St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-04
THE oRAroRICA1 CONTEST.
Eight Future Spell Binders Vie
With Each Other.

W lJu EdCu OCucr.
One of the important events of the
commencement week at the university
was the home oratorical contest, to de-
eide on the two contestants for the in
tercOllegiate contest next year. There
were eight speakers. chosen from the
versity because of their acknowledged
superiority as orators.
Rev. G. j. LhamOn and Prof. Pat
tee, of Minneapolis, and Hon. Gordon
E. Cole, of Faribault, were the judges
who had marked the oratiOnS on COM
position and thought. while S. G. Gale,
Judge William Lochren and Rev.
George Paddock were judges of de-
livery.
A good audience of people interested
in the university and the speakers were
present at the Olivet Baptist church.
Music by Danz's orchestra interspersed
the programme.
Theo Nj. Knappen was the first
speaker. His subject, that topic most
dotted on by the college orator, EN-
glish Misrule in Ireland" He began
by saying that England had succeeded
we'll in ruling herself, but in ruling
others they had made notable failures
India and America were noteworthy
examples of this, but it was III Ireland
that the injustice was most visible.
He gave a concise history of the
two nations from their beginning,
clearly picturing the tyranny and
injustice OF the British rule
and her ingratitude for faithful loyalty.
1t was the love of gain of the English
landlords that had degraded ireland
and not the failure of the potato crops.
He pictured poor Ireland's present con-
ditiOn, how she was illiterate, poverty
stricken and degraded. Mr.. Knappen
spoke in very diStincts, clear tone, and
while he was not wholly at home in his
delivery, he made good impression
and won hearty applause for himself.
c. W. Bray had chosen the new sub
ject: Luther Before the Diet of
Worms" He showed how from the
poorest circumstances the great man
had grown. He passed the striking
eulOgy that in whatever line he might
have taken his work he would have been
greatest. If 1t had been soldiery Ma
pole On's laurels would have been more
dim; if in music. Beethoven would have
been second. After brief history of
spoke with warmth on the particular
topic of his, that perilous moment of the
great mans life when he was called be-
fore the Diet of Worms.
The orator showed that he had not
made a mistake in choosing his subject.
1t afforded the opportunity of quoting
noble words from noble man, Millions
words at the close of his two hours OF
OratOry before the great men of ma
ton: Here l stand. | cannot do
otherwise, so help me God. The crisis
of the thesis fell" A lively applause
followed his finale.
Milton Rex spoke on ''The Source of
Good Government" Mr.. Rex made
good appearance on taking the plat
form, showed self-possession. and had
a fair amount of life and devotion to
his subject. He had clear, ringing
voice, and used it we'll in delivering
good Grafton. setting forth the high
He commenced with: 'From the be-
Capitalization and local self-govern-
ment have striven with each other"
Following this thought awhile,
after showing how self-government
was now the cOnQuerOr, he urged
the advantages of the free school and
the college and leading from this he
put much warmth into the good that
might be accomplished through the
press. Through education and the
newspaper, and good men in politics, he
saw the source of good government.
He wisely drew his strength out most
at the very close of his Grafton and a
second time during his speaking gained
hearty round of applause.
''The First America was the subject
to which B. II. Timberlake responded.
The gentlemen had a rather ministerial
appearance and address, something
little too individual to be recognized as
strictly college Grafton. A deep voice
and the fact that every one was i'm
pressed with the fact that he was feel
ing what he said were Mr.. Undertakes
good points. His Grafton was touch.
Ing eulogy ON Abraham Lincoln, and
he found something new i'll the old sub
ject, and with what he quietly said held
his audience more closely to his words,
probably. than any other speaker of the
evening. A double round of applause
showed he had been appreciated.
Henry P. Bailey spoke:on the subject
''Beecher and Liberty" mo man has
done more sturdy work for liberty than
Henry Ward Beecher. He stands the
most remarkable private citizen Ameri-
ca has produced," were his opening
words. The sentence .'Great as has
been his influence in moulding religious
thought, Beecher's work as moral and
political reformer is even more Marked"
was the point about which the speaker
gathered his argument. He showed his
idol in the work he accomplished dur
ing the time Of slavery. Mr.. Bailey was
sophomore. He had strong delivery
and good language.
''Savonarolay' was FL. E. Fryleiger's
subject. "The rebel of an age may be
the hero of centuries" he said, and
proved it in the case Of the pure
minded Florentine monks story. He
showed him as the forerunner of Martin
Luther. The speaker was individual in
his thought and delivery, and was we'll
liked.
j. Colfax Grant, who was to have
spoken on the ''Impending Evil" left
what that evil was undisclosed, as he
withdrew from the contest, being UNI
able to appear.
A. A. Dodge spoke on "Slavery and
Its Emancipation" The subject is an
old one for the college grafton. and the
address in thought, wording and deliv-
cry was typical college Grafton, with
all its wanted ''spread eagle" Battle
and blood and smoke made its life, and
a eulogy of Lincoln furnished the pathOs.
The decision of the judges stood:
First, B. H. Undertake; second, Henry
=. Bailey. The popular vote proclaimed
B. H. Timberlake as the orator who had
pleased the audience best. C. w. Bray
as the second choice and Milton Rex as
third.
To-Day's Programme.