The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-06-12

in the notion that athletics is the
chief end of education. A schools
graduates were once its glory. The
victories of the schools picked nine on
the diamond or its eleven on the grid.
iron in these later days win louder ap.
plause than the quality of its instruc-
ton, or the intellectual triumphs of its
students. This, at least, is the tendency
of things, particularly in the East. A
school without ball team that can win
victories and give it fame is not Gin the
swim"
1t is an interesting and significant
circumstance that the star of intellec
tua empire appears to be following the
star of material empire westward. The
newspapers do not publish the exploits
of the colleges of the states of the
Mississippi valley in ball playing. The
students of those institutions seem to
be ingloriously oblivious to the laurels
their eastern brothers are winning in
the dusty arena of modern athletics.
They seem to be thoroughly imbued
with the old-fashioned notion that
mental culture and development are
the main objects to be attained at
sch Dol, and they go about the attain
ment of these objects with such sys-
tenn and energy, resolution and persis-
tence, as would win them the highest
niche in the temple of sporting fame,
il these qualities were devoted TO eff
forts to excel in the popular games of
the campus and arena.
For some twenty-five years the stu
dents of these western colleges have
been Systematically cultivating the
graces and powers of oratory and COM
position. The movement began among
the students themselves, and has been
sustained by them. 1t is apart from,
and outside of, any prescription of the
faculties. The college authorities sus-
tain about the same relation to the
literary athletics, by means of which
mental power and skill are cultivated, as
do the faculties of eastern schools to
physical athletics. Numerous colleges
have been planted in the states be-
tween the Alleghanies and the Mis-
sissippi. 1t has been somewhat the
custom in the East to sneer at, or under
rate, these colleges. These schools
have their rival literary and oratorical
societies, and out of the home contests,
which constitute one of the great &C.
casions of the year, has developed the
intercollegiate contest, in which the in
dividual colleges are represented by
their champion orators and debaters.
Some one hundred colleges are repre-
sented in these contests. Each sends
the pick of its literary athletes, and the
student who is victorious in the inter-
collegiate trial of intellectual strength
is necessarily victor also over those
who have participated in the home
contests; and 30 his final triumph may
be triumph over thousand COMPETE
tors. The honor thus derives rank,
character and Importance.
The home contests, as we'll as the in
tercollegiate, necessarily require much
earnest preparation, study and work.
Neither is mere exhibition of intellect.
ual pyrotechnics. The sterner require
ments of public speaking, those that con-
vince the judgment as we'll as sway the
fancy, must be regarded. Limitations
are prescribed, and the contests are
made under rules and regulations as
rigid as those that govern the highest
debating assemblages in the land. The
efforts of the young men or women
are passed upon by competent judges.
Three examine the manuscript and
three decide upon the delivery of the
speakers. In the recent contest at
Galesburgh, in which ten states partici.
pated, Senator Davis of Minnesota,
ex-senator ingalls, of Kansas, ex-Repre-
sentative Bryan of Nebraska and Gov
ernor Jackson of Iowa were among the
Judges. Two of the contestants were
young women. o. A. Hauerbach of
Knox College, ILL.,, won the first hon.
ors, and G. W. Wood of Beloit College,
Wisconsin, second.
These exercises supplement in a
practical way the work of the school
room. knowledge without the power
of expression is gold locked in it's native
quartz. This self-imposed training de-
velops the power of expression in
speech and writing, and the failure in
so many schools to develop these
powers is practical failure of very
elaborate means of education. 1t is
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