Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-03-12
CAPE NAYS VIEW OF
THE HIGH SCHOOL DEBATE
The Following Appeared I'm the
Last Issue Of the 'sCape May
STAR

"On the evening of Friday. February
10th, the debating team of the High
School, William Mecray, Claude Phil
lips and Emily Sharp, accompanied
by Mrs. Sharp, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Phil
lips, Robert Phillips, Bessie Mecray,
Mr.. and Mrs. Collier and Mr.. Meyer,
drove over in the storm to Wild wood
to debate with the High School of that
place. The debate took place in the
Baptist Church of Wildwood, and was
rather poorly attended on account of
the storm.
TIE question was Resolved, that
United States should own and operate
the railroads. Wild wood had chosen
the Negative side of the question, which
gave them some OF the advantage, as
they also chose the question from three
submitted by Cape May.
The judges were Supervising Princi-
pal Fl. G. Chalmers, of Holly Beach;
Mr.. Baker, attorney-at-law, of Wild
wood, and a gentleman of Anglesea.
The debate was very unsatisfactory
to Cape May debaters as they were not
allowed TO present all their side of the
case. No time limit on speeches had
been agreed upon or even mentioned in
the preliminary arrangements. The
Wild wood team had prepared for ten
Minute speeches for each member of
the team, and they objected strongly
to q longer time; the Cape May team
had prepared for twenty and ten
minute speeches and wished to have
full opportunity to complete their ar
guments. The judges sided with the
Wildwood plea that Cape May should
be allowed no more time than Wild
wood, and twelve minute limits were
set for the first two speakers on each
side and fifteen for the third on each
side. This, uni Unfortunately, did not suit
the Cape May plans and used only ten
of the fifteen minutes allowed. This
the unexpected time limit Disconnected
the cape May debaters, who, compelled
without notice to cut their argument
-lplALW were. unake, while addressing
their auditors, to choose judiciously
their best arguments and call out and
reject those less important, SO hat the
strongest possible case was moi presen-
ted for the affirmative. This handicap
alone would be sufficient to account for
the defeat, as the judges, in rendering
their decision, stated that both sides
had presented their arguments we'll
and that a decision was reached only
with difficulty, and after considerable
d~eliberation, and that, while commend
ing both teams for their excellent work,
it was the opinion of the judges THAT
Wildwood had a shade the better of
the argument.n
Wildwood had an excellent team and
is to be commended on the admirable
way in which it handled its debate.
Cape Nays team fought gamely
against odds which might have dis
couraged more ok experienced debaters,
and did their best which was almost
good enough to win. Had they been
given opportunity to deliver all the ar
guments they had gathered for the de-
bate, as Wildwood had, it is probable
that the result would have been re-
versed, al the decision was given to
Wildwood on an argument which Cape
May wal cut off from presenting by
the ringing of the bell. Cape May
would like to debate the same question
here, giving each team opportunity to
present all its arguments. Setting a
time limit is purely arbitrary and If
none is agreed upon in making pre-
liminary arrangements, it is under
stood that there shall be no limit