Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-04-20
DUNCALF WON FIRST
MISS EDWARDS SECOND
In the Judge Mills Annual Ora
torical Contest.
All Of the Orations Delivered Were of q
Very High Order of Excellence.
Audience Was Small.


Considered from the standpoint of
excellence in the orations delivered,
the twelfth annual oratorical contest
for the Judge Mills and school board
prizes, given at Reeds opera house
last Friday evening, was among the
best, if not the best, that has yet
been held. There were five con-
testants in all. and every one may
we'll feel proud of the manner in
which they acquitted themselves.
The attendance was by no means up
to the standard, the house being not
more than half filled. The audience
was, however, an appreciative one
and rendered the full need of ap-
pIause to which he or she was en-
titled. The overture by the Lancas-
ter orchestra and songs by the two
high school glee clubs also elected
hearty approval.
The contestants and the titles of
their oTatiOns were:
l. The Gelius of the Reformation. -.
3 A Problem in Black and White......
--.................-.. Will Duncalf
3. The Cost of Coal. Elizabeth Edwards
5. Women in Revolt in Russia. -.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Minnie W1eland
The judges on delivery were: E.
P. Reynolds, instructor in public
speaking. Platteville Normal; J. T.
Rohr, assistant principal Dodgeville
high school; and Miss Kelly, in
structor in elocution. Montfort high
school.
Judges on thought and composition
were Atty. Adolpn Lehner. Oconto
Falls; W. T. Headley, principal of
Bloomington high school and Herman
Hensel. instructor in English,
Michigan Agricultural College.
They awarded first prize, $15, to
Will Duncalf and second prize S. so.
to Miss Elizabeth Edwards The
decision was a close one. Duncslf re-
ceiving mark of IA points and Miss
Edwards ID.
The Herald prints herewith the two
winning oratiOns and expects next
week TO publish the three which failed
to land the prize. but which are we'll
worthy of publication because of their
excellence of thought. Mr.. Duncalf's
Grafton was as follows:
"A PROBLEM IN BLACK AND WHITE.
America boasts of her altruism-
that her people live and act with a
due regard for the equal rights Of one
another; that never before in the his
tory of mankind has this spirit, which
is the very essence of Christianity,
been put into practice as il is in Amer
lea to-day. Proudly do we point to
our government with its just laws
and equal privileges for all as mani
festation of this spirit. 1t is the
foundation upon which our national
institutions have been built The
spirit of altruism is the spirit of the
Declaration of Independence and the
spirit of the Constitution. The spirit
of altruism is the true American
spirit.
These facts we justly cherish. But
living as we are in an age in which
the Iuxuries of life are to no small
extent easily accessible to all we are
apt to be charmed into Indifference.
As this spirit of contentment insIdi
ously creeps into our natural life the
rights of man are forgotten. Immor.
atty and vice threaten to sap the very
life blood from our national institu
tions. Politics have become shame
fully corrupt. This government
founded by the heroic struggles and
perseverance of our forefathers is
face to face with difficulties more
perplexing because more insidious.
Unless we shake off this universal
apathy they will surely conquer us.
America must wake up. We must
fight, not only to- defend the Stars
and Stripes on the battlefield, but
fight the battles of our less fortunate
countrymen in the grind of the every
day life. If America is to remain as
an example of liberty for the rest of
the world her citizens must keep that
aim in view, must not forget the
fundamental principles of the nation
must remain true to the spirit of
altruism,
1t can not be denied that many
DrobIems are baino discussed by the