The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-03-31
HARVARD WINS THE DEBATE.
JUDGES DECIDE AGAINST YAEE
 AFTER 4 LONG CONFERENCE.

AFTER 4 LONG CONFERENCE.
 Have Been Ono of tho Closest In Years
 --Rebuttal Commended by President
 Hadlcy-The Speakers and Thoir Ar.
 guments.
 The annual Yale-Harvard debate
 held in College street hall last evening
 resulted in victory for the supporters
 of the Crimson. The decision was given by the judges after long conference. and although 1t was not the popular
 one-the audience being a Yale one, 1t and greeted with loud applause, and tho
 visiting debaters were loudly cheered. The judges were Chief Justice Parker
 of the New York state court of ap-
 peals, Prof. Pepper of the University
 of Pennsylvania and Prof Goodenough
 of Columbia university
 The subject of the debate was: Re-
 solved, That Puerto Rico should be in4 ] cluded within our customs bounda- 1 ries. The order of speaking was as follows: Affirmative, Mayer of Chica-
 go, H., (Harvard); negative, Mason Trowbridge of Chicago, H.. (Yale); af-
 firmative, Harry A. Yeomans of Spo-
 kane, Wash, (Harvard); negative,
 Ashley D. Leavitt of Melrose Mass, l (Yale); affirmative, Wilbur Morse of ! Philadelphia, (Harvard); negative,
 Ferdinand c. Blanchard of Newton,
 Mass, (Yale). In rebuttal the follow-f l ing order was observed: Trowbridge | (Yale) Morse (Harvard), Leavitt (Yale), | Yeomans (Harvard), Blanchard (Yale), Mayer (Harvard).
 | The debate was unanimously conced- ed to have been one of the closest in years. All the points were closely
 made, and as President Hadley, who
 presided, said in his remarks upon the contest, it was pre-eminent for clear- ness of rehuttal President Hadley con- graduated the disputants on both sides.
 Mayer, Harvard's First Speaker. Harvard's first speaker was Elias Mayer 1900, who opened the debate for the affirmative as follows: We are met this evening to discuss a question of the hour Not in years has the country been so stirred over the matter of pure legislation, as over the status which congress shall decide upon for ] Puerto Rico. This is live, practical question, one that invites the sober consideration of every American. Tho decision of the American people on this question will determine whether or notB we are to continue along that line of development which we have successful- ly followed since the beginning of our national existence.''
 The speaker then argued to show that Puerto Rico was in distressing con- dition and needed a remedy for her. ills, and said: Any policy which the Un.t-x ed States adopts for Puerto Rico> mus have three qualities: First 1t must meeys the immediate economic needs of Puer-y to Rico by supplying cheap food and ready employment; second, 1t must as- sure the permanent development of Puerto Rico industtially And socially. Finally, it must fulhf> odr moral obli- zation and must be politically wise."
 MT. Mayer examined in detail the first proposition of the affirmative that to include Puerto Rico within the cus- toms boundary of the United States meant relief for the immediate econom- ic needs of the island. 'The United States" he said, "has furnished food stuffs cheaper than any other country in the world, and can continue to do so, and we propose that the suffering, helpless Puerto Ricans shall have them free of duty. But our plan means also cheap wearing apparel, cheap building material and cheap manufacturing ma- terial. To levy duty upon these es- sentials of economic and social devel- opment would mean suffering to the al- ready impoverished island, more than commensurate with any revenue receiv- ed. He then said:
 with Puerto Rico included within our customs boundary, her induStrial development will be assured with in- dustrial development will come employ- ment, with employment the means to buy food and the opportunity of self support Puerto Rico will flourish and prosper only when you assure relief for the suffering, capital for the crippled industries, and a stability of govern ment. There is one way and only one of securing these benefits to Puerto Rico. Include Puerto Rico within the customs boundary of the Unlaed States"
 Mason TrOWbrtuAe, fntf'e First Spe"ker
 Mason Trowbridge, the first speaker for Yale, said in brief: "The inclusion of Puerto Rico within our customs boundaries involves two things: First, the enforcement in the island of our tariff laws, and, secondly, free importa-. ton into Puerto Rico of American goods and free markets here for Puero Rican products. The negative are opposed to this policy because it makes the former a condition precedent to the attainment of the latter. It requires Puerto Rico to pay for free markets the price of ac- cepting along with them our tariff laws which are not adapted to her needs. This is unnecessary because the one. may be obtained without the other. Tn framing tariff for this country, which was to apply there also, it would not be possible to give any great amount of attention or consideration to the needs of that one comparatively small island. The only way, therefore, in which we can give her customs laws that shall meet her wants is to allow to enact special rates forNher, as that body has right to do. And that is the proposition of the negative.