The Washington times., 1904-04-23
GEORGETOWN PUTS
BOSTON TO ROUT
First Bout Of the IntercOl-
legiate Debate.
ON THE MERGER QUESTION
Much Interest in the Contest Between
Rival Schools Of Jaw-Lines
Of Argument.

Georgetown University last nisht
triumphed over Boston University in a
debate at CASTOR Hall. on the subject.
Resolved. That the Northern Secur1
lies Company is a combination in re-
straint Of trade within the meaning OF
section l.. page $500. United States Com
piled Statutes. The debating teams
were composed OF students OF the law
schools of each university.
The Affirmative q the question was
taken by GeorgeS sVn. whose debaters
were William T.. X. Geoshan. of Phild-
Golphia; Phil A Graw. OF Wisconsin.
and John r. Murphy, of Maine. The
Boston debaters were Clarence l. New
ton, of Vermont; Fred F. LAWRENCE.
and Harry c.. Dunbar.
The judges. who decided in a few min
utes the question over which the SUI
prone Court of the United States
worked for months. were Representa-
tive Alfred Lucking. IF Michigan; Rep
resentative w. r. Smith, of Texas, and
Representative William 5. Greene. of
Massachusetts. In announcing their Ge-
cision. the judges set forth that The
merits of the question itself did not
figure in their conclusions. but that the
cp.nion was based purely on the ability
OF the speakers
AppTeciative Audience.
Several hundred persons gathered to
hear the battle of the orators When
either side scored a telling point in
the argument. the audience expressed
its approval in generous applause.
SdIlful fencing with words. quick re-
partee. and outbursts of oratOry proved
highly entertaining TO the spectators,
and the decision Of the judges was re-
ceiVed with favor.
The of the Boston debaters
was based on the contention that sec
ton ] of the statutes Is a penal stat
ute n should be construed literally.
The actual construction Of the act, they
cOntended, is not broad enough TO COW
er such an exceptional case as the
Northern Securities. They argueu that
the ompany was not a trust, but mere
~ a corporation. holding the stock OF
three railroads
GeOrgetown's Argument.
W. F Y. Geoghan opened the de-
bate for Georgetown. and immediately
brought out the chief argument of rho
affirmative. He maintained that the act
on which the prosecution against thC
company was based is a remedial stat
ute. and is so constructed as TO apply
directly 10 such cases as the Northern
Securities
NFilltA sue Ild4t mtNAtn OF TIE ht-
cislOn of the United States Supreme
Court. and the case was argued as
though no judicial body had taken-action
in 1t.
Under New Rules.
The contest was the first in Washing
ton TO be governed by the new i~ntercol-
fegiate rules, which provide that eacf
speaker on both sides be allowed si2
minutes for rebuttal. Heretofore only
one speaker on the Affirmative has beer
allowed to rebut the arguments of tn
negative. The formal arguments Of TIT
speakers occupied fourteen minutes each
The Boston debaters are members o
The William r. Russell III of In
Boston University. Their defeat las
night was the first the club has sumere'
al the hands Of an Eastern college sine
its organization, and the victory of tn
Georgetown boys is all the more notabl
la view of the fact that the hest team
was sent 10 Washington 10 compete wit
them
W. r. Doar. president of the George
town Debating Society, presided at tn
meeting.