The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-05-08


roll ID. Wright Were the Judges-Ban-
quet Held at the New Haven House at
the Close of the Debate.
The debate held at College street hall
last evening, between representatives OF
Yale and Princeton was won by Prince
ton. The judges after only five min
utes consultation returned to the hall,
and their decision was announced by
Hon. Johiah Quincy mayor of Boston.
The judges were three in number, Mr..
Quincy, Hon. George e. Waring, street
commissioner of New York city, and
Hon. Carroll D. Wright, United States
commissioner Of labor.
The attendance at the debate was
rather small, much smaller than was
that at the Yale-Harvard debate held In
College street hall a years ago. When
shortly after o'clock Hon. E. j. Phelps,
who presided at the debate, and the
debaters took seats on the platform,
they were given an ovation.
Prof. Phelps introduced the first
speaker, Mr. Hume of Yale, without
any remarks
AS each debater rose to speak he was
loudly applauded. Each speaker was
allowed twelve. minutes and the expira-
tion of his time was announced by
Mr.. Garvin, Yale '97.
After the twelve minutes speeches
Ill H,va ,tr,1,t zoe
for rebuttal. At the close of the de-
bate and after the decision had been
announced a large party of Yale stu
dents assembled in front of the hall and
gave three long Yale cheers with
Princeton" at the end.
After the debate banquet was held
at the New Haven house. Forty COW
ers were laid, among those present be-
| ing the judges of the debate, Prof
| A. T. Hadley, H. F. Covington of
Princeton, Prof. G. B. Adams, Prof E.
J. Phelps, Prof. A. M. Wheeler, Prof.
| c.. H. Smith, Prof Robinson, Mr..
| Clarke of the New York Evening Post,
| Prof. Irving Fisher, Prof. Reynolds Of
the Yale law school, the officers Of the
Yale Union, the debaters for Yale in
previous debates, who are now In New
| Haven, and several Princeton under
graduates. Colonel N. G. Osborn of
| this city was POSTMASTER. Mr. Cow
ington responded to the toast, Prince
tom and Prof. Hadley to Yale" Brief
remarks were also made by Mr.. Quincy,
| Mr.. Waring and Mr.. Wright
The debate proceeded as follows, the
substance of each speakers address be-
| ing given:
For the negative, and for Princeton,
Mr.. H. H. Yocum 9S of Columbia. Pa,
opened the debate. He began by stat
ing the negative position. "The speak-
er's power" he said, us the inevitable
result of our system of government His
| leadership is absolutely essential to the
efficient action of the house and the
proper conduct of the public business,
and the exercise of his leadership, so
far from being harmful, has, on the
whole, conserved the interest Of the ma
tion.
Mr.. Yocum then briefly analyzed the
speakers power, and outlined it's limit
| ations. The speaker was never intend
ed as a mere moderator he argued.
There is no place for such a presiding
officer in our congressional system. The
speaker is the leader of his party be-
cause leadership is necessary and our
system affords no other Political lead
ership in American government must
depend upon the power to offer politi-
cal rewards and to inflict political pun
ishment. The speaker is the only one
in the house who has or can have that
power Leadership must be concentrat-
ed in one man to be effective, and that
man must be the speaker. And for that
leadership he must possess all the pow
ers now granted him by the rules.
The first speaker for Yale was Ed
ward Hicks Hume. Mr.. Hume said, in
part:
What is the power of the speaker:
1t is combination of two distinct func
tiOns, i. e., that of a moderator and that
of party leader. Party leadership in
| legislatures is necessary, as shown In
foreign governments as well as in oul
own. So also a. strong presiding officer
is necessary But these functions which
are combined in our speaker are else
where exercised separately. We con
denim the system which has made the
the presiding officer of the whole house
1.-The speaker is party leader by virtue
of his power to appoint committees, tt
refer bills and to control the committee
on rules. Such an exercise of the func
tions of a. party leader dominates the
speakers conduct as a presiding officer
in the first place, in his power to decide
questions of order, and, secondly, in hi:
control of recognition, Numerous in.
stances of the use of these power:
(Which, being discretionary, may be un
fairly used and thus become arbitrary
powers) show that the speaker may
prevent even the consideration of meas
ures opposed to the majority's policy
Through these powers the speaker!
presidents veto being insignificant II
comparison. This has eliminated il
making the speaker an irresponsible
personal power. 1t can be shown thar
the power of the speaker, as thus de
scribed, has resulted in grave legisla.
tive and political evils, which can only
be remedied by removing their cause.
Princeton's second speaker was N. S
Reeves 80 of Brooklyn, N. Y. He mex
took up the argument for the negative
He argued the necessity of the speake
having his power in order to make hi
leadership effective. He next discussed