Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1904-05-20
Given First Place in the State Or
atorical Contest at Muskeson
Last Week.
CLAUDE WATSON
THE LUCKY BOY.
An Honor Highly Appreciated by Every
High School In the State of
Michigan.

In the Michigan State Oratorical con-
test, held at Muskegon last Friday
night, Alma's representative, Claude
Watson, covered himself with glory by
carrying off first honors. Alma students
are jubilant over the victory, as this is
the first time in our history that we
have won honors Of this kind. A re-
markable feature in the contest was the
fact that Mr.. Watson won first place
from all six judges-three on thought
and composition and three on delivery
a circumstance rarely enjoyed by the
winner in contests of this nature. All
six districts OF Michigan were repre-
sentei, the contestants coming from
Alma, Port Huron. Adrian, Holland,
Muskegon and Ispheming. With such
hard competition as this, to be accorded
first place by six different judges, each
acting independently OF the others, re-
fleets much credit OH Mr.. Watson and
the Alma schools. Second place was
accorded to Port Huron.
Following is Mr.. Watson's grafton in
full:
1t is not permitted to the reader of
history TO morslize at length upon the
events which are sketched by the his
torian's pen. He is forbidden to conjec-
ture, to imagine, 10 dream; he has
learned, albeit against his will, TO mode
rate his enthL siasm, 10 curb his fancy,
and 10 be humble in the presence of
facts. To him the scenery on the shore
of the stream that bears him onward
tall trees and giant rocks-must pass
but half observed, and for him the
sun and south wind strive in vain TO
make snticing pictures on the playful
eddies of human thought.
None the less be may occasionally
pause TO reflect: he may ever and anon
throw out an honest deduction from
the events which his attention has fixed.
Particularly is this true when he comes
to the end. Suddenly he anchors in
the bay Of the present and realizes that
his voyage is done. In such motion
there is natural revision of the
thought from its long and devious track
across the fields, valleys, and wastes Of
the past, and strong disposition TO
educe some lessons from the events
Wnlcn DC mas reaO.
The first and most general truth in
history is that men ought 70 be free. II
happiness Is the end OF the human race,
then freedom Ia its condition. And
this freedom is not to be half escape
from thral!dom aud tyranny, but ample
and absolute. Emancipation in order 10
be an emancipation at all must be COM
plete. To one who studies this subject
it must ever appear strange that men
have been 30 diEtrustful OF this central
principle in the philosophy Of human
history. Ii is an astounding fact that
the major portion OF the energies OF
mankind have been expended in pre-
cisely the opposite way Of the enslave-
ment rather than the liberation OF the
race Every age has sat like n stupid
image of Budda on the breast Of its own
aspirations, and they who have strug.
gled TO break their own, and the letters
ef their fellow men have been regarded
and treated as the common enemies of
human peace and happiness. On the
contrary they have been saviors and
benefactors, OF which this world has
not been worthy.
The greatest fallacy with which the
human intellect has been beguiled is
that the present-whatever age may be
called the present-has conceded TO men
all the freedom which they are fit TO en-
JOY On the contrary no age has done
so. Every age has been car and
every reformer has been threatened with
Siberia. Nevertheless, in the face Of all