Evening star., 1904-03-19
EASTERN SCHOOL WINS
TWO DEBATING TEAMS IN COM.
PETITION FOR HoNoRs.
Election Of United States Senators by
Direct Vote the Question
Discussed.

The Eastern High School was victorious
over the Central School in a very closely
contested debate held at the former school
yesterday afternoon at o'clock. The East
ern team consisted of Miss E. NJ. McGroarty
and Messrs. r. A. Helton and ]. Berry; the
Central team, Miss E. Dickey, Mr.. H. w.
Edgerton and Maj. w. c. Van Week. The
proposition, which was supported by the
Central speakers, was that United States
senators be elected by direct vote of the
people.
Nearly five hundred persons were present
in the school assembly hall, the stage of
which was decorated with light blue and
white and dark blue and white, the colors
of the Eastern and the Central schools, re-
spectively. The two teams occupied posi-
tions on opposite sides of the stage during
the entire contest, each speaker stepping to
the center when 1t came his or her turn to
speak. The board of judges consisted of
Mr.. H. p. Blair, Mr.. Charming Rudd, regis
trar of Columbian University, and Mr.. Thos.
Sidwell principal of the Friends Select
School. Mr.. Huntzberger, a teacher of the
Eastern, presided.
The affirmative side advanced many argu-
ments in an endeavor to show the present
method of electing senators by the legisla-
ture to be wrong. 1t was stated that the
legislatures were unfit to elect members to
a body of men with such power and pres
tige as the United States Senate possesses.
The famous deadlock case in Delaware. in
WAlCn AuQiChS HSuTeu 80 y
was cited as an example OF the inadeQuacy
of the present system.
1t was pointed out that the people of a
state could not be bribed, while the mem
bers of a legislature might, and the conciu-
sion was drawn that, If the people were
given the direct power of election. whole
sale buying of the voters would be impossi-
BILE and the possibility of deadlocks de-
stroyed The arguments of the Central de-
baters were largely in rebuttal of antici-
pated arguments from the other side. Each
of the Eastern debaters whose task 1t was
to combat the proposition affirmed endeav-
ored to demolish strong point made by
one of his opponents. They pointed out
great possibilities of danger in the change
1.-THE wisest body Of men the world has ever
known" and had proved to be successful
through more than 100 years. One argu-
ment advanced in their favor was that the
governmental principle of the United States
has always been one of checks and bal
do much, but the restraining power of
centralized government is continually act
ing for the good of the nation at large
The opinion Of the judges was to the ef-
feet that the delivery and argument of the
two sides was practically equal, but that
the Eastern had won on the question of
the burden Of proof. The Central they said
had failed to substantially build up the
proposition, as 1t was bound to do having
the affirmative side.
While the judges were out of the hall
arriving at this decision the Eastern High
School Glee Club rendered three numbers
The impatience of the audience became very
great when the closeness of the debate kept
the judges out much longer than was ex-
pected. The 500 pupils indulged in loud
cheering for both teams after the announce
ment of the result.