The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-18
BDOU IS CROWDED
 ID HEAR SPEAKERS Shapiro and ElkOurie Are
 Given Great Reception OTHER BRIEF TALKS.
Former Congressman Howard, Tom Long of Jasper and P. G. Bow man Are Called Upon By
 the Chairman

One of the most remarkable outpour- ings of the citizenship of Jefferson coun- ty was that at the Bijou last night, when a crowd that taxed the capacity of the large theatre to it's utmost assembled to hear Isadore Shapiro and Dr. H. A. El- kourie answer the criticisms made by the opposition league on these two gen. temen.
 The meeting was a. representative one and enthusiastic to a marked degree. On the stage were a number of well known citizens of the county, Including Frank P Glass, Ben Leader, J. W. Alt man, J. V. Allen, Tom L. Long. Dr. w. F. Black, M. M. Ullman, Andy Marx, John Antwlne, w. l.. Cline, J. H. F. Mosely, F. J. staley, G. M. Taylor, R. A. Brown. J. L. Hefln, T. 1T. Joy, Victor Torina, w. M. Lohman, Sam Gurino. R. D. CeffInan, Turner Weakley, John Woods. Fergus W. Mccarthy. and many others.
 The meeting was presided over by Victor H. Hanson. MT. Hanson in his introductory remarks said he was glad to have the opportunity to preside over such splendid gathering of the citizen- ship of Jefferson county.
 He referred to the importance of the present campaign and said he was glad < to sec such large crowd assembled to do justice to two men who had been | Mingled out as special objects of attack by the opposition.
 In referring to Governor ONeal and his appointments he read the statement ha had uft cQ X to the excise commission of Jefferson Ncounty and said he felt assured that the Governors statement was entirely satis Factory. He said the question at issue was one that meant great deal to Birmingham's prosperity and that In the event the local option cause was victor ious on the 24th of August, Birmingham would experience a boom such as has never been felt in the history of the town. He stated that two zealous and faithful workers for local option had been attacked by the opposition on the grounds that they were foreigners, and introduced Dr. Elkourie as the first speaker.
 Greeted With Applause
 pr. Elkourie was greeted with great
 
 fled and manly address, which captured the crowd and held It's close attention. He paid a fine tribute to southern chivalry and southern manhood and said that influenced by these associations and in- spiriatons, he had endeavored to earn the endearing and coveted title of a south sern gentlenan.s He referred to the oppo- sition selecting him as an object of attact and said while they might engage in lan- der he would use moderation. Let them preach strife.' he said, T will espouse the cause of harmony. Let them declare enmity and intolerance, I will advocate peace and brotherly love ,;s "The issue in this campaign is neither me nor is it the champion of the opposi- tion. If the opposition desires so 10 con vert it. am more than willing, for do declare before Almighty God and in your , prdesence that my moral character being measured by theirs I will have no cause ito be humiliated. The issue, gentlemen in this fight Is whether or not we shah allow the present system of blind tigsrsm to prevail or to eliminate it and put in its place legalized or regulated salo on" Dr. Elkourie then went into the issue at length and exposed the weakness of the position taken by the oppostionists Tn speaking of the old-tme saloons and the present system of blind tigers he said he would rather see men drunk by the thousands than to have the soul Of one innocent girl destroyed by the conta,n- mating influences of the blind tiger. He said morals might be instilled by persua- sion, but never by legislation. He refer red to the fact that until the advent of prohibition the sale of liquor was con- nned to men, but now women and chill dren were engaged in the traffic.
 He then referred to the dispensary sys- tenn now being advocated by the oppos- tion, and said it was not suited to m in- dustrial community like this. He closed his address with a strong appeal to the voters of Jefferson county to vote out inc blind tiger and vote for a well resula-ed saloon. At the close of his address he was given loud and prolonged applause.
 Shapiro Introduced
 Mir Shapiro was introduced by MT. Hanson as the Foreigner from Jeffer- son county" The applause that greeted him lasted several minutes. He opened his address by thanking the audience for its generous welcome. Mir. Shapiro made a Splendid speech. free from per sonalities or abuse. He referred with much feeling to the intolerance shown by the opposition. He was frequently interrupted by cheering and applause In the course of his eloquent and logi- cal address. He said in part:
 I entered this campaign--to borrow the words of Lincoln--'with malace to- wards none, with charity for all, with hrmness in the right as God gives us to see the right And so long as there is lie in my body, so long as God grants me voice. that voice will al. ways be lifted in the advocacy and de- fense of what I consider right and just I stand before you tonight, my friends, as the son of an aged mother, as brother, as lover of his fellow. man, as one solicitous of all humanity, advocating the abolition of blind tiger ism and the restoration of the open, regulated saloon because I honestly and sincerely believe that 1t would best snbserve the welfare of the manhood and the womanhood of this county.
 "I know that some of your expected to hear red hot speech, and are dis appointed. It was decided by the cam paign committee tlfat this campaign, on our side, was to be conducted on a lofty plane, free from denunciation and vituperation. This wise course will be pursued to, the end of the fight. Victories have never been won by de- nunciation> I believe in presenting the merits or my cause, instead of attack ing the dcmerits of the personnel of the opposition.
 Prohibition. my friends, has made liquor more easy to procure It has sunk the moral tone of this community It has wrecked our manhood degraded our WOmanhoOd, and caused state of