The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-10-20
DEBATE CONTAINS.
 VITAL, MESSAGE. ON CITIZENSHIP.
Age-Herald's Stand On Law Enforcement Is
 Praised At Meeting


 law enforcement and good citizenship, Paul F. Kelser and John W. Lang ley held debates Sunday before large congregations in two Birmingham churches. The question at issue was, Gan the Law be Enforced" It was argued at the Woodlawn Methodist church Sunday night and at the First Methodist church Sunday afternoon. Following the debate at the First Methodist church, J. Bibb Mills, super intendent of the Anti-Saloon league, paid a glowing tribute to the positive stand of The Age-Herald on prohibition law enforcement, as opposed to the ipusillanimous attitude of some other newspapers. Referring to an editorial which appedYety in The Age-Herald on Sunday morning under the heading, '"Weakening Law Enforcement, MT. Mills said:
 ssThank God there is one newspaper in Birmingham :, that has the moral courage to come out four-square TOT irishteousness and the enforcement or the laws of the land"
 Kelser and Langley put punch in their presentation of their subject which impressed it indelibly Tn the minds of their hearers. Langley, as an outraged citizen appealing to a county solicitor for more rigid enforcement or tbe liduor laws, brings home forcibly the duty of a sworn official to the com lnunity. Kelser, as the county solicitor. shows the outraged citizen that the citizenry' on the other hand shirks It's .luty to the community and impedes the enforcement of the law.
 nrunkefaness On Wane
 Kelser. as the county solicitor, main- +s;ns5 Sunday night at the WoOdlawn Methodist church that there has been more drunkenness since the prohibition law went into effect than there was be- fore. The outraged citizen repudiates fhis with the following statement:
 ssIn New York City during the three veara of 1915, 1916 and 1917, there were 51 .137 arrests on drunk charges. During the last four years, there nave haan 00. .761 arrests on the same charge fn the same city. The figures speak TOT themselves" .,... ,o,, ii. exnepsiye," The county solicitor countered. .a on
 "During the fiscal year from June 3O, -023 to June 30, 1924, $1, I 142,9oo'54 was collected in fines and forteltures in the courts of New York city TOT ,,;olst; t;ous of the liuuor law" Langley renl;ed. ssIu the same district, the cost of enforcing the VOlstead act was $1Oo,- 696 72. Thus. the. difference between revenues and expenditures is $437 ,31S.- 61. wkich must be placed to the credit of the eighteenth amendment.
 Don't you think a modification of 1he present laws to permit non-intoxl- eating light wines and beer would De more reasonable:" the county solicitor ;sked,
 Solicitor Worsted
 "I do not. And the reason can be g. nut in a nutshell. Beer and light wines without sufficient alcoholic content would ilot satisfy the craving for liquor. And beer and light wines with sui ficient alcoholic content to satlsiy the craving for hqucrN'would not De nopt intoxicating"
 The county solicitor appeared by a wide margin to have the worst or tne orgument. as he saw his pet theories crash to the ground in the face of cold facts. But there was solace for him when he turned on the indignant tax payer md reminded him of his own laxity in furthering the aims of the law-enforcing authorities. .
 tsThere is a sumihons here for jury duty in your nameH he declared. "1t is marked excused The chances are nine to one that you were putting per sonal convenience above any obligation . that you might have had to serve the community. -..
 'You would like to see the prohibition law enforced more rigidly. Perhaps YOU write letters telling of violations. And then lack the moral courage to sign your own name to them. We get lots of those, and while we investigate great many of them, there are lots of hoaxes among them. Why not be man enough not only to tell the authori- ties of violations, but to assist them in every way possible to bring the cul- prits to justice"
 Langley, who represented the out ragged citizen in the debates Sunday, recently held debate in Chicago with Clarence Darrow, prominent attorney , and an exponent of a moderated con- Ntitutional amendment( on the question :: ''ShOuld the Yolstead act be amended to permit light wines and beer?" This debate was, broadcast over the radio.
 Kelser and Langley are travelling through Alabama under the auspices of the Alabama Anti-Saloon league, stag ing their debates in churches through out the state, They will visit Mobile after tk@ir departure from Birmingham and will go from8there to Montgomery.