St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-10
Ninth Annual Contest of the
Interstate Collegiate Ora
torical Association.
Future Spell-Binders Vie With
One Another for Rhetor-
zeal Honors.
Rah! Rah! Rah! Ski-si-
UNA! Min-So-ta!
Whoop!


citation. Three colleges were repre-
sented by two speakers-the state uni
versity, Manchester and Hamline.
DanZ'S orchestra furnished the music.
The judges of the contest were Hon.
William Mitchell, st. Paul; Hon. Moses E.
Clapp, st. Paul, and Judge H. G. Hicks,
Minneapolis. Each speaker had III the
audience his enthusiastic admirers. At
meeting of the association in the aft
ernOon at Hamline university the fol-
lowing officers had been elected for the
ensuing year: President, w. p. Kirk
wood, of Manchester; vice president, Q.
L. Dabner, Hamline; secretary. W. E.
WinSlOW, state uniVerSitity, and for
treasurer, r. T.. II. Lord, Hamline.
THE FIRST SPEAKER
of the evhning was II. G. Soares. a
sophomore at the state university. His
subject was 'Gladstone and Disraeli."
The first words we're:
''From the whole range of British
statesmen it. would be impossible to Sc
lect two men more pre-eminent. or who
impress of their individuality upon the
parties to which they belonged than
Gladstone and Disraeli. The Liberals
and conservatives of to-day are what
these two men made them. Of course,
as all admirers Of Gladstone are wont
to do, the orator praised him to the
skies and made DiSraeli the black
background on which he was the bright
relief. The speaker had the disadvant-
age of position on the programme, but
bore himself we'll and was loudly APP
plauded on leaving the platform, and
the predictions were heard on all sides
that he would come in the first three.
JOSEPH W. COCHRAN
was second Oh the programme, and
when his name was called, the Macales-
applause. The subject the gentleman
had chosen was National Inhumanity."
His subject was we'll selected for his
style of delivery. His sentences were
short and terse, and were spoken
with clear voice we'll fitted
to what was really very good
philosophy. His gesture and address
were full of vigor and life. and, while not
as graceful as some of his competitors,
were fully as expressive. His thought
was deep and his language and figures
clothed them well. The Grafton con-
demned the inhumanity of civilized ma
tions. Especially did he condemn Eng
land in her treatment of her colonies.
now, he said; the first steps had been
taken in England's condemnation of the
slave trade and Americas rules for the
benefit of the Indian. But there was
yet something needed, and there were
vet weaker nations to be oppressed, and
1t was in q congress Of nations that the
evil was to be remedied. After the
music had died away President o. l..
IriggS announced the name of G. L..
Dobner, of Hamline, and
HAMLINE'S ADVOCATES
We'd with the echoes of applause that
had few minutes before come from
had for his subject Liberty and Elo-
quence." The Grafton was one of illus
trations, and showed how liberty ana
truth were the inspirerS of eloQuence.
For his strongest points Hamline's rep
reSentative had deep, SlrOng voice
and clearness of articulation. The SEN
timent of his Grafton was that through
language the orator was successful. His
delivery also showed that it was in
language that his power lay. New in
ventions had been invented for APP
plause, and the seats of Centenary re-
sounded with the feet of the Hamline
men.
H. DANFORD DICKINSON,
of the state university, was the next
named called, and he was met by a
greeting that showed he had quite as
high place in the estimation of uni
versitY people as the first speaker of the
evening. Bismarck and German
| Unity' was his Oration's subject From
the first word he showed education in
elocution and study in Oratory. His
Grafton, though historical, was also
full of good thought. and was a
little out of the run of the general col
lege Grafton. He eulogiZed Bismarck as
the champion of German unity and
holding that this was the first and fore
most object of his lite. Mr.. Dickinson
had the learning of an orator, was full
of life, was convincing i'll his address,
| though he possessed not so strong a
voice as some of his competitors. it was
cultivated and pleasing. AS he drew to-
ward the close, and was showing how
Bismarck, though so wonderful a
statesman, was SO universally criti-
cised, his vigor increased and
| properly made his Grafton strongest at
the very end. When he took his seat
several rounds of applause were thun-
dered out from the confident university
men, for their champion, they felt, had
won. Shakespeare never grows old as
college orators theme, and
tHARLES a. WlNIE1t, OF MACALESIER,
| found something new in him. He was
also well received. Probably Mr.. Win
ter had the most natural oratory of any
speaker of the evening. Commencing
his topics in conversational style. he
would be in the most strictly oratorical
before he reached the crisis. His fig
ureS were good and were we'll fitted TO
| his gesture. The Grafton COM
pared Shakespeare with Dante,
Goethe and Hugo. The speaker
showed himself a worShiper of his
hero, and while probably too strong in
his praises, he portrayed the ideas of
many a similar wOrshiper. To some he
was the most pleasing speaker of the
evening, and would have held a more
popular place if he had carried his life
more continuously to the end. He was.
however, we'll applauded, anu had done
well for his college.
s.. F. KERFOoT. OF HAMLINE,
spoke on the exclusion of the Chinese.
The Grafton was one of political econ
| omy, and was strictly argumentative.
The language was clear and plain, con-
tanning scarcely figure. Quotations
were common throughout. The power
| of the speaker became more manifest
as he progressed, and the thought en-
riched the production so much as to
make up in great part for flow
cry language and grace of
gesture. The style was convincing.
When the orators were all through
and had done their best for their col
lege and the time of suspense began, the
applauding and calling for speeches
from special victims, in which matter
college men can never desist. began
and in spite of the sanctity of the
place and the music of DanZ's orchestra
| prevailed to some extent till
| THE DECISION OF THE JUDGES
| WAS reached The indgeS not only did