Omaha daily bee., 1908-02-23
DOANE ORATOR A WINNER
Creighton Takes Second Place in
State Collegiate Contest.
EIGHT SCHOOLS PARTICIPATE
n. s. Rife, Represents Nebraska I'm
the Interstate Contest, where
Eleven states VIII he sim
iIarly Represented.


First-Raleigh s. Rife, Doane.
seoond-wnliam Donahue, Creighton.
Third-ATiss N. Hogue, Grand Island
Fourth--John q. Alber, cotner.
Fifth-Newton y. Knapp, wesleyan.
sixth-F. D. Rice, Bellevue.
seventh-H. Glare wolker, Hastings.
Eighth-w. L. DIETRICH, York.
William Donahue, speaking for Creigh-
ton university was accorded second place
In the Nebraska Collegiate Oratorical as
ISOLATION contest at Creighton university
Friday evening, first place going to
Raleigh S. Rife of Doane college. Granu
Island was third; Cotner, fourth; Wes-
leyan, fifth Bellevue, SIXTH and Hast
ing seventh. A c. Shallenberger, G. A.
Meade and @. p. Costigan were Judges on
manuscript and 3. f. Good, w. G. Sears
and Lincoln Frost on delivery.
The audience was given a touch of real
college life last night such as is
seldom seen outside OF college
town. TIL, eight speakers in the
contest were backed by strong punches
of followers and these all made 1t a point
to arrive on the scene early and to make
the welkin ring The colleges were each
allotted a special section of the auditorium
was not difficult to tell where they were
from. Some had prepared special songs,
for the occasion and Wesleyan had a band
to lead in the singing. Twas an inspiring
sight.
Mr.. Rife of Doane college, the winner
of the intercollegiate contest and who Will
represent Nebraska in the coming ora
torical contests with the winners chosen
in like manner in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Iowa and Oklahoma, TOOK for
his subject "The Present Trend Toward
Democracy" He was the last speaker
and, though the hour was late, held the
attention of his hearers.
The speaker declared that tho enacling
of the primary election and the initiative
and referendum laws in certain states
shows a trend toward democracy, not in
u party sense. but in larger way. The
primary, by eliminating the delegate of
the corrupt political boss places the peo-
pie in positions of trust, and the people
are coming to the front in public affairs
and the Independent voter Is becoming
factor in the nations politics, Mr., Rife
declared
story of a LiberatOr.
'Toussaint LiOuverture" was the subject
of the oration of Mr.. Donahue, Creighton's
| representative the winner of second place.
L'Ouverture was born a slave in San Do
mingo in 1888 with the French, given over
the luxury and sensuality, the masters of
the island. There were half million slaves
with no past to inspire them, no future to
| look forward to. Calling under the yoke
of the French, all they needed was leader,
and at an opportune moment L'Ouverture
came forward when the French were at
/ nd tad
from them freedom for his people, and out
of the turmoil founded harmonious state.
In a few years, however, the French took
the slave-hero prisoner by treachery, hav-
| ing failed to capture him in regular war
| fare, and placed him in a prison where he
soon died.
An excellent lesson was drawn from the
| life of the slave leader of a hundred years
| ago by the speaker, who stated that no
life is lost IL it is spent in the service of
humanity.
Miss NJ. Hogue spoke for Grand Island
| college in the contest, securing third place.
Her subject was Athens and Jerusalem"
the one being named as the seat of learn
| ing, the other as the seat of devotion to
| the Almighty. Patterns and models In
mental development come from Athens and
| the Grecian city has inspired literary men
! OF all LlIlBst ueCldItu the Sptdh6tB WllllG
Jerusalem bequeethes a legacy of devout
worship and complete self-denial. Perfec-
tion not only demands that man must
drink deep of the fountains of learning, but
he must have reverence to God and have
| done service to man. said the speaker.
Cotner, represented by John G. Albee,
speaking of Abraham Lincoln" secured
| fourth place. The speaker declared that
Lincoln was the child of a crisis and that
no one could have piloted the republic safely
in the troubulous times of the civil war
other than the rail splitter from Illinois.
The speaker euogized the martyred presi-
dent, declaring that as Israel had its Moses
Greece it's Miltiades, Germany its Bismarck,
America had its Lincoln.
EVIL of Child Labor.
Fifth place was won by Wesleyan. New
ton B. Knapp was this schools representa-
tive, the subject chosen being Child Labor
in America" The speaker declared that
the child labor question touches the vi
| tality of the nation at every point, and 1t
| is woven into the warp and woof of the
country's fabric. Child labor is a sin
against the children, the nation and Christ,
and 10000 anarchists are being turned out
Of these children by the factories who
employ them on the excuse that the poor
families need their help, forgetting that If
the children did not work their fathers
would receive a greater wege.
Declaring that the United States is facing
1.-THE greatest struggle since it became a
nation, and that eventually this country
and Japan will be at war, F. ID. Rice OF
Bellevue sixth in the contest, spoke on
THE Mastery of the Pacific" He stated
that Japan, flushed with recent victories
fancies again placing the Orient in a posi-
tion of power. and that the maintenance
OF the occident, in a controlling and de-
terminng attitude, rests with America.
Government Ownership Of Railroads
was the subject chosen by H. Glare Wllker
| of Hastings seventh i'm line He stated