The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20
State VIII Not Be Represented Be-
cause Speech of Luther Feeger
Is Censored.
NOTRE DAME OFFENDED
Quaker Schools Representative
VIII Not Change Anti-Catholic
Statements of Speech.
COURTESY IS ONLY ISSUE
Religious Considerations, Says
Representative, DO Not Govern
in the Present Agitation.

Because Luther NJ. Feeger, OF Earlham
College, chosen at the recent state oratoricai
contest in this city to represent Indiana in
the interstate oratorical contest, which will
be held at Notre Dame May 4 has an
nounced a refusal to modify certain
alleged anti-Catholic statements in his ora
ton, '-Gustavus Adolphus," TO which OBJ
lection was made by Notre Dame Univer-
sity. he will be disqualified TO represent
Indiana at the interstate contest. and this
State will be without a representative.
This decision was reached by the execu-
tive board of the State Oratorical Associa-
tion after it had been in session at the Den
ison from IL o'clock yesterday morning un-
til o'clock last night, with only short
recess for lunch at 2 o'clock. The colleges
voting affirmativeIy on the decision were
Butler, Franklin. Hanover. Notre Dame
and Wabash Earlham and De Pauw did
not vote.
Feeger, when seen last night at Rich
mond. said: II will not make any changes
I'm my oratiOn and have abandoned any idea
of taking part in the contest. 1 still main
tain that the grafton is historically correct
and that the board had no right to take the
action it did"
taken by Notre Dame are alleged by the
representatives of the Roman Catholic in
stitution to be contrary to the facts of his
,tory and derogatory to the Roman Catholic
Church. AS the Grafton will be delivered
under the dome of the Catholic institution.
with the speaker guest of the school. the
representative of Notre Dame was instruct
ed TO ask the State Oratorical Socety's ex-
ecutive board to request the Earlham
speaker TO change his oration in such a
manner as to strike out the Objectionable
phrases. otherwise the Catholic institution.
would feel forced to withdraw from its
membership in the state society.
FEEGER APPEARS BEFORE BOARD.
Yesterdays meeting of the executive
board of the State Oratorical Society
which is composed of delegates from the
oratorical associations of the schools that
compose the Indiana association, was called
at Notre Danes request to consider the
question on its merits and TO reach final
decision.
At the morning session both sides of the
psentatives of the two schools interested,
sNotre Dame and Earham The latter
school was as earnest in the presentation of
its side of the case Notre Dame,
asserting that history supports the state
ments made in Mr.. Feegers oration.
Mr.. Feeger himself was in the city, and
appeared before the board, while Notre
Danes side of the question was presented
by r. V. Kanaley.
B. v. Kanaley, of Notre Dame who is
vice president of the Interstate Oratoricai
Association. attended a meeting of the exec
ut1ye board OF that organization in Chicago
Friday, and said yesterday that he was in
formed at that meeting that the interstate
organization will support the Indiana as
sociation in any action which il might take
I'm the matter.
At the same time Mr. Kanaley stated that
IL should be understood that any action
no nd
sociation was not governed by religious
considerations. but purely by considera-
tionS of courtesy.
At the afternoon session Mr. Kanaley
pointed out definitely the lines of the ora
ton on "Gustavus Adolphus that Notre
Dame considered should be changed and
the balance of the time until Adjournment
was taken up by the board with marking
the Objectionable words and lines The de-
cision finally reached was in effect a COM
promise. concessions being made to both
Earlham and Notre Dame. The parts of
ne grafton stricken out are inconsiderable
NO CHANGE IN MANUSCRIPT.
The resolution adopted by the board was
moved by Paul C. Snyder. Hanovers repre-
sentative. and seconded by Thomas d. Ly-
ons. Notre Danes representative. 1t holds
that 1t is the decision of the board that
Mr.. Feeger be disqualified to represent In
hiana at the interstate contest unless he
agreees by March 20 to modify statements
which the oratorical board considers dis
courteous to Notre Dame and which the
board holds would not affect the effective
ness of the grafton.
Provided. however, that Mr.. Feeger be
allowed to submit the speech without
change TO the judges on manuscript but TO
make the changes for delivery. The state
E1ents to be modified to he selected and
indicated by the executive board and a
copy of the GRAFTON marked and sent TO Mr..
Heeger-
SIt was moved that should Mr. Feeger
refuse 10 make the changes required and
would therefore be disqualified. De PAWS
representative. Manford C. Wright. who
stood second I'm the state contest should
be elected to represent Indiana in the inter-
state contest
This motion was objected to by De
Pauw's representative, as IL would seem TO
be reversing the decision of the judges i'm
the state contest. and was voted down by
the board on the ground that it would be
establishing a dangerous precedent.
EARLHAM WILL NOT OBJECT
1t was finally decided that. should Feeger
refuse to speak on the terms of the board.
q the interstate contest. From this de-
c.sion of the board there is no appeal and
there is absolutely no prospect of a recon-
sideration.
The members of the executive board of
the State Oratorical Association, which met
At the Denison yesterday are A. Van Nuys.
of Wabash. president; John $. Van SAINT,
or De Pauw. secretary; Cloyd Goodnight,
of Butler: Mark III. Miller. Of Franklin:
Paul Snyder. of Hanover; Clyde Kennedy.
Notre Dame.