The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-23
BURR REPLIES ID UNDERWOOD LETTER ENDORSING s M | I H Candidate Says He Is Op- posed to Party Taking
 Up Liquor Question CLAIMS UNDERWOOD WRONGLY INFORMED Says He Has Always Been a Loyal Democrat, and Has Never
 Scratched Ticket In His
 Life

BOruen BUTT, canu10aIe TOT uemOcfatlt national committeeman, in a lengthy let ter issued yesterday, declared he was op posed to the partys considering tho liquor question in any way. The state ment from MT. Burr was in reply to the recent letter from Senator Underwood, ir which the candidacy of E. D. Smith was indorsced by the senator over that of MT Burr.
 MT. Burr denied the statement made by Senator Underwood, in which he said he understood that MT. Burr stood for na- tional prohibition first and for the prin- ciples of democracy afterward. The in formation of MT. Underwood was both unreliable and incorrect he declared
 The democratic party had avoided any declaration on the liquor question for & years, said MT. Burr, and it should not now be taken up. He declared himself always loyal democrat who had never scratched ticket. Reference was also made by MT. Burr to the party offices he had held and to his activity on the stump
 in various campaigns.
 MT. Burrs letter is as follows:
 To the Editor of the Birmingham Age
 Herald.
 There appeared in the Sunday issue of your paper an open letter from Senator Underwood in opposition to any candi- dacy for democratic national committee man. Simultaneously, the same letter ap- peared in two other Sunday newspapers.
 This position is a party honor, is bur dened with no great responsibilities, and is frightened with no salary. It is unusual for senator to take sides in a contest for party honors which no more concern the senator than it does any other demo- crat in Alabama, however humble he may be.
 Before taking up cudgels against fel- low democrat in a contest between dem ocrats for party honor, there should ex- ist a sound necessity and a valid reason. Senator Underwood gives the following as the basis for his attack: As I under stand MT. Burr's position, he stands for prohibition-national prohibition first, and for the principles of democracy after ward" 1 judge that Senator Underwood is speaking from information. If so, his information is both unreliable and ncor- rect. He should advise his friends from whom he received such an understanding In his letter he says again: ''If he is elected national committeeman from Ala bama he will be in the inner councils of the party to organize the fight in 1920 It is clear to me that the Anti-Saloon league is attempting to capture the national com mitteeman of the democratic party. I be- lieve they intend to make the effort to make the democratic party a nationwide prohibition party which could mean noth- ing, in my judgment but national de- feat
 A NOVEMBER UTTERANCE
 Irrespective of Senator Underwood's be- lief as to the plans of the Anti-Saloon league, before attacking me he should have investigated the records On Novem- Der 21, 1915, Birmingham afternoon news paper writing editorially in reference to my proposed candidacy among other things said: 'He is a square, straight forward, high class gentleman and is not at all of the sort who would permit himself to be used as a tool of any secret purpose, if MT. Burrs reported willingness to be national committeeman from Ala bama has any special significance beyond laudable personal ambition, it is dis tinctly political. It may be a part of the prohibition programme in this state and connected with national movement-if MT. Burr's alleged inspiration to be na- tional committeeman has had any inspir- the sort outlined. He is not Bryan man, 1912. He is strongly anti-Bryan and pro- Wilson now, but he has been regarded as the chief political mentor of the Ala bama prohibitionists for the past year and has undoubtedly been in all the in ner councils of their leaders. It would not be surprising if he were helping lay the foundation for prohibition control of the democratic party in 1920"
 Tn reply to this editorial I announced my candidacy and stated clearly that the contained in the editorial were that l was opposed to the democratic party in any way considering the liquor question; that if prohibition be- came national issue in the democratic party it would be over my protest From that time down to the present there has been no word or act of mine which would justify anyone in doubting my published statement; on the contrary, as a mem- Der of the state executive committee l as- sisted in the preparation of the resolutions which not only ignored any question of prohibition, but pledged the delegates to be elected to President Wilson and to the support of his policies
 HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF TT
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