Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-20
ORATORS GATHER FOR MEET
Seven Selected from Ten States in
Annual Competition.
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY HOST
Visitors Are Being Entertained by
Creighton Students - Business
Meeting This Afternoon
Competition is Keen.

Demosthenes and Cicero will have rivals
tonight at the Brandeis theater, when the
speakers Of the interstate Oratorical asso-
citation take the platform to contest for
honors. The association represents ten
states of the union and orators from seven
states will speak tonight.
Thirty-eight years ago delegates from
various educational institutions, in Illinois
Indiana and Michigan got together and con-
ceived the idea of holding a joint meet
ing, at which their best speaker would be
present to compete with his neighbors in
the other states in the organization. The
meeting was success, and 1t was decided
to perpetuate the affair by annual gather
ngs An association was formed called the
Interstate Oratorlcal association and since
that time the organization has grown untn
at present there are ten states which com
pete every year for honors.
The states which belong to the assocla-
ton are Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Min
nesota, Ohio, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin,
Missouri and Kansas. AS the number of
states desiring to Join the central organiza-
ton grew in numbers it was decided that
the number of speakers in the annual con-
test should be limited 20 seven, necessita-
ting the elimination OF three states each
year from the contest.
The man who is selected to represent his
state Is chosen because he has won in in
tercollegate contests and has been judged
the best oratorically in the colleges of the
state. Each of the ten winners are re-
quired to prepare an original address,
which Is submitted to a board of judges.
This board is the same as that which sits
at the annual contest and 1t eliminates the
three representatives of their respective
states, who show the least degree of perfec-
tion In thought and composition. Those
dropped this year were Minnesota, Illinois
and Missouri.
Much Depends on Delivery
! When the wedding out process has been
completed the speakers are told to prepare
for delivery, and the man who makes the
most credltable showing tonight will be
declared the winner in the annual interstate
contest.
For the first time since belonging to the
association Creighton university has been
| honored by being made the entertainers
and elaborate preparations have been made
to have the affair great success Tickets
! have been on sale at Beaton's drug store
and are now being sold at the Brandeis
theater box office, and 1t is expected the
seating capacity of the house will be taxed
| to its utmost.
! Francis Matthews OF Creighton university,
who won first place in the Nebraska inter-
! collegiate contest, will represent the state.
/ His subject will be THE Sands of Time. 4"
| MI Matthews was born in Albion and at
| tended the public schools of his native
| town. He was graduated from the Albion
| High school, and attended Okolona college,
| in Okolona, Miss. lie is a member of the
senior class in the regular college course
of Creighton university and has made
quite reputation locally for his ability on
| the platform.
! Mayor Dahlman has caused the arch of
welcome to be lighted in honor of the as
ISOLATION, and many of the speakers and
delegates are already In the city, where
they are being entertained by the Creigh-
! ton boys, under the direction of Howard
Farrel, l.. b. Day and Gerald f. Harrlng-
ton, the regularly appointed entertainment
committee. Accompanying the speakers are
three delegates from each state, who will
hold a business session this afternoon at .
o'clock at the Loyal hotel the headquarters
Of the association during the stay I'm
Omaha
Auto Ride for Visitors,
This an srnoon the visitors and speakers
will be given an auto ride over the city, IN
order that they may be inspired with the
grandeur of Omaha. Saturday afternoon.
after the contest is finished and all care Is
] lifted from the minds OF the speakers, they
! viii be banqueted, together with the dele
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