The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-05-02
BIG DEBATE WON BY YALE
FIRSTFORENSIC VICTORY FOR TALE VS. HARVARD IN RECENT TEARS.

The Contest Held in College Street Hall
 Last Evening-Tumultuous Rejoicing by
 fire on the Campus-Good Speeches and
 an Appreciative Audience-Cheers for
 Decision Unanimous.
 Yale won the debate with Harvard last evening, and that too by both speedy and unanimous decision of the judges When Mr. Elihu Root on be- half of the judges announced their opinion that the representatives of old Eli had won, pandemonium reigned among the large audience which hlied College street hall. Cheer upon cheer was sent up from hundreds of throats for the first decided forensic victory which Yale has won from her old time rival Harvard and nearly every lace depicted the satisfaction which was al- most universally felt by the audience at the outcome of the debate. The more demonstrative of the undergradu- ate body rushed upon the platform, and lifting the victorious debaters high into the air bore them in triumph from the hall. Outside the hall hearty Yale cheer was given for each of the three champions, while cannon crack CTS added to the general air of celebra- ton and made it seem somewhat like the celebration which followed the ;afa foe rxyhi inb q has won from Harvard in the past in the field of athletic sports. Harvard was frequently cheered by the happy crowd outside, showing the hearty good feeling which exists in Yale for the Cambridge institution. Further celebration was carried on at the campus, where a huge bonfire was made by some of the students out of old barrels lumber and other combus- tib1es. Young Yale and old Yale alike took part in the celebration. The gen. eral satisfaction was amply justified, for this is the first debate which the judges have awarded to Yale since the debates were started a few years ago. The first one or two were not decided, but since that time there has been a long string of Harvard victories. There has been Ia feeling prevalent in \ the university that this debate could < and would come Yale's way < The monotony of long continued de- Al feat was broken by the class of '9S, N who won the freshman debate from M Harvard last spring. Yale men at the X time felt that this ray of freshman H hope presaged the larger dawns of a university victory. All jokes about N Yale brawn and Harvard brain will K lose some of their meaning. M The debate as a whole was one of the best there has ever been between \ the universities. Harvard has no \ reason to feel ashamed of her men, who were defeated by such good de- E baters as the Yale men proved them selves to be- The debate opened at a little after o'clock and the question was ready for the judges at five min utes past ten. The Hon. Edward J. Phelps presided and the judges were K Messrs. Elihu Root, Walter H. Page and Albert Shaw.
 The audience with that spirit of fair K play which characterizes Yale audi ences generally cheered both sides ! heartily, and witty hits at Yale's argu- ments met with as hearty approval as l did those of the Yale men when they turned the tables on their opponents. The question Resolved, That a per manent court of arbitration should be established by the United States and Great Britain was debated on the af- | firmative by Harvard and on the neg alive by Yale, each speaker being al l lowed twelve minutes in opening. Harvard's colored orator, Frank Ru-
 dolph Steward 96, of Montana, set the
 ball rolling, and was decided hit with
 the audience. In the style of his deliv-
 cry he was the best of the Harvard
 men. while his points were strong and
 convincing.
 Roger Sherman Baldwin, l.. S., of
 New York, opened for Yale, and in
 clear, concise terms stated the ground
 on which Yale based her argument
 His manner of delivery was excellent
 and his style Spartook more of the argu-
 mentatfye than did that of the Har-
 yard speakers.
 Harvard's second speaker was
 Adolphe Morrell Sayre, Sp., of the Dis
 trict of Columbia. He spoke in a dry
 and rather sarcastic style, and turned
 the laugh frequently upon his oppo-
 nentS.
 Walter Haven Clark of Connecticut
 one of Yale's best debaters, discussed
 the points made by the other side in 3
 cool and convincing manner that was
 truly wonderful.
 William Belmont Parker '97, of Ne
 braska. for Harvard, and Anson Phelps
 Stokes. jr., '96, of New York, for Yale
 closed the opening arguments of their
 respective sides, both making good
 points.
 Five minutes were given each speaker
 in closing. which were for the most
 part used in tearing to pieces their op-
 ponents' arguments.
 The judges retired to the ante-room
 and after brief time returned and MT
 Elihu Root, on behalf of the judges,
 said
 "On the ground of hospitality we
 would wish to give the debate to Har-
 ward, but on the merits of the debate
 we give it unanimously to Yale
 Following are abstracts of the
 speeches:
 MIR. STEWARD OF HARVARD.
 F. P. Steward opened the debate for
 Harvard in a guarded and conserva-
 tive speech. He spoke in excellent form
 and was the most persuasive of the
 trio from Cambridge. The case of the
 affirmative he defined in part as fol-
 lows: