The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-05
BURR REPLIES TO CRITICISMS OF HIS UNDERWOOD ATTACK
Believes Fact That He Is PrOhibitiOnist Should Not Be Issue in Present
 Campaign

Border Burr has written a letter to the editor in which he replies to recent criticisms of his attitude toward Senator Underwood.
 MT. Burr does not believe that the fact that he is a prohibitonist should be an issue in the present campaign. He states that he has always been an admlrer o1 Senator Underwood, but that he does not approve the senator's action favoring submission of the prohibition question to the vote of the people of the District or Columbia. He writes:
 To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 Attendance upon court in an adjoining county has prevented an early reply to your recent criticisms of my candidacy for national committeeman from Ala bama
 I have always been and always ex- pect to be consistent prohibitionist. My record in this respect, both in practice and precept has been clear and clean. AS democrat my service to my party has been constant and unselfish. Within it's ranks I have contended for my be- Iiefs, but when overridden, 1t has been my court of last resort. In considering the candidates of men, unless the ques- tion of prohibition is involved, l have endeavored to cast my vote in accordance with fitness and friendship. In the pres ent primary, some sincere local optlon1Sts are receiving my cordial support, because. in my opinion, they are well fitted to fill the positions to which they aspire. l am asking for the position of national com- mitteeman as a democrat and as sup porter of President Wilson. The fact that I have within the state been an active 1I.;I<, tyixr rirer and service, should not disquaify me from holding an office in my party.
 I have no feeling of hostility toward Senator Underwood l have no apologies to make for differing with him on the question of a referendum for the Dlstrlct of Columbia on the liquor question. The constitution of the United States says: .@rhat Congress shall have the power to exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever over such district" The cap- Ltal of our government should be the cen ter of our patriotism. Every citizen Of the United States as a joint owner IS ln- terested in it's condition and in the ex- ample it sets, and it belongs to all Of us and not to either it's permanent or tenn porary residents Referendums have been asked by the residents of the dis trict, and so far as I am advised, have never been granted. l am opposed to one on the liquor question, especially when 30,- 600 negro voters would be allowed to par ticipate. Iwant the district dry and know from experience that the vast majority of negroes vote wet. I disclaim any inten- ton of charging or thinking that Senator Underwood has been corruptly controlled, directed or governed b yany whisky influ- ence. was a candidate from this dis trict to the Baltimore convention, but retired and released by pledges when in- formed that the editor of The Age-Her- aid, who now assails me, desired the honor. Subsequently the state convention elected me as delegate from the state at large. As secretary of the Alabama delegation, and as chairman of the Un- derwood conference committee at Balti- more, no one gave him more untiring, loyal support than I. He was then as sincere a local optionist as he is now. l was then as sincere g. prohibitionist, but I considered him a strong, influential, worthy statesman, the choice of Alabama