The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-16
Thinks Alabar
Willing to Del
Suffrage View
is NOT YET Toe
TOCHANGE III
Heflin Says the Sweet an,
Women of Alabama DO Not y
to Vote'-Statement Issued
in Washington

Washington April 15- Cspeeian-s Repre-.
sentative Hehn today gave out his state-
rnent in reply to that OF Representative
IIobson. Captain Hobsou had declined to
debate the question Of woman suffrage
before Alabama voters with Mr.. Heafn
unless Mr. Helm announced himself
candidate for the Senate
Mr.. Helm expresses his surprise at
Hobson's refusal nasmueh as he had al
ready stated on the floor OF the house thar
he was willing. Here is Mr. Heflins stafe4
ment in full:
Il was surprised to read in the press
OF Alabama MIR. uobsons statement that
he would decline to meet me ia joint
debate in Alabama and discuss woman's
suffrage. On the first day of March. l
announced on the floor Of the House that
would challenge my colleague from Ala
bama who favored womans suffrage to
meet me in joint debate and discuss that
subject. | meant Mr. Hobson. and he
evidently understood me to mean him, for
on the same occasion In reply to me he
said Mr.. Speaker, my friend from Ala
bama intimates that he Is going to chal-
lenge me to meet him | will be glad
TO meet him. | do not know whether it
will be on the hustings in Alabama or ON
the floor of this House.
Again, he said in the same speech. 4
have convictions on the subject (meanlng
woman's suffrage). II is one of the great
progressive evolutionary questions Of our
age
Change of Attitude
| 1T does seem a little strange that Mr.
Hobson would declare on the floor Of the
House his intention to meet me in Joint
debate either in Washington or in Ala
bama and discuss womans suffraFe a
| subject that he terms one OF the great
questions Of our age, and question about
! which he declared that lie had convic-
tons, and uien month later declare
In he pubiie press Of Alabama that he
would not meet me to discuss woman's
suffrage before the people OF Alabanla
unless | should become candidate for
the United States Senate
| Mr.. Hobson doubtless knows that [
have said that | am not a candidate for
| the United States Senate When de-
termined to challenge Mr. Hobson TO dis
cuss with me the question of womans
suffrage in Alabama, | did not do so be-
cause he was candidate for the United
States Senate. did SO because of his
position on that public question, and nay
desire to discuss that public question
with the man from Alabama who had
taken such bold and conspicuous stand
on question that | oppose sincerely IT
Mr. Hobson has convictions upon this
subject and he declares that he has he
ought to be willing to give an account
OF the faith that Is in him, at least to the
people to whom he is looking for election
a biph OfTipa n Ifpifq1 "a
tor, and he might come down from the
lofty altitude of his senatorial candidacy
just once TO have discussion with an
humble democratic colleague who con-
demns his position on woman suffrage
believes II 10 be against the best inter-
ests of the people of the state. and de-
cares that it cannot be defended before
the people of Alabama
No Desire to Iniure Captain
"He suggests that II may be that |
want 10 inject myself into his campaign
to iniure him and that he does not know
whether this is done from my own promp-
tings on at the instance of enemies thai
seek his defeat, / have no desire to
injure and the brave captain, who IN
days long gone never beat a retreat and
If he is injured by fooling with this
suffragette movement. he has brought
it on himself. | have no desire To inject
myself into his campaign. Indeed the de-
bate can be had long before the sena-
torial primary, say some time in June
OF this year
when | announced that would ehal-
lenge him to discuss woman suffrage with
me and when he said that he would
cept the challenge, little did | think that
within one months time he would re-
fuse to debate with me.
Would Defend Beliefs at Home
'If were a candidate for the Senate l
would not consider it out of place TO meet
one OF my colleagues from the House in
the discussion Of great question, one
that / had advocated and declared to be
one of the great questions of the age
would meet him aed give the public the
benefit OF whatever discussion we might
have. II | had advocated woman suf-
| frage on The floor OF The House while
enthusiastic suffragettes were applauding
in the gallery | would at least have the
courage to discuss that question with
colleague in my own state should he chal-
lenge me
Il resent tho insinuation made by Mr..
| tIobson that desire to debate with him
because OF interests that seek his de-
feat.
InsinuatiOn Is Unbecoming
1T Is plain that he is trying to leave
the Impression ON the people of Alabama
1Coatinued ON Page Three)