The Yale expositor., 1907-05-03

Judges From Port Huron And Richmond
Responsible For Yale's Defeat-Not
The Marlette Debaters.

Judges From Port Huron And Richmond
ResponS ible For Tdle's Defeat-Not
The Marlette Debaters.
Once more have Yale and Marlette
High Schools met in debating contest.
Once more has Yale met defeat at the
hands of, shall we say, impartial judges,
and once again we ask why?
We firmly believe that Yale citizens
as a whole, are fairminded. liberal
and educated people, not given To fault
finding or kicking, ever ready 10 enjoy
our own good things and also ready to
be glad i'm the success of other towns
i'm any way. But there are occasions,
special occasions, when il is felt to he
necessary and incumbent upon us, to
rise up i'm righteous wrath and say that
we have not been dealt with fairly.
Both last year and this when Yale high
school met Marlette i'm debating con
test i'm the minds of probably everyone
who heard these debates, not excepting
the Marlette contingent, the decision
was unjust, and it came as complete
surprise.
We have nothing against our sister
town, our good will is with her as we
hope hers is with us, but we say that
school teachers, principals or superin
tendents should not be placed in the
positions of judges Of school debates.
They have their own pathway in life,
all right as far as il goes, but certainly
not broad enough to allow them to give
fair, unprejudiced opinion upon ques-
tions which in all likelihood they have
studied and made up their minds about
after they have been asked to act as
Judges, and before they come to hear
the speakers. We say let the judges
be chosen as is jury in law case and
a decision will be reached that will sat
isfy all and not give rise To bad after
feelings.
We don't believe there was one in Cen
trail hall last Friday evening even the
three debaters from Marlette, but who
were confident of the superiority of
the Yale team, I'VE are not speaking
of the judges. As we understand it
points were TO be taken from argu-
ments and their effectiveness. We
would suggest that presentation might
be added to the list with more satsfac-
ton IN the results.
We have not time or space to take up
the question or the lines of argument
OH either side, but i'm the estimation
of all broadminded, reasoning people
the points showed ahead for the Yale
their sides although this counted moth
ing at all was far superior.
1t is not supposed a Judge should de-
eide for the affirmative simply because
he himself believes in that side of the
question, or for the negative because
his sympathies run that way. He
should be wise enough to listen well TO
each side, take down the points which
he should be capable of deciding rs
good arguments and effective, and con
slider that these high school debates are
not going to make or mar the nation.
He should make his decision without
regard to what he himself may or may
not think.
And then again ne should never let
his sympathies or prejudices run with
one school or another, nor should any
outside matter interfere with his right
minded judging. IfanyOne could have
believed that the decision made here
the other evening was right, there
would have been no talk, no kicking,
we would gracefully have accepted our
defeat and tried to do better next time.
AS it was, the decision, not the defeat,
was gracefully accepted and we are
sure that our high school pupils showed
themselves gentlemen and ladies.
We believe that had the decision been
made against Marlette their high
school would have treated ours in just
such friendly manner. They were all
courteous and well bred, but as far as
the debating team is concerned, any
year, they know and will acknowledge
that Yale is ahead. Just why the de
cisions have been against the Yale
team will probably always remain a
mystery, although reasons are ascribed.
1t is certainly dscouraging to accept
defeat when one knows they have won,
but speaking for our high school we
know they will rise above this and be
ready to try again, should occasion de-
mand.