The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-03
TO RUN RIOT
TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL CONTEST
AT COLUMBIA, MO-, THIS WEEK.
of Ten Colleges to
COmpete-Indiana's Speaker-W1n-
ners OF Previous Events.

COLUMBIA, Mo-, May 2.-College men
from ten States will assemble at Columbia
next Thursday, May 6. The occasion is the
twenty-fourth annual contest of the Inter-
state Oratorical Association. In addition
there will be the annual national conven-
ton of the Sigma M fraternity, an inter-
collegiate field day of athletic sports and
the fnal game of baseball between those
ancient enemies, Missouri and Kansas. Ten
States will be represented by their cham
pion orators in the contest. Each State
has it's own Intercollegiate oratorical asso-
citation and contest. The winner of the
State contest represents the entire State at
Columbia. These representatives and their
subjects are:
Iowa-Subject: What Is Miner Miss
Alice Starbuck, of Penn College.
Kansas-"The kingliness of MAN," w. "A.
Brown, of Baker University.
Missouri-"The Basic Law of Progress"
Pearl ID. Decker, of Parke College.
Illinois-"The Destiny of the Common
Mass, - Jesse 5. Dancey, of the Illinois Wes-
leyan University.
Ohio-"Arbitration," Carey E. Gregan, of
the University of Wooster.
Nebraska-"The Author-hero of the Revo-
luton, r. c. ROPER, OF the University of
Nebraska.
I~ndiana-"Our Municipal Problem Ed
ward A. Palmetto, Of Hanover College;
SNCAASAA ~ y -
p. Hinckley, of Beloit College.
Colorado : Statesman and Nation"
Chauncey f. Bell, of the University OF Col
Orado.
Minnnesota-"The Needed Element in
Present Reform" Laurence N. Booth, of
the University of Minnesota.
BY a singular coincidence, the Kansas
representative is a native and resident of
Missouri, While the Missouri representative
is u native and resident of Kansas. Pearl
ID. Decker, the Missouri orator, is twenty
two years old and resides on q farm near
Hollis, Kan. He will practice aw. Brown,
of Kansas, comes from Kidder, Mo-, where
he was a printer for several years. He is
now a preache and connected with the ST.
Louis Conference of the Methodist Church.
He is twenty-five years old, the Oldest of
the contestants. The younges orator is
Roper, of Nebraska, VINO celebrated his ma
of Thomas Paine, the infdel author and
revolutionary hero. All the contestants
save one are young men. Miss Alice Star
buck, OF Iowa. is the one representative of
the fair sex.
The association has held twenty-three
contests since it's origin III 1873. OF these
Missouri has won only one. This was in
1876 at Chicago, when Charles r.. Noland,
then a student of Central College, Fayette,
won first honors. MIR. Noland's subject was
The Worlds Conquerors." At that time
a lady. Miss Laura a. Kent, of Antioch
College, Ohio, won second prize. Her theme
was beatrice and Margaret"
In 1892, at Minneapolis, for the first and
only time in the history of the association
II A1o1 " ALA9G 4 hDl1C was LIS ".
Jean Nelson, of De Paw University, In
diana. who spoke on Industrial Freedom
Illinois has won nine contests; Indiana, five;
Wisconsin ana Iowa, three each, and Ohio,
Missouri and Kansas, one each. Nebraska,
Minnesota and Colorado have never been
successful.
The association was organized in Febru-
airy, 1874, by KnoX College, Illinois. In June
of the same year a permanent association
was formed. The States represented were
Wisconsin, Illinois. Iowa, Michigan, Indi-
ana and Ohio. Since that time Michigan
has withdrawn from membership, and Min
nesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and
Missouri have been admitted, in the order
named.
At the second contest, in indianapolis. in
1875, Thomas /. Coultas, Of Illinois Wes-
leyan University. won first prize. Subject,
Culture as a Basis of Brotherhood" Mr..
church in the city where he won the prize.
o. A. Curtis, of Kansas, won in 1877, with
the theme, Satan and Mephistopheles."
Mr.. Curtis is now a professor. in a Boston
university.
The contest of 1878 was held in ST. Louis.
e. A. Bancroft, of Knox College, speaking
upon THE loneliness of Genius, won.
"Iago" was the subject of the GRAFTON of
r. M. Lafollete, now a Wisconsin editor,
who won in 1879.
Iowa College. in the person of L. C. Har-
ris, won the contest in 1889, will a eulogy
on Edgar Allen Poe" Richard Yates, son
of Illinois's war Governor, was second. THE
Philosophy of Skepticism' was the winning
subject in 1881, and Charles F. Coffin. of
De Paw University, the winning orator.
Other winners were: Frank G. Hanchett,
of Illinois, in 1882, subject The Old Man
and the New Civilization;'' John NJ. Rose,
of Illinois, in 1883, subject THE Political
Mission of Puritanism;" Charles t. Wye
koff. of Illinois,, in 1884, subject Judas Is
%cariot;;' Albert J. Beveridge, of Indiana, in
Capital L. c. Ritsler. of Wisconsin, in
1856, subject Conservatism an Essential
Element of Progress j.. II. Finley, Of
Illinois, in 1887, subject John Brown r.
G.. Johnson, of Indiana, in 1888, subject
Principles of Political PARTIES Ed H.
of Inequality" S, W.. Naylor, of Kansas,
in 1890. The Puritan and the Cavalier in
Our National Life Frank Fetter, of In
diana. in 1891, The Heir Apparent" A. A.
Hopkins, of Illinois, in 1888, "Cavour;" c.
+. Wishart, of Illinois, in 1894, The Policy
nois, in 1895. The Hero of Compromise
the last contest was won by A. M. Cloud,
of Iowa, on the theme, 1.-The Policy of Met
ternich.' Knox College, Illinois, where the
association originated, has won five first
prizes more than any other institution.
The present officers of the association are
NJ. A. Roder, of Colorado, president; Thos.
j. Wallace. jr., of Fayette. Mo, vice presi-
dent; Fred r. Owens, of Franklin. Ind,
secretary-treasurer, and the following State
committeeman; f. w. Ellis, Crete, Neb.;
i. w. Trook, Bloomington, Ind; George V.
Jenkins, Fairfield, Ia; w. w. Harrison,
Fulton, Mo-; e. G. Eden. Hiram, O.; j. w.
LAWRENCE, Kan; Harry d. Clark, Ripon,
Wis: +. w. Chamberlain, Mortified,
Mimi; Nj. a. Dakan, Boulder, Col.
President RAIDER is a native of Marshall,
Mo-; n football player, a preacher and thir-
ty-one years old. Fred r. Owens. the sec
retary-treasurer. though only twenty-five
years old, is adjutant general of the In
diana Sons of Veterans.