Evening star., 1909-04-25
Awarded Decision in Inter
Society Debate.
HONORS FOR DISPUTANTS
Show Merits of Initiative and Ref.
erendum.
FORENSIC METHODS PRAISED
Two Members Of Successful Team
Chosen to Take Part in George
Washington University Debate.

III the tnlrd OF the 1nter-SOClety contests
for the forensic honors Of the present
school year between the Needham and
the Columbian debating societies OF the
George Washington University held in the
assembly hall at 18th and II streets last
evening, the speakers Of the Needham
Club captured all the honors. Not only
was 1t awarded the decision in the debate.
but two Of its representatives were chosen
from the six speakers on both sides to
participate in the prize debate of the
university. which will be held near the
close of the college year. The men chosen
to contest with four others picked at two
former inter-society debates are John T.
Kennedy OF Pennsylvania and Kenneth
Taylor OF Minnesota.
The arguments of the evening centered
around the proposition. THAT the in
itiative and referendom are desirable ad-
juncts to state Legislative machinery
The speakers for the Needham society
took the affirmative of the proposition and
were r. III. Blakesley of California. Ken
meth Taylor Of Minnesota and John T.
kennedy of Pennsylvania. The opposite
view was supported by the representatives
Of the Columbian society, W. f. Faulkner
OF Kentucky. Michael Levin OF Wisconsin
and Hardee Wyatt OF New Mexico.
The judges were Myron Jermain Jones.
director Of education of the Y. NJ. C.. A;
Ernest s. Bradford Of the bureau of
corporations of the Department of Com
merce and Labor and Charles F. Nesbit.
The decision was announced by Director
Jones, who added that the judges had en-
joyed the debate from beginning to end
and declared that the speakers had all
made 1t apparent that they were familiar
president of the Columbian Society, pre-
sided.
The Change Advocated.
In advocating the general adoption of
the initiative and the referendum in the
state governmental system of this coun-
try the speakers Of tho affirmative pic
tured in vivid terms thraldom of ma achine
rule and bad effects from the rule of
macl1ine-controlled legislatures or state
bodies. which rich corporations have
shown they can influence. Furthermore,
they contended, the adoption of the re-
form they advocate has been a success In
aiding state governments to get rid of
such evils. In Switzerland, in Oregon.
Maine, Oklahoma and other states where
the plan has been tried the results have
been beneficial, 1t was claimed, and many
reforms have been brought about. Such
ed by the affirmative speakers. will pre-
vent gerrymandering. will be blow to
the caucus system under which 80 per
cent of the members Of the legislature
can control the passage of bills and will
force he majority to correct abuses which
they are disinclined to do under the pres
ent system. State issues. 1t was argued
will he sharply separated from national
questions and thus the voting will be
done intelligently. In fine, 1t was main
tot, hx,fJ !, fs, ofh
way of breaking machine rule and cor
recting the other abuses of the present
system than by the adoption of the initia-
tive and the referendum.
The Change Opposed.
The negative presented the objections to
the initiative and referendum system.
maintaining that 1t will strengthen the
worst features of machine rule and will
have destructive effect on the state
legislatures. To prove their case the af-
firmative must prove. according to the
negative speakers, that representative
government Is failure and that a
change is needed The negative speakers
maintained that no such change is neces-
sary. because the people are now we'll
represented by the state legislatures. If
the final decision on legislative matters
is left to the people. it was argued the
people will pay little attention to the
kind of legislators they elect. People as
a rule take little interest In legislation
and are unable to judge Of technical laws
such as a railroad rate bill or tariff re-
vision bill. it was argued, and therefore
the referendum Is of little value. Under
the initiative. 1t was argued petitions
can be foStered by persons or corpora
tions with money enough to carry out
such campaigns. and thus that feature of
the reform. If anything. strengthens the
power of money in government Under
the systems of direct nonlina tions and the
recall the evils of the present form of
government are corrected it was con-
tended. without the drastic action con-
templated by the advocates of the in
itiative and referendum AS showing
what the initiative and referendum have
done where they are tried. the negative
speakers contended. Maine has law tax
ing bachelors for the support of Spinsters
divorce mill has been created in South
Dakota. the system has been proclaimed
failure in Oklahoma because from 20
to 20 per cent of the people fall to ex-
press their opinion on the matters re-
ferred to them.
The rebuttal speeches were made by
Mr.. Kennedy for the affirmative and Mr.
Levin for the negative