The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1899-03-17
WON IN THE CONTEST
ROdee Was the Winner in tile Local
Contest to Represent the UniVer-
Sity in State Contest.
All the Orators Were Conceded to be
Above the Average in the Matter
Of Preparation.
WILL MEET HERE IN MAY
State OratoriCal Contest Among the
Colleges Will Meet in Mitchell
in the Month Of May.
WILL MEET HERE IN MAY
RODEE WAS THE WINNER.

RODEE WAS THE WINNER.
He Gained First Place in the University
Oratorical Contest Monday Night.
Upon 81. A. Rodee rests the respon-
sibility of carrying the banner of Dako.
ia University to one more victory when
the collegiate oratorical contest meets
in Mitchell in May. Rodee stands in
popular favor with faculty and students
alike and they are all much pleased
over the result of the contest, feeling
absolute con pidence in his ability to
enter the stale contest and defeat all
comers ia the struggle.
Monday evening the University chap
el was crowded TO its utmost capacity
to listen TO the contest of four young
gentlemen who were anxious for the
honor and distinction of representing
the University in the annual contest.
While the exercises were late in Begin
ming the crowd was good natured and
the students succeeded in making
things lively for q while. To the
strains of march played on the piano
the four young gentlemen marched in
to the chapel, headed by President
Shuster of the Students association,
and took their seats on the east side.
President Shuster made the opening
announcement, requesting that the
audience refrain from applauding the
effort of the orators, and to some extent
this was needed. On the stage was
exhibited the loving cup, which is be-
ing contested for by the various COL
leges, and when won three times by
any college it becomes the property Of
such institution. Twice has Mitchell
been successful in bringing the cup
home, Miss McVay winning it first in
'97, and Cotton the second time in 1913,
and Rodee is expected to clinoh the
third successive victory at the coming
contest.
After the invocation had been given
by Rev. A. G. Stevens the Rathbun
orchestra rendered q selection that was
loudly applauded by the audience.
The first of the orators was Mr.. Bruce
McVay, whose subject was "The Will
of the Government" His Grafton was
master one-his thoughts we're grouped
into we'll rounded sentences and phrases
and displayed the speakers intellec-
tual ability to a marked degree.
There are two fundamental forms of
government, he said, and their princi-
pies animate antagonistic forms of
social organization. Empire deifes
the sovereign by degrading the sub
ject: the people exist for the state.
Democracy ennobles governing power
by exslting the governed: the state
exists for the people. Since the world
was young these two principles have
battled for supremacy. Federal gov
ernment is the resultant of two op-
posing forces, centrifugal and centripe-
tai. The preponderance of the former
tends to decentralization and anarchy:
the preponderance of the latter brings
Capitalization and despotism, and they
never find stable equilibrium. The
history OF the life current of any re-
public reveals decided drift toward
one of these extremes. We are most
eager to protect our country against a
foreign foe, but leave it entirely de-
feuseless against ourselves. AS peo-
pie we are deficient in that patriotism
which manifests love for our country
by respecting its laws and institutions.
The defect permeates the social world
to its very foundation. After summar-
izing the blighting effect upon the
social fabric, the family, the speaker
gave, what to him, was the only eff
cient remedy to correct the defect and
that WAS education, which should be
implanted in the youth and worked out
through the generations.
Mr., w. L. Robinsons oration was
confined to subject that is now being
discussed quite generally: Imperial
ISM" He took a radical position
against expansion, as his opening SEN
tence would Indicate: Anarchy and
imperialism are the greatest foes TO
good government" OF the two evils
he considered Imperialism the greater,
as it concentrates the forces of govern
ment; the individual is forgotten; his