The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-04-28
STATE COLLEGE
is VICTORIOUS
IN A FORENSIC CONTEST WITH
YANkTON.
NORTH DAkOTAISAW WINNER
DEFEATING SECOND COLLEGE
DEBATING TEAM AT FARGO.


fought forensic contest that ever took
place on the S. ID. S. G. platform was
staged last Friday night when the s..
ID. S. c. debating team clashed with
fankton college. From the time Star
ring of Brookings, opened the debate
until SeXauer closed the rebuttals,
the large audience was privileged to
witness a battle of arguments that
was creditable. The question for de-
bate WAS: Resolved, That the federal
government should enact a law for
bidding all carriers of interstate COM
merce from transporting the products
of any industrial establishment en-
ploying children under fourteen years
of age. This to- apply to interstate
commerce only"
The debate was opened by Cecil
Starring of %Brookings. After point
ing out the evils of child labor, he
showed 10Y state after state had fail
ed in enforcement Of child labor laws,
how that from Texas to- Maine they
were flagrantly violated. Federal aid
was therefore necessary.
r. l.. Nordness of Yankton, argued
that the proposed law was %inconsist-
ent, that it did not reach nearly all
child laborers and that it could not be
enforced because the federal govern
ment would have to deal directly with
tho ,o,,nvrto&;nn nDn,votao
E. II. Sexauer was the next speak
Ell. He stated that at times the fed
eral government must aid the states
In legislation enforcement. Federal
laws are obeyed," he said, when
state laws are willfully violated" and
cited the pure food law as an example
of how the government came to the
help of the states and with good results.
H. A. Robinson attacked the bill
on the grounds that 1t was u%ncOnsti-
tutional. He argued that congress
cannot enact laws to protect the state
from it's own mis-legislation, and it
Is governed in every action by the
supreme court.
Fred Matheny closed the debate for
BroOkings by proving that the bill
was constitutional. He said that the
purpose Of all governments was to pro-
tect it's citizens. Basing his arguments
on the fact that when state powers
were transferred to federal govern
ments no powers were lost, he stated
that the federal government exercised
power over interstate commerce.. He
argued that this power had been used
in times past and cited instances to
show that congress had the same
power over interstate as it had over
foreign commerce..
The rebuttal work was opened by
Nordness of Yankton and closed by
Sexauer of Bookings. Both sides
were on their mettle, but Brookings
easily starred; Starring, Matheny and
Sexauer giving their rebuttals in a
way that won the applause of the
audience and aided powerfully in their
victory.
When the chairman, Philo Hall,
announced the decision the audience
went wild with enthusiasm, and the
debaters were given an ovation that
they will not soon forget. In NOUN
ing the decision Mr.. Hall stated that
the presentation of the arguments
would be a creditabIe showing On any
legislative floor, state or national.
A reception was rendered the two
debating teams in the art rooms. A
bonfire was kindled on the campus
and in various other ways s. d. s. c.
students displayed their satisfaction
over the victory.
The judges we're DR.. Phelan of the
university of Minnesota, Warren Mil
Ter OF Lake Benton, and Prof. ]. j.. Rae
of Hawarden, Iowa.
The second debating team of the
college met the North Dakota Agricul-
tural college debating team at Fargo
the same evening and upon the same
question. While the decision Of the
judges were adverse to Brookings, the
members Of the team made a fine
showing and felt that under circum-
stances they might have gained a vic
tory, which they feel they were entitl-
ed too. Coach j. M. Saunderson, who
accompanied the team, tells us that
after the arguments had been COM
pleted and before the judges had rem
dered their decision tn general opin-
ion among the audience, including TIE
president of the college and a number
of the faculty, was that South Dakota
would win. When the decision was
announced the audience was 80 taken
by surprise that 1t ~ fully . minute
before the usual ovation was given the
' victors.