The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-29
GEORGIA SCENES
THE DEBATING SOCIETY

/
About Internationally years ago, at
the celebrated school in WI, was
formed a debating society, composed OF
young gentlemen between the ages of II
and 3D. OF the number were two, who,
rather from uncommon volubility than
from any superior gifts or requirements
which they possessed over their associates
| were, by common consent, placed at the
| mead of the fraternty-at least, this was
true of one of them; the other certainly
mad higher claims to his distinction. He
was a man of the highest order of intel
lect, who. though he has since been known
/ throughout the union as one of the ablest
speakers in the country seems to me to
have added but little to his powers in
debate since he passed his 22d year. The
name of the first was Longworth, and
McDermot was the name of the last. They
were congenial spirits, warm friends, and
classmates at the time of which | am
| speaking.
| 1t was rule of the society that every
member should speak upon the subjects
chosen for discussion or pay a fine; and
as all the members valued the little stock
of change with which they were fur
nshed more than they did their reputa-
ton for oratory, not fine had been i'm
! Pc9co III Il Ditdcii u THIS RUE llOli tiic
organization of the society to this time.
The subjects for discussion were pro-
posed by the members and selected by the
president, whose prerogative it was also
to arrange the speakers on either side at
his pleasure; though, in selecting the SUBJ
| jects, he was influenced not little by
the members, who gave their opinions
freely of those which were offered.
1t was just as the time was approach
| ing when most of the members were to
leave the society-some for college and
some for the busy scenes of life-that Nc
Dermot went to share his classmate' S
bed for a night. In the course of the
evenings conversation the society came
/ upon the tapis. Mac said Longworth,
wouldn't we have rare sport If we could
impose subject upon the society which
has no sense in it, and hear the members
speak upon it?"
| "Zounds," said McDermot at would
be the finest fun in the world. Let's. try
1t, at all events we can lose nothing by
the experiment.
| A sheet of foolscap was Immediately
divided between them, and they indus
triously commenced the difficult task of
framing sentences which should possess
| the form of a debatable question without
| a particle of ethe substance After an
hours toll they at length exhibited the
fruits of their labor. and, after some re-
Election and much laughing, they select
ed from about so subjects proposed the
following as most likely to be received by
the society:
Whereas. at public elections, should
the votes of faction predominant by in
ternal suggestions or the bias of jurispru-
dence?"
Longworth was to propose it to the So
ciety, and McDermot was to advocate it's
adoption. AS they had every reason to
suppose, from the practice of the past
that they would be placed at the head of
the list of disputants and on opposite
sides. 1t was agreed between them, in
case the experiment should succeed, that
they would write off and interchange
their speeches, in order that each might
quote literally from the other and thus
seem, at least, to understand each other
| The day at length came for the triumph
| or defeat of the project, and several ac-
| cidental circumstances conspired to crown
it with success. The society had entirely
exhausted their subjects; the discussion
OF the day had been protracted to an I'M
usual length, and the horns of the several
boarding houses began to sound Just as
| 1t ended. 1t was at this auspicious mo-
ment that Longworth rose and proposed
his subject. 1t was caught at with rap
|
best that had ever been submitted, and
he wondered that none of the members
| had ever thought of 1t before.
| 1t was no sooner proposed than several
| members exclaimed that they did not
understand 1t, and demanded an explana-
tion from the mover. Longworth replied
that there was no time then for explana-
tons, but that either himself or Mr.. Nc
Dermot would explain it at any other
| time.
Upon the credit of the maker and in
dorser the subject was accepted; and.
under pretence of economizing time Cbut
really to avoid repetition of the ques-
tom, Longworth kindly offered to record
1t for the secretary. This labor ended, he
announced that he was prepared for the
arrangement of the disputants
Put YOURSELF said the president, on
the affirmative, and Mr. McDermot on
the negative"
1.-The subject said Longworth, cannot
well be resolved into an affirmative and
negative. 1t consists, more properly. of
two conflicting alternatives; have there
fore drawn out the heads under which the
speakers are to be arranged thus:
internal Suggestions Bias of Jurispru-
dence."
| Then put yourself Internal Suggestions
Mr.. McDermot the other side; Mr.. Craig
on your side, Mr.. Pentigall the other
side,'' and so on.
McDermot and Longworth now deter
mined that they would not be seen by
any other member of the society during
the succeeding week. except at times
when explanations could not be asked.
or when they were too busy to give them.
Consequently, the week passed away
without any explanations, and the mem
bers were summoned to dispose of the
important subject with no other lights
| upon 1t than those which they could COL
| lect from its terms When they assem-
bled there was manifest alarm on the
countenances of all but two of them
The society was opened in due form,
and Mr.. Longworth was called on to
open the debate He rose and proceeded
as follows:
| Mr.. President The subject selected
for this days discussion is one Of vast
| Importance, pervadng the profound
depths OF psychology, and embracing
within its comprehensive range all that
Is interesting in morals. government, law
and politics. But. sir, I shall not follow
1t through all its interesting and diversi-
fed ramifcatiops, but endeavor to deduce
from 1t those great and fundamental prin-
ciples which have direct bearing upon the
antagonist positions of the disputants;
combining myself more Immediately to its
psychological influence when exerted, es-
pecially upon the votes of faction, for
here is the point upon which the question
mainly turns. In the next place I shall
consider the effects Of those suggestions
emphatically termed internal when ap-
piled to the same subject And, In the
| third place, | shall compare these effects
with the bias of Jurisprudence consid-
cred as the only resort in times OF popu-