The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-06-05
DoBsoN WINS FOR WESLEY

Dobson Adds Another Victory to the
Long Line in the State Ora
torical Contests.
The student body of Dakota Wes-
leyan University went wild with
enthusiasm Thursday evening when
the president OF South Dakota Inter
Collegiate OratoricaI Association
announced at the end OF the contest
that John V. Dobson had oeen
awarded first place by the judges on
both thought and style and delivery.
The twenty-first annual contest of
the association was held in the City
hail auditorium ann a crowd of
perhaps 900 people was assembled in
the room to hear the efforts of the
orators. Ine STUDENT tody of the
live colleges were present I'm the
room and until the time for the
program to start the air was ringing
pretty much of the time with college
yelis, Bookings leading with some
original stunts that were redhot.
The president of the association
asked that the people IN audience
refrain %applauding the orators in
order that the judges might be
influenced in reaching their decision.
but Notwithstanding the request some
of the more impulsive ones could
NOT roctrnic thoncolyoc
The invocation was given by Rev.
"A. Craig %Bowdish. pastor of the
Congregational church. Miss Emma
Rempfer sang a contr Ito solo TINT
reflected a very beautiful voice, J., r
accompaniment being liayed by Miss
Fannie Mccormick.
III. e. King, Of Redfield college,
was the first orator of the evening
when he presented "America." His
ideas were grouped around the
subject OF the baneful influence OF
the saloon aud the attendant evils.
He spoke with much strength on
the SUBJECT, advancing many reasons
for its suppression. He referred TO
the manner in which slavery had
been abolished and held that it was
the duty OF the American people to
eface the other slave-!ike conditions
from this country. He declared that
the saloon was worse than the slavery
Of fifty years ago.
John V. Dobson, of Mitchell,
spoke on "Americl's Great Pro-
blem." 1t was a magnificent effort
of the young man, both in thought
and delivery, and there was no
question in the audience that at the
close of its delivery but what he was
entitled to first place. The problem
discussed by the orator had to do
with the negro question. He covered
the situation briefly before the wal
for the emancipation of the slave
and then took it up after freedom
had come to the black man. He
declared it to be one Of the greatest
problems that his country had to
settle. He believed it's solution must
necessarily come from industrial
Independence, that the black man
must be taught to become skilled in
labor, and that the race itself must
assume the the responsibility for the
advancement to be made. He de-
clared that the negro must be edu-
Gated in the colleges OF the country
and those graduates should assume
the labor of placing the members of
the race on the higher plane of
civilization. Mr.. Dobson presented
his Grafton in a taultless manner,
speaking with deliberation and more
or less fervor as he touched on the
most important portions of his
address.
MISS Cora Matousek, of Huron
coile-e, spoke on the subject OF "a
Light ~ the East" Her thoughts
were grouped around the condition
of Rhsiin peasants. starting back
with tile time Of Peter the Great.
whose efforts we're directed along the
more humanitarian lines, but which
fell by the wayslde when the era Of
conquest came. She reviewed with
interest the history of Russia, and Of
the progress that had been made IN
years past by the Russian peasant,
and who today sstood in an entirely
different attitude toward his ruler.
Miss Marousek spoke with much
sincerity and strength of purpose.
Percy Fnllenwider, of the Univer-
ity Conservatory OF Music played a
violin solo, ."Evening STAR from
Tannhauser. lie was heartily ap-
plauded for his splendid work and
was recalled. Miss Scott played the
accompaniment.
Ralph Chilcott, of Brookins,,
presented "Socrates, a Type of
Fidelity as the subject of his
grafton. in which he reviewed the
life of the philosopher as ono that
bore the strongest relation TO his