The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-17
GO AFTER THE STATE HpN0RS
Roosevelt HIGH School Debating Maaea
With Moate>ideo for Championship ST.
Concise Statement Of Facts Regarding Co"te"o" Of North High
of Minneapolis n

of Minneapolis
Superintendent Lafayette Bliss
and the debating team of the Roose.
welt High, comprising Lambert
Gill, Axel Dahl and Edward Berg
left this morning for Minneapolis
where, under the rules governing
the State Debating League, they
will thie evening meet the Monte.
video debating team in the final
contest for the state championship
In the Contest the Virginia team
has made an enviable record, hav
ing defeated both the St. Paul and
Minneapolis teams among others
with whom they have debated the
question of discussion for the year
The debate with the latter team
however, while awarded Virginia
by the judges, has been attacked
by the superintendent of the North
Side High, whose tactics to win the
honors lost by his class have re-
ceived previous mention, but which
are more fully explained in the fol
lowing syllabus of the matter as
cimpiled by superintendent Bliss
and mailed during the week to
every school superintendent and
many other prominent educators
throughout the state:
To THE DIRECTORS AND MEMBERS
OF THE MINNESOTA HIGH SCHOOL
| DEBATING LEAGUE.
GENTLEMEN;
In accordance with League rules
a debate was arranged between the
North Side High School of Mime
apolis and Virginia High School,
Hon. Pierce Butler, very promi.
nent attorney, Hon. G. B. Edgerton
and Gen. W. b. Douglas, all of St.
Paul, were chosen and acted as
judges. Professor A. w. Rankin, of
the College of Education, Univers.
ity of Minnesota, was chosen and
acted az chairman or presiding Off
Ger of the debate, which was held
March 10Th, 1908, in the assembly
room of the North High School. No
dispute appears to have arisen be-
tween the teams and no claim OF
such has been made by anybody
However, action has been sought
for as if a dispute had arisen.
Prior to the beginning of the de.
bate, the charts in question were
hung, with full knowledge of all
concerned, and without protest be.
ing made to the officials by any.
body. Each side knew where the
charts were placed. If any objec.
tion to such placing was to be made
or any change desired, when should
it be made known to the officials:
Should it be overlooked and not
mentioned until after the contest
began or was finished, or should il
be at once, before the debate began
and when decision could be read
lily obtained, and change made, in
the discretion of the officials, and
without injuring the contestants OF
those thereafter to debate the win
ner? Would it not seem that if OBJ
lection is not made at the proper
time such objection would thereby
be waived? 1t is said that "silence
gives consent" Is it fair or proper
to let any technical objection be
waived when there is ample oppor
tunity to readily correct the trou
ble if the official believes there is
error, and then, after waving such
objection, to raise it when too late tc
overcome the objection by changei
| After spirited contest, the judg
es gave the decision to Virginia or
the merits of the debate. The win
ming team at once returned home
and began arrangements for the
final contest with the Montevidet
High School; chose sides, and be
gan work on the debate. Virginia
debated the affirmative at Minneap
oils, the same side it had debated
with St. Paul some time previous
Montevideo chose the affirmative
thereby compelling Virginia to tax.
the negative. which it agreed to dt
and began preparation, and is read,
to debate. The Montevideo team
has debated the affirmative recent
ly, and therefore is ready to debat,
it again on the 18th.
Some days later, the Minnea polls
High School filed protest with tn,
University Debating Board agains
the decision, alleging severa
grounds, some of which were disre
garded by the Board as immateria
or unsupported. The Board set ,
hearing for the protest, at which
the Minneapolis and Virginia team
} were each represented.
II The Board is composed of fiv,
members of the University faculty
and one representative from eac]
of the four student literary socie
ties. After the hearing it was learn
: ed that those sitting as the Boar,
Z j voro tho f01lou1: ., ~ 81 o-->e~.