The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-29
BURR AND LEWIS
 MEET IN DEBATE
 AT THE JEFFERSON
Ratification of Prohibition Amendment Discussed. Large Audience in
 Attendance

Between 300 and 600 persons heard the joint debate at the Jefferson theatre last night between Borden Burr of Birming- ham and Judge Oscar l.. Lewis of Do- than, in which MT. Burr advocated the ratification of the prohibition amend ment to the constitution and Judge Lew. is opposed it. James Weatherly, former city commissioner, presided at the meet ing.
 Mr. Lewis opened the argument and for an hour told his audience why the amendment should not be ratified by the legislature of Alabama. He stated that he represented John H. Wallace. Jr. can didate for the democratic nomination for governor, and that he was debating the question because he had been challenged to do so by the Anti-Saloon league. He said that MT. Burr represented the Anti-Saloon league a corporation or ganzed in Ohio, with a republican at it's head, who presumed to dictate to Alabama democrats what they should do and not do. Referring to the speakers who appear in behalf of prohibition and the Anti-Saloon league, he said they were not in the business for their health, and that those in Alabama demanded it and were put on flat salary.
 AMPLE LAWS TO SUPPRESS
 He said there was ample law to sup press the liquor traffic without the pro posed amendment, referred to the Webb Kenyon act which makes it unlawful to ship liquor into dry territory contrary to the laws of the dry state. and the laws of Alabama prohibiting the manu- facture and sale of liquors.
 He said it would be unjust to the boys fighting in France to put into the con- stitution a law under which they must live when they come back and in the adoption of which they had no voice He appealed to his hearers to consider the soldier boys when they go to vote for representatives in the legislature; de- clared the state executive committee had denied the democrats of Alabama the right to vote on a fundamental law of the land, and stressed the fact that in 1909 prohibition amendment to the state constitution was voted down by nearly 2S.000 majority
 He charged that the Anti Saloon league had thrust frebrand into the state dur. ing the world crisis and created strife among the people when every man should have his shoulder to the wheel in behalf of his country.
 MISSED THE POINT
 MT. Burr said that it had been his understanding that the object of tho meeting was to discuss the question of ratifying the prohibition amendment to the constitution of the United States, but that MT. Lewis had apparently missed that point He said he had never yet been able to drive an opponent of pro- hibition out into the open and get him to say just where he stood. He de- eiared that Brooks Lawrence, Rev. Perley Baker, head of the National Anti-Sa- loon league nor Charley Lewis had noth- ing to do with the issue under consid- eration. He said the first demand for d referendum of the amendment came from the Wholesale Liquor Dealers asso- citation of America and in substantiation of his statement exhibited a newspaper advertisement signed by that associa- ticn. Later on he exhibited similar ad- vertisements signed by the United Brewers association and one not signed, but which he said he learned at the newspaper office that it had been paid fer by the United Brewers association.
 SOUTHERN STATES
 Answering the argument that nation wide prohibition is undemocratic, MT Burr said the proposed amendment was introduced into the lower house by a democrat and in the Senate by demo- crat, that it received the votes of Al democrats in the House to 50 opposed to it, and 21 democrats in the Senate while only seven voted against it there; that representatives and senators from IS southern states cast 113 votes for the amendment and only l3 against it; that President Wilson approved it in principle and signed bills carrying it into effect. Of the states that have ratified it, Mis- sissippi is the home of Jefferson Davis, South Carolina the home of John c Calhoun, Virginia the home of Lee and Jackson and the citadel of so-called southern democracy; that Kentucky, Maryland and Texas had ratified it.
 He said the whisky people were fighting