River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-05-29
Discriminatory Contests.


DeClamatory Contests.
The principal of the River Falls
High School, in the local declama-
tory contest, separated the contest
ants into two classes. Those who
had pieces of an oratorical order
constituted one class and those who
had pieces of dramatic order COM
prised the other class. AS will be
readily inferred the boys had ora
torical pieces and the girls the dra-
matte pieces. Suppose this ar
rangement were inverted-the girls
taking the speeches of Webster,
Philips, Everett, and the boys recit-
ing such pieces as Me and Jim, )"
up in Balloon"-the incongruity
is apparent. Girls can outclass the
boys in certain features of speaking
and the boys are better able than
girls to present other features. The
girls are best qualified by natural
endowment and accomplishments
to most effectually give expression
to those sentiments that involve
tender emotions and pathos. Their
manner on the stage also has in it
more acknowledgements attitude
without apparent consciousness or
intentional seeming; a graceful
bearing; ease of motion, aptness
and elegance of gesture. The boys
are better adapted to harangue with
a big voice; to convince by arguments
that appeal to reason; to surpass in
forensic eloquence. 1t follows from
this that the boys and girls should
not be confused in these contests.
An added reason for discrimination
is found in the difference of effect
upon the judges that a boys appear
ance makes as compared to a girls.
The average boy has no show in the
justice of the decision of masculine
Judges when his contestant in evil
dence is pretty girl with a sweet
voice, a red ribbon around her neck
and a bunch of flowers on her dress.
On this subject the Hudson True
Republican of last week had this to
say:
The managers who have these con-
tests in charge seem to have con-
fused idea of the kind of work they
are trying to do. THERE'S distinct,
dividing line between defamation
and recitation and yet the high
school principals who represent the
district do not seem to recognize it.
A pupil who recites a simple little
poem will be rated ahead of the one
who recites an orator of Webster
fairly we'll The final object of the
contests is oratory, and defamation
is the delivery part of oratory. That
is the art they are trying to cultivate.
Very few poems or narrative pieces
an be acclaimed. They are recited.
The highest English authority says:
GAS Dryden and Pope gave US logic
in meter SO Byron and Shelly gave
us defamation in meter" There
are a few selections from Childe
Harold and the Revolt of Is1ana
that can be acclaimed; other poetry
gives no opportunity for oratorical
power. Yet the teachers Of this or
atorica1 district have their ideas of
oratory SO fixed that a pupil reciting
>Mary's Lamb perfect would outrank
the one who did his best with the
Reply to Hayne.
When the latter com plains of hav-
ing the hardest piece he is told
that he should have made a simpler
selection. Now the object in these
exercises is to raise the standard of
oratory among the pupils; it is raised
by the use of models, and by the
sublime wisdom of the teachers of
the district it is being raised to the
standard of Mary's Lamb. They
offer a reward for defamation and
give it to the one who recites best.
They might as we'll offer a prize to
the best singer and give it to the
best whistler because that is the
easiest art.
If there are enough of them who
know "a hawk from a handsaw'
they should get TO work some time
when the wind is sou by sou-east,
find out exactly what they are trying
to do and revise their rules accord
ingly.
Artistic monuments cost no more
than plain ones in White Bronze
and are strictly everlasting. White
/ Prnr,za not n,-11 m 1n1e 1n11 he action