The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-05-01
some GOOD POINTS
MADE BY HIGH SCHOOL DE.
BATERs on SEPARATE Ia
BoR PARTY QUESTION:.
Ca 70 ~ontended It Wound Promote.
Class Feeling and Legsla-
ton Violating Con
stituton

4 5oHie interesting points were
brought out By the high school de-
baters Friday night on the question
OF whether or not the laboring ele.
ment SHOULD form separate political
party, both sides being ably pre-.
scented.
The judges were Miss May Haw.
! kins, county superintendent of pu-
laski county; Prof. w, T. Felts, of the
Carbonate Normal school, and Attor.
ney George Il. Martin, Of Mound City.
The first affirmative speaker had Il
l2M minute talk, the first negative
10 minutes, the same time for the
second affirmative and the second
negative 12h minutes. In rebuttal
the affirmative had the privilege of a
> minute discourse.
| Dwight Ohrum on the affirmative
side was the first speaker for G. H. S.
He contendea that5h separate labor
isarty could not become d reality, that
1t was against Ainericanism, that IL
would weaken the other parties, and
that 1t put obstacles in the way OF
the American boy. His strongest plea
was that it was against Americanism,
on which he said we did not need a
separate party just for the whims
caprices of a few prejudiced men who
could not work in harmony because
OF the many factioual hatreds that
would arise. II they banded together
for separate party it would form a
lass distinction which would violate
inaleinable rights Of American citi.
Gems. They would be compelled to
vote for men who might not be ether
responsible or capable for no other
treason than because Of the influence
Iof their leaders. This would be
against the principles of American
liberty with government of the peo-
pie by the people for the people"
The two Paducah speakers, Marvin
Stills and McClain Mitchell, claimed
that the laboring classes were not
treated rightly by the parties in
power that it took so long for them
TO get Legislative measures adopted
In their favor; that it would not cause
class distinction; that 1t would rather
tend to establish democracy in the
q. S. on sounder basis. In trying
to show that the laborers were notl
being treated right by the present
political parties, the negative gave
citations Of the many recent big
strikes and how the Republican party
had not interfered to favor the labor.
ing classes. The trusts and corpora.
tons were against the aborers and
as. they held sway in the two chief
political parties they would@always
keep up this antagonism to tie labor
ing classes There was only one way
out of this and this was to form a
separate political party. Quoting one
OF the negative speakers "Unonisim
Is essential in all cases and where
labor is concerned it Is no exception
Further the Paducah boys contended
that the American Federation Of La
Dor was winning battles right along
Tor the working class in regard to
wages, better hours, etc, and If a
separate political party was formed
this good work would be hundred fold
Tenny Goldsmith, the second af
|fifmative for c. H. s. workoing along
the lines OF his colleague argued that
separate political party would put
obstacles in the way of the American
boy II the separate party was formed
there would be two classes of boys, |
the son Of the rich and the son Of the
laborer; and the class line would be
drawn socially as well as politically |
The other main points ne emphasized
We're that the formation of this sep
arate party would overthrow a
mighty nation: that the laboring
classes would be divided; that 1t
would cause factional jealousy; it |
would cause monarchial despotism,
and 1t would narrow the aims of such |
a party. He said also that SO many
OF our foremost statesmen have arisen
from the rank and file and that had
there been separate political labor
party these men would have never
come into public notice and our ma.
ton would have been hampered In its
march to greatness.
The c. II. s boys had been doing |
much hard work upon their topic and
the way they mastered this came ont
very strongly Fr.dag matt. The boys
owe q great deal OF their success TO
the helpful efforts OF Miss Margaret
Wilson of the c r. s. faculty and also
TO Rev Ohrum. father of Dwight
Ohruu