The herald., 1894-03-07
A MENTAL TUG OF WAR.
COLLEGE BOYS COMPETE IN A
DEBATING CONTEST.
Occidental College and the Univsrsity
of Southern California Students
Discuss Strikes and Their
Relation to Labor

evening last the Occidental college and
the university OF Southern California
met and held an intellectual tug Of war.
The scene OF the combat was in the COL
lege chapel of the university. The con-
test assumed the form OF debate in
acceptance of the challenge of the Uni
versity Of Southern California for such
an intercollegiate event. The Univer-
sity of Southern California had already
won like contest from Pomona college
and was on her mettle to maintain her
prestige.
The chapel was only decorated with
the colors of the two contesting colleges,
the red of the University of southern
California, the black and gold of Occi-
dental, A large contingent of the stu
dents from the college over the river
was present to cheer their favoritee.
The University OF Southern California
students and friends were there in COM
panies to uphold their champions
efforts. The orators occupied tables in
front of the rostrum-each college to-
gether and as each speaker presented
his arguments, took the platform.
The programme began at p. m. with
the invocation by Rev. @. @. Mclean Of
Simpson M. E. church. Los Angeles.
Miss frankie Wren followed with the
rendition of an instrumental solo.
The debate then began. Alphonse
Bell OF Occidental presided. The ques-
tion for discussion was, Resolved, That
Strikes Are Injurious to the Cause of
Labor. Each college was represented
by two speakers. Each speaker was
allowed 15 minutes in his first speech OF
presenting arguments. Then each
speaker was given seven minutes for
reply.
The affirmative of the question was
maintained by the q. S. O. and the
negative by the Occidental.
The first speaker of the evening was
Harry +. Ward of the U. s. c., who
argued in the affirmative,
Strikes are the weapons used by labor
to fight its enemy, capital. These have
heretofore been the only weapons.
Strikes are injurious to the cause Of
labor because % they are wrong, and
the result of wrong is always injury.
This is fundamental moral law. The
end does not justify the means. Strikes
were originally but cessation Of labor.
They have now assumed the form OF an
organized effort to stop work and for
destruction. When the workingman
strikes he limits production, and thus
commits a crime against society. 1t is
as wrong for the workingmen to strike
as it is for the millionaire to corner any
product.
Strikes wrong the strikers, the en-
ployer and society.
Strikes are wrong (2) because they ap-
peal to the brute nature of man, and
bring on infrsctions of the moral law
and the written laws of the land. Strikes
outrage a mans liberty of conscience,
because it is intolerant to others who
would work. Strikes have put off the
trial OF other methods of gaming the
points labor desires. The ballot is the
true weapon for the workingmen to use
1t is lawful and recognizes the father
hood oil God ana the brotherhood Of
man.
The frat on the negitative was Donald
NJ. Brookman of Occidental. In the
first strife between capital and labor
which has come to a crisis in this CEN
tury, labor has contested for its rights
as workingmen and Its rights as men.
Every laborer has right to justice and
fair play. 1t ia claimed that the gains
of strikes do not counterbalance the
Losses, yet the gains are permanent and
the Losses temporary. A great pfinci-
pie for which labor has struck is the
right OF proporticnate raise inwages
as the employers business gains in
prosperity. The employees have to
bear the reduction in wages when losses
come. With shorter hours, the laboring
class may realize their influence and
ninnifu and hnnAGR I'D
the state.
r. q. VGn Cleve took the second on
the affirmative. The speaker told of
the practical evils of strikes. Strikes
coRt the state large amounts of money,
which the laborers, as taxpayers, must
bear, injuring themselves. The strikers
will not allow "scabs" to work, which
stops one class from working because
another class won't work. During strikes
the laborer generally contracts bad hab-
its, which is a permanent injury.
Strikes put off indefinitely the longed
for settlement of the strife between
capital and labor. The violence which
accompanies the great strikes has been
the cause of the death of many inno-
cent women and children, and an enor-
nous destruction of property. The
good which may be gained is not per-
manent.
Hugh P. Dilworth, of Occidental,
spoke as the second for the negative.
The speaker hoped to remove the pop
ular prejudice against strikes caused by
first, the inconvenience to the public;
no thought of the employers injustice;
second. for selfish ends; third, due to
the press and old school political econo-
mists.
The organization of capital into
trusts, ETC.. compels the organization of
labor; the organization OF labor COM
compels the principle of strikes. Cap
itsl has for its weapon the dismissal Of
employees; labor uses as its weapon the
strike, Strikes are the insurrectiona OF
labor, and the insurrections of old
gained to the common people liberty.
All insurrections must necessarily bring
violence, but the good results are per-
manent gain. He proved from statistics