Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-26
ON
Speaker HenderSOn's
ChiefeSt Hobby

there is no subject upon which David Bren-
ner Henderson has more pronounced views
than upon the Importance to young men oil
thorough training in the art OF disputation
This Is quite natural In q man whose excep-
tonal abilities as a public speaker and a
debater have been such powerful aids to ad-
vancement as they have in Colonel Hender-
sons case. 1t Is true that as speaker of the
house of representatives, one OF the most
difficult bodies in the world to control, he
will need to bring comparatively untried
faculties into play, but beyond a doubt his
speeches and debates on the floor OF the
house, In conventions and on the platform
have been special training which will be
of immense advantage to him in his new
place His predecessor, Thomas Bracket
Reed, was all the stronger as presiding
officer because of his skill in debate.
There was no progressive American
neighborhood without its debating society
when | was young" said Colonel Henderson
the other day. "Some communities boasted
of two or more and the young man who took
no interest in their meetings was decidedly
at a disadvantage In more ways than one
among his associates. Every sort OF topic
was discussed by the youthful debaters and
with quite as much earnestness as II the de-
cision of the judges at the close of each dis
pute were binding upon the whole world
At first blush you may not perceive now
general and thorough Is the training re-
ceived how wide the range OF Information
acquired by the young man who throws him
self heart and soul into general debating
but little reflection will convince you that
tho ability to express his views Is only one
of the advantages he derives.
zone OF the most desirable things about
t,,t sIa alrnrp p
forced to read extensively and study deeply.
In no other way can they hope to stand
chance of making good showing Such
reading and study is far more beneficial than
ordinary preparation for class room work.
In the one case he must take the initiative,
must bring out every possible point In favor
of his contention in order to sustain his side
of the dispute. Besides, he must under
stand all the points likely to be advanced
on the other side that he may the more
readily answer them. In the other case he
has only to acquaint himself sufficiently with
the subject to make fairly satisfactory
recitation possible. 1t is not expected that
he will take the initiative at all; the In
structor does that
1.-The higher institutions OF learning in
this country could do the young men OF
America no greater service than to make
public speaking. 1t would increase the hold
of the students vastly upon the things they
know and so would be of great advantage
even to those who do not enter public life;
to those who do 1t would be simply invalu-
able The simple power of thinking on his
feet Is something which many man has
had to learn long after his school days have
passed, but 1t is something that must Of
necessity be acquired by every youngster
who attends n debating school of the sort
that was common in Iowa in the SOS.
Nowadays few such organizations are to be
found anywhere, 1 am afraid"
Speaking Both Sides.
When Colonel Henderson was boy, living
at home with his fathers family on Hen
derson's Prairie" the debating school was
his greatest passion, and undoubtedly he
owes much to the experience he acquired
then. There was a debating society In the
home neighborhood which held its meeting
in the Henderson school house," there
was another in the neighborhood to the
west and yet another to the south. AS the
school house In which the societies in the
adjoining neighborhoods met were within
easy riding distance he Joined all three and
gave up three nights each week to disputa-
tion. Naturally, he had to devote virtually
all his spare time to preparing himself for
the debates. This gave him little oppor-
tunity for the ordinary amusements OF
youngsters OF his own age. for often
the questions at issue before the three
debating societies were of the most d.
verse nature and 1t was his prac-
tice always to inform himself as thoroughly
on the opposite side as ON his own.
On one occasion the question to be debated
was very intricate, and, moreover, one re-
gardiug which a good deal could be said on
both sides. Young Henderson noticed this
In his reading, and soon after he arrived
at the school house was mighty glad he had
1t was customary to have three speakers
or more on each side, the question generally
being worded SO that one side took the af-
firmative and the other the negative. Hen
derson's reputation had come to be such
that he was generally chosen, as on this
occasion, to open the debate in support of
the affirmative. Naturally, the next best de-
batter In the society was invariably selected