Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-10
WITH THE CHAUTAUQUA
Inter Collegiate Debate on a
Live Topic.
SWEET MUSIC FOLLOWED.
DR.. CARROTS Lecture on "Chapter of Un-
written History'-The Last Hours of
John Wilkes Booth.

Resolved, ZInaI Ine Ilgnl OIL Suffrage
should be based on property and edu-
cational qualification" held at the as
sembly hall yesterday morning, was the
topic of conversation at every dinner ta-
bic in our little Highland City yester-
day. (which side will win?" was the
aIl-absorbing question. From beginning
to end the contest had been very close
and public opinion was about evenly d.
vided. At 3 p. m. Hon. j. B. Graham
announced to the eager throng at the
auditorium the decision of the judges
and awarded the first prizes-two beau
tiful gold medals-to the gentlemen of
the affirmative side, Messrs. Tate of Au-
burn and Wilkinson of Greensboro.
Manager West, DESTROYS of attesting his
appreciation of the gallant fight the neg
alive side had made, had provided two
elegant walking canes. These were
awarded to Messrs. Moseley of the State
university and Mynatt of Howard col
lege. The judges were DR.. R. B. Garrett
of Tennessee, Prof. e. L. Hughes of
South Carolina, DR.. M. D. Bartleson of
Taladega, Mrs. S. II. f. Tarrant of Mont
gomery and Miss B. M. Haley of Jasper.
The young orators are from the creme
de la creme" of Alabama chivalry, and
it was but fitting that their laurels-so
nobly won-should be received from fair
hands. The prizes were presented by
Misses Mckenzie of Durham, Mcconnell
of Talladega, Leland of Tuscaloosa and
| Pope of Wilsonville.
The opening speech was made by Mr..
Tate, Auburn's chosen representative.
He argued that in order to vote intelli-
gently one must be able to read and
write; to own property is an incentive to
good government. He strongly favored
the abolition of the negro vote, which
hangs over the south like the sword Of
Damocles, threatening negro domination
or moral corruption. In conclusion he
l,drank a toast ito America, the envy of
all nations in her outward march to pros
perity." Easy and graceful in manner,
possessing clear, penetrating voice, Mr..
Tate fully convinced his hearers that he
| had in him the making of fine orator.
He was followed by Louis Marion
Moseley of the State university, who de-
| clared that the question was, "Shall
we restrict the right of voting to the ed
ucated rich?" This would disqualify
| thousands of teachers end ministers and
| the educated poor, as well as the ignorant
poor. 1t would be undemocratic and
anti-republican; would degrade labor;
would destroy the highest civic ideal and
/ breed socialists and anarchists. THE
| very stars in their courses fight against
| it and every instinct in the human soul
| prCteSCS against the ltuOfSeiHeHt VI LILO
resolution" 1t was an imprisoned, mas
| terly effort and shed new lustre on the
noble institution he represented.
| Next came Mr.. j. G. Wilkinson of
| Greensboro. He pursued the same line
| of argument that his colleague had taken
| up but made this excellent point as to
| the property qualification IF taxation
| without representation is wrong, then
| representation without taxation must be
| wrong" He prophesied that under re-
| stricted ballot America would become
| "the ideal Utopia, which would crown the
| glories of our Anglo-Saxon race"
The last speaker was Fuller Mynatt of
/ Howard. His was the eloquence of
| calm reasoning, of clear convincing log
| ic He insisted that existence, not con-
| dition, is the basis of suffrage" AS to
| the property qualification, history de-
| clares that wealth has no conserving
| power. An educational qualification
| would necessitate board of examiners,
| which would be a great expense to the
government. The number to be disfran-
chised was considered and the danger of
| forming such marked grades in society.
| By a free ballot the pace of progress is
| quickened. This is shown in the case of
| negro suffrage. His eloquent perora-
| ton was a summing up of the argument
| against the resolution.
After the awarding of the prizes the
/ Tyrolean Troubadours, assisted by
Messrs. Ransom and Robertson of New
| York city, gave their final concert.
| AT $50 the Chautauqua Literary Social
| circle had very delightful meeting.
| Religious services were conducted by
| Rev. Lynn r. Walker. very fine pa
| per was read by Mrs s. F. H. Tarrant on
1.-THE Place of Mental Culture in Daily
| Life" After discussion, informal
| but very pleasant, of last years work
| and of our American poets and novel
| lists. the circle was dismissed.
/ O'Clock n Miss Catherine Sta
| ley of New York city, assisted by
| Grambs' orchestra, gave delightful en-
tertainment of half an hours length
I Her rendition in pantomime of 1.-THE
| Sioux Chiefs Daughter" was especially
good, and her encore Nearer, My God
to Thee" If possible, better Her char
| acter impersonaion, "Mammy's LII Ba-
| by Boy" was received with great ap-
| plause.
one of the features of the evening
| was the rendition OF the Edith walker
| Gavotte" by Grambs orchestra, directed
| by Miss Daisy w. Rowley, at the piano.
| Miss Rowley is one of Birmingham
| foremost musicians, and this spirited
"gavotte" was composed by her while a
| student at the Royal Conservatory OF
| Music in Dresden, Germany. 1t was
played by the Royal Court orchestra OF
| Germany, consisting of seventy-f1ve
| musicians, on July a, 1895, and has never
/ before been rendered in America. Miss
| der, and is a composer of whom her ma
| tive state is already proud.
| AT $50 O'Clock Dr. r. B. Garrett of
| Chattanooga was introduced, and deliv-
| cred his celebrated lecture, "A Chapter
| of Unwrftten History" The lecture is
| an interesting and authentic account of
| the last days of John Wilkes Booth.
| Booth was taken on the farm of Dr. Car
rett's father, and he himself-then a
| mere lad--was intimately associated
| with him in his last moments He saw
| him a he stood in the burning barn just
| before the fatal sho. was fired which
tended his brilliant, but erratic career
| FRAMED by the leaping flames, holding
his carbine in his hand. with his curling
black hair pushed back from his white
brow. There he stood as calm and as
| beautiful as Greek statue" He heard
the last pathetic words; "Tell my moth
er that 1 died for my country. did what
l thought was best" Several letters
from Edwin Booth were read and a
number of interesting relics shown. DIR,
| Garrett then spoke of Booths motive
and declared that 1t was the deed of a
| mad man. He had inherited the genius