The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-16

side on which each one Is to debate is not
announced until minutes before he is
called upon 10 speak.
My success in putting up a debate such
as commended itself 10 the Judges Is
without doubt due 10 my trainin2 rt
Wellesley College. where ! gradd
am I'm the Law College al Con-
wellesley I took a debate course. $3.50
belonged TO o society. the Agora. tn
work Is the study OF political question.
I'm this society debates are very frequent.
But most Of AN / owe my success TO the
training Of the college life. There AN
the conduct OF affairs Of undergraduates
is I'm the hands of women-or girls II you
will.
III women have not hitherto taken non
ors in debate. or in the management Of
practical affairs. ii has been not because
they had not the ability. but because they
had not the training because they had
never tried their powers and did not
have faith i'm themselves. At wellesley,
/ had training i'm debate. / also acquired
faith I'm myself. The conditions Oh society
arc such that women, ass a rule, draw
back from competing with men. They
doubt their powers. and by never testing
them they never learn them. Al Neles-
lev since an UNDERGRADUATE affairs are In
the hands Of women, there being no men
students there. the women are forced 10
take fun responsibility OF an that goes
on and arc expected 10 manage things
with credit TO themselves and 10 the COL
leee They discover what their powers
are and learn how 10 use such talents
as they have. Whatever success in de-
70
have no doubt that there have been
many women at Cornell who could have
tokon debate hOnors if they had tried.
But they were afraid TO try. undouoted-
~ also. there have been many others
who n they had had the training which
men have had. could have taken equal
bonors There Is hardly young man
VINO has not at some time in his short
life belonged 10 a debating club; but Tor
a woman 10 belong to one Is so much mo
@xcention that she is regarded as some
thing Of n freak
"Aa 70 drawbacks arising from the
e,ct that I am a woman: The debate
is onen TO all students on equal terms
as have said. The only drawback wnich
n woman would find would be preJudice'
duo ia tho sole fact that she IS Woin-
an That there is much OF this preJuolce
m Cornell is true. But prejudice Is some
min, which depends on circumstances
for its effectiveness lt might happen thdt
the Judges appointed 20 decide between
competitors would be men strongly OPP
nosed 10 allowing women on the debate
In such a case. of course. the competitor
80 tho feminine persuasion would nave no
..,.,co Rut that is the only state or
s0airs under which she would be shut
o,,t on account OF the prejudice against
her sex. as candidates for prize In de-
hate If the three men appointed as judges
arc men without prejudice. men VINO VIII
deciJe wholly on the merits Of the case.
tbon. in spite OF prejudice on the part OF
others. "a woman will bee under no disad-
vantage OF course. it. may happen that
the general attitude Of the audience mas
lam unconscious effect on tho decision or
the Judges. n may well happen 700,
that Judges prewdicod against having
women an Tho debates will hc appointed
FOR the very reason Of such pr"'r'ic'.
In my own experience however B