Evening journal., 1917-10-20
Accuse ELCH OTHER
OF TRYING TO DODGE.
"WetS" and "Drys" Fail to
Agree on Terms of
Debate
BATTLE OF LETTERS
STILL GOES ON

Cahb Z. Burohenal. chairman of the
Wilmington Anti-License Committee.
last night notified John C. Stack. the
License Committee manager, that the
wet and dry" question will be de-
bated at the Queen Theatre tomorrow
afternoon by the "drys." even though
the wet debater does not appear.
He renewed the challenge for a de-
bate on the two questions that have
been previously mentioned, but Insists
that each side have one hour in OPEN
Ing and IS minutes for rebuttal. In this
letter Mr.. Burchenal intlmates that
the VETS are not anxious for a com
parison OF the merits OF the two sides
Mr.. Stack today made statement In
reply 10 Mr.. Burchenals letter, in
which he intlmates that the "drys" fear
TO enter the debate. lie, however, In
slsts that the Affirmative open with a
speech Of i5 minutes, the negative 4
hour and IS minutes and the Affirmative
30 minutes in rebuttsl.
Mr. Burchenals letter 10 Mr.. Stack
follows:
October 10, 1917.
Mr.. John C. Stack, Manager OF Com
mittee for License. iii9 Market street,
City:
Dear Sir: We renew our challenge
to debate you on either question:
Resolved, That the Prohibition Of
the manufacture, sale and use Of alco-
hollc liquors for beverage purposes
is wrong in principal, un-Chrlstian in
character and powerless as a remedy
for intemperance." the Affirmative 10
open the debate with a speech Of one
hour, the negative TO follow with
speech Of one hour, the Affirmative 10
follow with a rebuttal OF IS minutes
and the negative 10 close with a re-
buttal Of 10 minutes; or,
Resolved, That the citizens OF
Wilmington should vote at the COM
ing election, November 6, 1917, Against
License dry the arrangement OF the
speeches 10 be the same as above
stated.
"Our speaker will be az the Queen
Theatre on Sunday afternoon, October
q, at $50 o'clock, prepared 10 debate
you on either question, on the terms
above stated. and II You do not appear
and debate the question, we will have
the debate any way.
From the beginning OF these ne
gotiations we have made a great many
concessions TO your committee. even
TO the extent Of changing the question
for debate. Your dllatory methods IN
meeting our challenge OF September a,
1917, lead us 10 the conclusion that you
are not anxious for the revelation OF
the comparison OF the merits OF tho
two sides or this great question which
! is before the public for decision, as
would be inevitable In a public discus
sion upon The debate platform.
Yours very truly.
CALEB T. BURCHENAL,.
Chairman OF Wilmington Anti-License
Committee"
The statement made by Mr.. Stack to-
day follows:
The Anu-License Committee man.
aged TO escape debating a question
the mere mention Of which fills them
with fear; that is. that the prohibition
OF the manufacture, sale and use OF
alcoholic liquors for beverage pur-
poses is wrong in principle, un-Chrls-
tlan in character and powerless as
remedy for intemperance' by refusing
70 concede 70 the Committee for Ii
, cense Representative the time for
speaking which they originally pro
posed 20 have for themselves; that is.
when the "Drys" first proposed thu
debate, they suggested that the al.
1rmative open the debate with a
speech OF forty-fve minutes, and that
the negative follow with a speech Of
an hour and fifteen minutes. the affirm
atlve closing with speech OF half an
hour.
This the "drys" thought a perfect
ly good proposition as long as they
were TO nave It. but, when II was
agreed that the "wets" assume the
affirmative, then the "drys" could not
understand why the Committee for
License felt that they were Justly
, entitled TO the same, as the "drys"
had proposed for themselves.
'In our letter OF October 18th. ad-
dressed to Mr.. Burchenal, we stated
that this was our final word and that
our representative would be on hand
to debate the question on the terms
agreed with any representative they
/ might present c. A Windle will
be at the Queen Theatre tomorrow
evening a. 7.30 and will meet anyone
whom the "drys" present to oppose
our contention that the prohibition
! OF the manufacture, sale and use OF
alcoholic liquors for beverage pur-
poses is wrong in principle. unChris-
tian n character and powerless as a
remedy for intemperanee.'
"The gist Of the matter IS that the
''drys" do not want 10 debate THIS
question and they are taking what they
think the easiest way out OF II by tax
ing exception TO the time which the
representatives should speak. and,
strange 10 say, they made a bad selec-
tion, as this was their own sugges-
ton"
d. r. Anderson TO Debate.
D. +. Anderson, noted criminal law
yer, OF Youngstown. Ohio. whom the
"drys" obtained 10 represent their side
in the proposed debate. will be the
s~-~N0~ 90 tho 0neen Theatre, at $50
o'clock tomorrow afternoon and will
aisO debate the subject whether The
"vets" defend their side or not.
Mr.. Anderson Is known as THE Man
With the Punch" and Is announced as
the man most feared by the liquor In
terests.
There will also be a dry" meetinl
at the National Theatre, French street
. near Eighth. tomorrow. The Rev. J
n. c. Cogein, D. D., OF Washington
D. c., Will be the principal speaker
Nf~c I o1yson will also he urecenf Dr