The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-04-23
DEFENDS THE JUDGES.
Mr.. Hoffmeister Says the High School
Debate Decision Was Honestly
Awarded.

SCuOOlS, duu uCleuuS Uuc dCUlOu VI Uuc
judges in their decision:
LAKE CRYSTAL, Mimi, April 20, 1897.
To THE EDITOR: The judges who
gave the majority decision in the
MankatO-M apletOn debate have made
little or no attempt to Justify them
selves through the papers for their
course. Opinion is always divided in
such contests: and the same is true of
all discussion, from little affairs like
this up to the decisions of the supreme
court OF the United States. Usually
the loudeSt mOuthed critic has the
shalloWest pate. The right of private
opinion is freely admitted, but most
Of the trouble comes from a great
many people not keeping their opinion
private. The failure to do this results
in filing the world with the most dis
cordant noises. Nine-tenths of the
people who listened to that debate
may have been as well qualified as
those who were chosen to render the
decision; but had such a proportion
agreed against the judges, the opinion
would have had no force for the reason
that it was not the authorized Opin-
ion. Both sides agreed with no pro-
test, to submit the debate to the
Judgment OF the three persons, not to
that of Father Prior, or Mr.. Kenaston,
or the audience. This being so, all
the contestants were in hOnOr'bOund to
treat the judges with courtesy, and to
abide by their decision. In every
sort of tribunal in this country the
majority Of the persons constituting
the tribunal invariably determine the
judgment to be proclaimed. Such
majority is also empowered to make
and enforce such rules, from first to
last, as will secure just result. Mr..
DerOme is right in saying. "There are
Others" He is one y, and Mrs. James
and myself ~ are the "others." Does
Mr.. DerOme really believe that we
should have have allowed him to do
"the whole, thing?" and that his opin-
lon in favor Of his own town should
have been permitted to determine
the award? Such may be the
practice in French-Canada amongst
certain official classes, but it is not so
in this part of the world.
Mrs. James and myself knew moth
ing about the disagreement before
the debate until it was all over: in
fact, it was several days before /
learned that such was the case. Nor
did | know that there was bad blood
on account of a former contest be-
tween Mankato and Mapleton. In
deed, / knew nothing about any Of
the persons concerned, not even Mrs.
James. When no agreement could
be reached as to other persons men,
toned for judges, she enquired if
there was Presbyterian church at
Lake Crystal, and actually had to
send to Mr.. Beattie to find out if such
was the case, and if the church had a
minister, and what was his name.
And l protest that neither before the
debate nor since, have l, literally or
tiguratively, played in Mrs. James
backyard {; in fact, doubt if she has
any back yard. Nor was niger in
anybody's woodpile, The language of
the Enterprise is contemplate and Ii
belOus. On the evening of the debate
l was invited, as matter of courtesy,
to take tea with DR.. and Mrs. James.
There for the first time | learned the
question for debate. Little was said
about either that Or the contestants:
and about all that was said was said
in the presence of two Mapleton
gentlemen, who gave Mr. James no
chance to Fix my opinion had she
been so disposed. When they left her
residence, we spent the remaining
time discussing the heather in Next
co AMI Japan, to whom Mrs. James
was sent as a missionary. l under
stand that she is now fervent advo-
cate of home missions.
No wonder there was quarrel if
the MapletOn contestants exhibited
anything like as much bile as
their principal has displayed in the
papers. There is such thing as not
acting in accordance with the dignity
of ones position. Cowboy language
is worse than wearing coW-hide boots.
II the Mankato high school is immor-
al, it is wrong, and | hope the guilty
ones will repent, But that has moth
ing in the world to do with the decis-
ion it this contest. 1t is childish to
be calling names. If there is ground
for action, and if any one is bent on
prosecution for high crime, then 90 to
the grand jury and the courts. 1t is
not to the point at all to be defiling
the papers with the mention of such
things, and thus imposing on the great
majority of people who do not care
snap for this whole business.
AS for the contest itself, the major.
ity of the judges at least supposed
that the question admitted of debate.
If we had allowed the position of
Mapleton that culture, so far as this
contest was concerned, must include
moral culture, then there was no
ground for debate. OF course the lat
ter is the most potent influence
against immoralties. Nor was it
necessary for Mapleton to write to
Tom-Dick-and-Harry politicians for
support. Such men, like most Sunday
school scholars, almost invariably vote
yes to every question proposed.
And whether this is true or not is
immaterial. since the dictionaries in
clude morals under culture. They al
so include agriculture" which GER
tainly does not promote morality, to
Judge by the hurried exodus from the
farms to anywhere else. and by the
way in which those who do remain
'kick" like all creation. Mapleton
spent most of the time harping on
the definition. If we had admitted
their claim, then the decision must
have been rendered not to the
contestants, but to the question it,
self. In the discussion following
this seems to be Mapleton's conten-
tion, viz: That the affirmative should