Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-28
STUDENTS IN DEBATE
George Washington Univer-
sity Boys Down Georgetown.
UN ANXIOUS VERDICT
THREE HOURS OF ARGUMENT ON
OPEN SHOP,
Enthusiastic Audience Cheers the Dis
putants Members of the
Faculties Present.

Faculties Present
The blue and gray of Georgetown was
trailed in the dust of defeat last evening
before an audience which filed Castor Hall
TO the doors. The occasion was contest
between debating societies Of the old COLI
lege across the creek and George Wash
ington University. and to the latter belongs
all the laurels OF victory. After nearly three
hours OF argument relative To the open
shop and IT'S effect upon the laboring peo-
pie the judges decided that the affirmative.
as presented by Georgetown. had not been
established. During the evening there had
been displays of college enthusiasm but
former efforts pa,ed into insignlhcance
when the decision OF the judges was am
nounced.
1t was a typical college crowd. too. that
gathered to listen to the young orators.
Both sides were well presented, and every
speaker was generously applauded Rev.
Jerome Daughcrty and DIR. Charles W.
Needham, presidents, respectively. of
Georgetown and George Washington uni
versites. were the platform, were
most OF the members of both faculties.
The question was: Resolved. That the
maintenance of the open shop subserveS the
better interests of the laboring classes"
Joseph A. Lennon. president of the George
town Debating Society. presided at the de-
bate, and stated that the term open shop"
should be interpreted to mean any shop in
a trade where union and non-union men
work together. The affirmative was pre-
scented by William +. y. Geoghan. Charles
f. English and Henry !. Quinn of George
town. The negative was taken by Robert Il.
Pharr, Leonne Bone and Samuel Edelstein
of George Washington The alternates were
Louis Cohen for George Washington and
,D.I I hH-f for
Haley's Band rendered a varied program
during the evening. supplemented by sew
eral songs by the glee club. The judges
were s y. Il. North. director Of tie CEN
suS; Arthur b Hayes, solicitor OF internal
revenue. and l.. Dana puraud, bureau OF
corporations.
The Debaters.
Mr.. Geo2han was first introduced and for
fifteen minutes he told the judges and the
ladies ard gentlemen why the open shop
was the very hest thing in The world for the
laLoring people. He explained. however,
that in advocating the open shop the
affirmative did not want to be understood
as opposing the labor unions. The unions.
said MIR Geoghan, are useful in their
sphere. hut would present grave danger 10
the republic should they obtain monopoly.
Mr. Geogh an conceded the right of labor to
organize and said it was good thing II
not permitted 10 go 100 far. lie said tho
SHOP plekHilS III the ltA''u oititSr
and supported his statement by quoting sta
tistics briefly. He showed further that So
per cent of the laboring People are unor-
ganized. against only II per cent organized.
He concluded by arguing that closed shops.
as advocated by the negative. would force
laborers into unions. while economic sue
cess can only be built upon the rock OF
voluntary membership in these unions
Mr. Pharr. the first speaker for the mega
tive declared that Mr.. Geoghan had con-
fused a mans interests as set forth in
the question, and his rights Mr.. Pharr
declared a might have the right TO
walk down the street on one leg, but it
would not be to his interests to do
Likewise, he said that while it would be
within a mans right to work for 20 cents
a day, 1t would not subserve his better in
terests to do so. Along this line he
deavored 70 show that the union shop is
best for the laboring man. He said that
laborers lives often dependent upon
their fellow-employes, and that they should
have some means of preventing the employ
ment of incompetent co-workers.
Effect of Unions.
Charles II. English. for the affirmative,
declared that unions tend to restrict the
output, and consequently place a higher
price on the necessities OF life. He was
followed by Mr. Bone, who showed the adj
vantage of collective bargaining as COM
pared with individual bargaining. arguing
only be obtained through organization and
unionism. Mr.. Quinn. for the affirmative.
rested his case with public opinion" which
he said after all the great power behind
the throne. He pointed out that as public
opinion had condemned uniOnfsm, untonsn
cannot prosper. Mr.. Edestein. for the neg
alive, contradicted this last argument, say
ing that public opinion had not revolted
against uniOnfsm but the lawlessness of
uniOnism in certain eases. He said also
that non-union labor is a most dangerous
weapon in The hands of the employer.
Committeeman and Guests.
Following IS the reception committee:
Georget cwn-C harles J. Houston, chairman;
Francis j. p. Cleary. Charles y. Crawford.
Robert F. Crowley Don Carlos Ellis Ed
ward n. Hopowell, Charles J. Kane. Fran
els NJ Tracy Harry F. Walters and John
Il. liable, George Neutrality-suspicious. ".
Meyers, chairman; Joseph r. Biggs. Arthur
c. Compton, Charles +. Christian, Z. y.
Gates Clarence L. Marine, Robert 1.
Moore Alvin l.. Newmyer, H. A. Ong and
Richard J, F. Quigley. -
On the platform were Rev. Jerome Doug
herty, president Georgetown University:
Judge Seth Shepard. d. w. Baker J. Easily
Smith Rev p. j. Quill, d. w. O'Donoghue.
p ]. Haltigan and Rev. Rene Holland: the
class in economics of Catholic University;
NJ. F. Mangan, NJ. Sullivan and ]. w.
Sohon of Georgetown, and Dr. Chas. w.
Needham, Profs. William r. Vance, Vie
detz-LoreaZen, w. r. T. Phillips Hodgkins.
CIephane- Mossher, Carroll Mr.. Morrison
of George Washington University.