The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-06-07

Literary Societies at the Academ.
have been organized during the las
five months. and this was their frs
public debate. Henceforth, this con
test will be one OF the regular fea
lures OF the commencement pro
gramme. and. II last nights discussion
Is to be taken as any indication o
what is to be expected In the future
this will be one Of the most interest
ing and noteworthy Of the events lo
Commencement week, at the Aead
envy. A large assemblage OF the
friends and patrons Of the Academy
as well as the entire body of cadets
were present. and the audience. by
frequent and continued applause OF
the various speakers. manifested its
appreciation of the high quality Of the
debate. Considering that the con.
testants were only of the preparatory
age, their arguments were exception
ally logical and convincing. with cur
rent of sound reasoning, and very
much less of fiambouyancy and the
tinkling of cymbals. which people are
accustomed to hear on such occasions.
The question for debate was: Re
solved; THAT the Federal Govern
ment Should Own and Control the
Trunk Lines of Railroad" Robert H.
Clagett and Gordon Robinson, of the
Jackson Society, upheld the afirma-
tive side of the question; while the
negative was defended by Edgar N.
Woolard and Hinton c.. Kittrell, rep
resenting the Lee Society.
The affirmative, opening the debate,
briefly summarized the history OF rail-
reading in the United States; the vast
subsidies in land and money granted
by the Federal Government to the
pioneer railway companies, such as
the Union Pacific; picturing the tre-
mendous impetus that was given to
railroad development by these govern
ment aids, and the consequent right
of the government to a certain con-
troll over these roads. Following this
lucid presentation was
made of the evils of the present rail-
way situation; the autocratic sway of
the railway kings, the manifest dan
ger to the country of allowing such
great power, as control of the railways
gives, to remain in the hands of few
avaricious corporations and exploiters
Of capital the damage that has been
wrought by watered stock, frenzied
finance methods in railway manage |
nent, the immense loss of life in rail- |
way accidents in the United States,-I
equal to twice the population of the
,ity of Columbia-and due almost en-
irely to the mismanagement of rail-
way magnates, who, instead of serving
he interest of the travelling public,
ire wholly occupied with stocking
ling. AS panacea for these and
other nefarious practices of
he present regime in railroad affairs,
he affirmative would have the nation
/ government to own and control the
runk lines. The solidarity of gov
construction, the efficiency
+ the postal system, and the general
xcellence of service found in every
hing undertaken by the Federal gov
rnment were offered as assurance Of
he capacity of the government to
perate the railway systems Of the
ountry. The great advantages that
ad occrued to the people In Germany,
.ustraiia, and many other countries {,
here government ownership had ,
cen tried and found eminently sue 1
essful were further cited by the af- I
rmative.
The negative made no attempt to |
Iinimize the list Of charges laid by I
leir opponents at the door Of the rail- I
ay magnates. They admitted prac. t
cally all that had been said in re- {
ard to the unsatisfactory nature Of ]
resent conditions. They differed t
BY materially. however. in the rem C
ly they would apply. The speakers j
D the negative advocated met swnsrst p
lip and operation Of the railways by C
Q government but rather govern. o
anf nesulatfsms anA enlargement oil 8
g powers of the Interstate Com a
cree Commission in its dealings with +
e railways. The negative would G.
yor the establishment of a Depart 1