Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-01-20
FAIR HARVARD AGAIN
Third viCtOry0 Over Yale in
Joint Debate.
BOTH SIDES SCORE POINTS.
Independent Action and Party Allegiance in
Politics Was the Subject.

CAMBRIDGE. Mass, Jan. 2O-The fifth
debate between Harvard and Yale was
. held In Sanders theater last night. The
contest waged flercely but decorously for
two hours, and the judges, after only a
few minutes consultation, gave the vic
tory to Harvard. This makes the third
victory for the crimson, and Harvard's
prestige seems we'll established on the
rostrum, while yielding the palm to Yale
In the football field.
The presiding officer of the evening was
Thomas Wentworth Higginson. The
judges were of neither college, being
Hon. Carl Schurs of New York, Professor
+. J. James of the University of Pennsyl-
vania and President Francis A. Walker
of the Institute of Technology.
The question debated was "Resolved,
that independent action In politics is
preferable to party allegiance" Yale
took the Affirmative.
The Debate.
The debate was opened by John w.
Peddle of Philadelphia for Yale. He
spoke a. followsi History repeats itself
with examples OF independent action.
Fight for your rights as men said the
spirit Of independence In revolutionary
days, and that is the way we fought and
the way we won. You cannot be lost in
worse place than the bog of party politics.
What a sight for honest men to gaze upon
II would be IL all the party politicians of
the last 10 years were to be gathered in
one compact body. You would look upon
the hardest and toughest set of blind and
selfish men you ever saw.
'Set such men as these free from the
bonds of party allegiance and breathe into
them the purer atmosphere of indepen-
dence, and they will become men for their
country and statesmen.
"But look at the facts as they are. How
neatly the ballot box fits with the saloon.
Party politics are so soaked with liquor
that thirst after righteousness becomes
a practical impossibility.
Democrats have tried to better things
by again making Cleveland president,
and the Republicans would permit women
to vote. But an effective cure lies not in
one man, nor in allot Of women. Let each
man feel and act upon his own sense of
honesty, and the greatest gifts of God,
shining in the abilities Of His noblest
creations, will cleanse our country from
the black and sooty spots of party despot-
ISM"
Henry L. Prescott of Salina, Kan,
opened
The Negative For Harvard.
He said: eve claim that parties are
necessary to any form Of popular govern
ment Today we have two large and in
fuential organizations standing for two
great principles. Every thinking man
must be drawn to one of these parties or
the other. Who was there, outside of the
ranks of cowardice, who was not party
man in the times of our civil WARP What
Is wanted Is not good principles, but good
men to drive them"
Mr.. William III. Cox of Beaver Falls,
Pa, Of Yale, was the next speaker for the
affirmative. He said: "Men can combine
in political parties as justly as in religious
unions. But the true sphere of party is
an agency TO stand for principle. Party
ends alone are sought, and we hold this to
be narrow-minded, bigoted, un-American,
because IL takes from the citizen his un-
pledged vote, and changes the source and
course OF power.
Party allegiance Is jealous of merit,
and leads to despotism through fraud, in
temperance and corruption. Selfshness,
than which there Is no greater sin, is at
the bottom of it ALL"
Herbert 8. Apsey of Cambridge an
swered this for Harvard, saying: my
opponents have as yet failed to define the
independent man. The real independent
stays out Of parties permanently. The
question tonight Is one Of results. What
practical results are there coming from
independent action In this country
did not the party principle defeat the
British and put down slavery Would
the tariff for revenue plank been in the
Democratic platform of 1892 had the men
who wanted it there stayed at home and
threatenedi Was not specie payment re-
sumed by the work of party meni When
the Mugwumps went into the Demo
cratic party, some progress toward tariff
r'o m vas made. History is full of such
examples"
% a.ter II. Clark, Hartford, for Yale,
spoke with deliberation and defined the
Independence which is needed today in
political circles, and insisted that the
whole question IL one Of motive. The indie
pendent follows the dictates of his con
science; the party man follows the die
tates OF his organisation.
Alfred 8. Hayes of Boston closed the de-
bate. He spoke of the need Of a party
even TO the independent. The latter
stands outside. So claim the gentlemen
from New Haven, and then vote for the
party which seems 10 be most in the right
for the time being. Pray, what would
these independent men do were there no
parties at alli
At the conclusion of the debate the
speaker, judges, and few invited guests
psrtook OF an informal banquet at the