New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-28

M, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES PROBES
soRs ON MERIT IN DEBATE.
The most important incident in me cohe51
at Yale this week will be the annual aa.. or the
$3.50 20 he held OF the Hyperion Theatre Oh NV
,- =, Er4dav December g. The supJeo' 80
.,po.oIysd That the United States shou'u 49,
1Isu,aI,an annexation" and Yale has inc -.ad
side OF the question. Yale mas WON - :, q, ov
An debating for the last two years anu - -. 20
nected that Harvard will make s'e"' 49, ,,is
Iurn things her way again. Inc iaio "a ood tho
az, .hou,d he n spirited one This Seai -
.sar, "a composed OF Herbert jump %, ).
Ered.1ck Ewin Richardson, '9S; Herbert "'NO'
Fisher 49, and John Kirkland ClaEh' 90 ,,oro
,rhn ,ron,nr Of q debating team takes h'ucii .o'
time and trouble than is generally supp -, =
two months before the final COMES -, horro,
hard and exactine and requires Se' .n
-, aocb DIV The preliminary contests are ''e
er.t stem toward the selection OF the 'cdi'' ioS'
mans work before this is independent a." er
Il stand his chances OF success. rfoIn 80. IN c.
NJ men who speak OF these cch'es's co.. -.
,ao.od from the academic department. thee I'm I'm
Tho Law School two from the She"e'u ~
80, I'D +,ro from, the Theological School
rhosa ef,aen men speak In the hnol contest ana
four Of them are selected 10 MAKE up NV 49,
,rbe man who In the estimation or the JuosV'' 80
,ba host speaking at this contest also receives w.
ThoN
hos, sneaker in the final contest for the seiec"0m
20 ,ha -,er who debate against Princeton as wen
=. tor ,bosa who debate against Harvard. me ue-
hating team in each case numbers thtee SPe"hoio
and one alternate. although II Is never known "'i
shor,lv before the debate which man Is 10 DE 'he
alternate.
THE FINAL DECISION OF THE MEN
The deciding of this question takes place WINE
,he Anal coaching of the team is going on-oe'ween
.hO NAL
selected and the time when the contest 'ahe'
MACE Formerly three men were selected lor Vhe
team at the trials. and the man making the iou,t"
hos, specch was made the alternate IhueI tlls
method it sometimes happened that the alternate
proved TO be an ADLER than member OF the
rerular team who CHANGED TO make brillaht
speech at the trials. II IS to guard against inns
~, the coacbers do not now decide who shall do
the speaking until each mans ability mas peeh put
20 q thorough continuous test 1t is this maj TEST
ing and coaching that determine almost as much
as the speakers natural ability the strength of the
team and instrumental in this are Professor Ar
thur T Hadley and Eugene V. Reynolds. 1t Is to
these men, and especially to Professor Hadley. that
a good part Of the strength OF Iale's debating
teams has been due With perfectly legitimate
coaching the debaters are shown how to provide
for all the contingencies that may arise IN the dis
cusslon.
Professor Hadley, when asked by a Tribune re-
porter said that the ends strven for in the de-
vclopment Of the team were three: First to get
the men TO the relations OF their parts OF the
work the whole QUESTION at issue; second to make
them distinguish the things which they prove
from those which they cannot, and third 10 correct
a few Of the worst faults OF style and manner"
At the beginning the men compose and exchange
briefs These criticised. reviewed and the argu
ments summed up. Then each man takes for his
own particular task a portion of the argument
Great is always taken that the different por-
lions do not clash or overlap and this slmplifca-
ton OF laborlous task brings the team easily to
the second step in their preparation.
THE EARLY WORK
This consists of number Of actual debates with
scrub teams The most important part OF the work
As done here for at this stage the poor arguments
are weeded out, the men are taught how to meet
and anticipate the arguments OF their opponents
and invaluable drill in actual debating is secured
New arguments are never contributed by the
coaches, so that the debaters are far from being
mere mouthpieces OF members Of the faculty Weak
nesses and falsities in arguments. however. are
carefully pointed out and corrected whenever de-
tected. The coaches present at most Of these
practice debates Invaluable drill in rebuttal is OBJ
tanned here
Finally when the argument has been all
ranged and strengthened to the topmost limit the
third step comes shortly before the contest, in
rectlng style and manner. Roughnesses and indi-
vidual pecullarities toned down, and great eff
fort Is made give the men an easy, effective
presence. This has always been weak point in
Yale debating Yee's strong point has lain in the
common-sense and lucid manner in which her argu-
ments have been put FORTH but in gracefulness OF
oratory she has always been deficient This, mat
ter for the declamers and rheorcians. has been
especially dwelt upon in the preparation for the
coming Harvard debate and some Improvement is
noted.
individually, the makeup OF this falls debating
team is encouraging. Herbert A. Jump, go T. S. is
q new man in debating but has unusual effective
ness Of presence and ease Of deliverya character
istic seldom found in Yale debaters Herbert W
Fisher. 9s. has been two Varsity debating
teams and is possessed OF great power in penetra-
ing the OF question. His delivery Is the dia-
metrica opposite OF fowery. and Is almost blunt in
It's directness. He is the present winner OF the
Thacher prize and has done excellent literary work
Fred f. Richardson. '9s. figured prominently on his
freshman debating team. The 'sS team won from
the Harvard freshmen-the first victory in debate
that had been won by Yale in years. and Il was
that victory which marked the real beginning OF the
revival in debating al Yale Richardson is an earn
est convincing speaker rather then one Of brill
fancy. John X. Clark 49, was a member Of his
freshman debating team, and has since done good
work in the Yale Union This is mis- first experience
Varsity debater.
HARvARDs TEAM STRONG
Harvard is to have an exceptionally strong team
this year TO represent the Crimson In the inter
collegiate debate with Yale. For the last two years
Harvard has been defeated by the men from New
Haven. and every effort is being put forth this
year TO win back Harvards prestige which she
held uninterruptedly until two years ago To those
who have debating at heart. the rapid improvement
which Yale has made on the platform In the last
three years is most gratifying and It only tends
to compel Harvard TO set higher standard If she
would win back her first place. Very few people
recognize the amount of labor that is involved in
preparing for one OF these debates and the con-
testants In these intercollegiate debates are bound
to be typical representatives Of the most able men
OF their university. Harvard's representatives will
be Charles Grilk. '9s; Wilbur Morse, CO and John
7vxszE