The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-12-30
HIGH SCHOOL DEBATE.

HIGH SCHOOL DEBATE.
Cambridge Team Declared Winners In
League Contest on December 23.
On Thursday evening, December %,
the league debate between the high
school teams of Princeton and Cam
bridge took place at the latter place.
The Princeton boys constituting the
team, their teachers, pupils of the
public schools and the superintendent,
numbering about thirty, drove to
Cambridge and the drive was cold
one.
The half hour before the debate was
employed in singing class songs and
giving class yells, the two schools
alternating in this form of amusement.
The question to be debated was, Gre
solved, That Minnesota Should Adopt
the Initiative and Referendum. The
Princeton team was made up of the
following young men, Lisle Jesmer,
Jess Angstman and Archie Hull, who
supported the affirmative. The team
from Cambridge was composed of
Misses Mildred Torell, Geneva Peter
son and Eulalia Erickson, and they
supported the negative side of the
question. The judges we're Prof.
Gray, head of the economics depart
ment of the state university, Supt.
F. E. Lurton of Anoka and d. 81.
Painter, principal of one of the Min
neapolis schools.
The main line of argument on the
part of the negative side was to show
that we have a good system of govern
ment already; that, since it is already
good, wesshould make no change, and
that under it we have greatly pros
pered. It also showed, or rather at
tempted to show, that the initiative
and referendum, if adopted, would
lead to revolution and bloodshed. It
argued that the people we're ignorant
and utterly incompetent to vote on
statute law.
The affirmative side argued that,
while our government was good in
many respects, at the same time that
there was opportunity for improve
ment. It said that in many respects
our government has fallen down, that
it is dominated largely by monopoly,
corporations and private interests.
1t commended that the final power
should rest with the people that they
alone were sovereign. It cited
Switzerland in Europe as one of the
best governed countries in the world
and there the initiative and referen-
dun have been in operation since
1874. It also cited Oregon, where this
system has been used for the last nine
years.
In the direct argument each speaker
had ten minutes and in the rebuttal
five minutes was allowed each speaker.
In the rebuttal the Princeton boys
lNA OuCClU0SOu Ult1r rlValS.
The girls had simply committed
their rebuttal recitations to memory
and gave them exactly as so COM
mitted, making no attempt to answer
any argument advanced by the
affirmative side, but trusted to the
coaching they had received previous
to the debate. The result was that
they touched upon few of the points
made by the affirmative side.
On the other hand tie boys refuted
successfully point after point made
by the negative side.
In debating the Cambridge debaters
we're far outclassed.
When the bell, which closed the de-
bate, was rung the universal verdict
of the people from Princeton was that
the affirmative side had won a de-
cisive victory and. when the decision
of the judges was announced in favor
OF the negative side they we're filled
with amazement.
A peculiar feature Of the debate was
the following: The negative cited
Prof. Gray as one of their leading
authorities, Prof. Gray being present
and acting as a judge.
Princeton people certainly have
reason to feel proud of the three
young men and, as some one said
who heard the debate, their arguments
would have done credit to college
team.
While>the Union would have been
better pleased if our boys had won, we
extend congratulations to the victors-
Misses Mildred Tore}l, Geneva
Peterson and Eulalia Erickson-their
school and town have reason to feel
proud of them.