Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-26
GARDINER WINS
Debate With Cany High
in City Hall Last Evening.
Contest Proves Close With
Glory Enough For All.
The Subject Was the Peaceable
Annexation OF Cuba,

The representatives of the Cony Higil
school and the Gardiner High school
| as members of the Bowdoin Inter
scholastic Debating League, met in bat
| Ito IN the Augusta City hall last even
ing and when the smoke of the conflict
had cleared away the Gardiner boys
! and their $50 cheering roOters were
bearing the victory down river with
| them on their special cars. There was
glory enough for all, however, and al
! though but one team could win the Au-
| sustL boys did themselves proud. AS
! the judges scored the points Gardiner
| had Sc Is and Cony SIS, so the cIosencss
| Of the contest is easily seen. Nobody
III the audience would have been sur
prised had the award been made to
Cony, and no Cony supporter could feel
that an injustice had been done when
Gardiner vas declared the winner
There was n good sized crowd pres
cnt and each speaker got generous ana
impartial applause. Before the debate
and while the judges were celebrating,
Pcrry's Orchestra furnished lnusic.
The presiding officer was Principal
Farnsworth G. Marshall of the Cony
solved That the Peaceable Annexation
of Cuba Would BE for the Best Interest
of the United States" Gardiner had the
affirmative and Cony the negative.
The Gardiner speakers We're Frank
Cobb, Il. Harold Holt, and Harrison NJ
Berry all Of o. The Cony speakers
were L. Ronald Jones '0S and Harold
=. Edwards and John c. Coughlin, both
of '01. The alternatcS were Ralph
Parker '0S for Gardiner and Arthur r.
Savage '07 for Cony but as none of the
principals We're njured in the encounter
tie substitutes remained on the side
lines and held the watches. The main
speeches were limited to 10 minutes
each and the rebuttal to five. and usu
ely. the bell found the speakers still
hard at it.
The contentious of the Gardiner
boys were that the annexation of Cuba
would help the strategic position of the
United States in defending the mouth
of the Mississippi, the Panama canal
and our southern coast, that it would
be 4 political advantage to the United
States since the Cubans cannot MAIN
tain stable government OF their own
and this country must look after them
anyway; and that it would be an eco
nomic advantage because, while 1t
would not injure our sugar business, 1T
would encourage the investment OF
capital. give this country the whole
Cuban trade and develope our merchant
marine.
The points of the Cony boys in the neg
at.ve We're that annexation IS not needed
from a strategic point of view. since we
already have a base there without the re-
sponsibility Of defending 200 miles Of
shore line, and since the Cuban republic |
can give no other power such base
Annexation would bring us 100000 people |
untitled for citizenship; it would be |
breach of faith with the powers of the
world and it would ruin our beet sugar |
and tobacco industries.
Both sides presented their points with |
force and clearness, showing ease and
confidence before an audience and |!
thorough mastery of the subject. Tho |
Gardiner boys more often quoted their |
authorities and made some telling points |
in their rcbuttal. The rebuttal speech Of |
CouGhlin for Cony, however. was par
ticularly strong. Cobb and Holt Of Gar
diner were both successful in answering |
points made by the negative. being not
at all bound by their prepared speeches |
when it came to rebuttal.
The judges were Prof. Roswell G. Nc |
Crca of Bowdoin. Prof. f. ]. Spofford of |
Bates and Senator Deasy of Bar Harbor. !
and they were in elaboration only 10
minutes before Mr. Dcasy came out and
reported n unanimous decision. The
crowd was GREATNESS, for not the most |
intense partisan on either side could feel !
sure Of victory. Mr.. Deasy explained |
that after considering all the points in
volved-presence and delivery as well as
argument arrangement, presentation, re- |
buttal. etc.-they had given the award
to Gardiner. His personal marking had |
been sc IS points for Gardner to s. for
Cony. Then there was pandemonium in
the Gardiner crowd and no football game
ever called out more cheering.
The debate was a splendid thing for all
annual affair between the two schools
Once before. about n dozen years ago,
Cony had Il debate with Watcrville in tn
Augusta Opera house and won it. 1t plans
already on winning next year at Gardi-
ner. Fulton ]. Rcdman, Bowdnin. '07,
coached the Augusta BOYS and A. . Pike
Eow1on, %, the victorious Gardiner
team.
G. r. HOxie. who has the contract for
building the addition to the Eaton shoe