderdale, where bitter fight is waging between the prohbitionists and the local optionists. Tom l.. Long or Jasper, who also is going to participate in the Lauderdale fight, has challenged MT. Seed to series of debates. As to wheth.r or not this challenge is ac- cepted dep, .cs on the action of the pro- hibltion committee. as explained in the statement of the lieutenant governor.
 The fight in Landerdale is destined, politicians aver, to be the btterest of all others which nave been waged in Alabama this year on the advisabilty of the repudiation of prohibition. As Lauderdale is the home county of Gov ernor ONeal, the prohibitionis!s seem determined to make the fight as stren- uous as possible, their belief being, it is said that in case they can preserve Lauderdale in the column of the prohi bitionists they w.. have given Cover nor ONeal a keen rebuke., To this end they are preparing to move their ava.- anche of stump speakers. Judge $. D Weakley, who is also native of Lauder dale, has already made speech in that county, and it is reported that he will | remain. on that scene until the fight Is | over. Lieutenant Governor Walter D. Seed is en route and will spend several days in the county. Congressman Rich mond P. Hobson, who recently partici- pated in the battle over statutory pro- hibtion in Maine, has returned to Ala bama, and he announced at the Hillman yesterday that he would go to Lauderdale this week.
 Stallings Speaks Saturday
 Tom l.. Long, the well known local optonist, will leave Birmingham this aft ernoon for Florence, and he will make several speeches throughout that county. Jesse Stallings has accepted an invita- ton to speak at barbecue near Flor ence Saturday, and it may happen that he will be persuaded to remain for long while on the battlefield. The under standing is that Governor O'Neal will go to Florence. his home, Monday, and that he will watch the scrimmage closely. As to whether or not other local optionists will participate in the Landerdale con- troversy remains to be seen.
 The Lauderdale fight will not only be spe ctacular and bitter, but it will be one of the shortest of all which have or 1. Iofn nf the election is October 5, just one week from the present time. The county is normally dry and politicians believe that the prohibitionis,s have an advan- ge at the present time. They declare that while the vote will probably be very close, the anti-saloouists should win on the form displayed today. But that a trick might be turned to swing the county into the local option column is admitted ana expected The local optonists are going into the county confident of winning, though the odds seem against them. Each faction has a strong committee in the field and the fight is at the present time waxing warmly, though it has not as yet reached the spectacular or sensa- tional stage.
 Long Explains Challenge
 MT. Long, who was at the Morris yes terday, said: "I have challenged Mi- Seed for series of debates. l am go- ing into the county to make a fight, and will speak before, with. or after Seed rest assured. I refraned from issuing challenge to Judge Weakley. appre- ciatng the fact that he would decline I met him once in Oakman, during the fight against. the constitutional prohibi- tion amendment. In the morning we had a debate. There was another scheduled for night. In the afternoon, however, he notified me that he would speak, but would not debate. As the people had come together to hear an argument and not an address, notified the judge that un- less he would divide time with me, I would ask my friends not to hear him. Immediately after Judge Weakley had opened his address I Interrupted, telling the audience what had occurred, and re- questing every man, woman and child to retire. An audience of SIX individuals was left behind. On account of these reasons I knew that Weakley would refuse to meet me in Lauderdale. Therefore, l is- sre ed my challenge to Seed. I hope he will accept, as there is hardly doubt but that the prohibltionists are earnestly in favor of the people hearing both sides or this interesting and important contro- versy."
 
 Marriage Licenses Issued