Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-29
The Argus Daily Story
The Proposed Debate-By Lucia D. w. Redfield
Copyrighted. Literary

faculty would not permit any more OF
them.
Professor Olcott made q mistake in
not attending the first meeting. Dur
ing that conference. which had resolved
itself into Eve separate consultations,
one engagement had taken place, two
actual love affairs had been started
and one mild Irritation INDUCED in.
The only couple between whom moth
ing unusual took place were Mr.. Tucker
and Miss Smith. who had been engaged
before either of them had entered col
lege. There were no more meetings
between the debaters, but q great
many couple meetings of which neither
Professor Olcott nor any other men,
Der Of the faculty was aware
A week before the proposed debate
Mr.. John Markley called on Miss EN-
ma Spanker and announced that he
feared the feature which had been re-
lied upon to give such eclat to the
commencement exercises would fall
through. He had received q note from
one OF his team announcing his en-
gagement to one Of the White team
and his conversion to the votes for
women cause. Another member had
told him that he didn't give a ttnker's
cuss If every woman in Europe, Asia,
Africa and America had a vote. This
debater conhdenttally announced that
he had met the jolliest girl In Chris
tendon on the opposing team, and he
would not only give her his vote, but
his head. too, If she wanted 1t. Thus
far he had bestowed upon her ten
pounds Of candy.
Miss Spanker was surprised at this
information because she had met with
the same experience in her own team
One Of her debaters, who had been
detected smuggling flowers to her
room, had resigned from the team,
stating that she hadn't the slightest
use for a vote. If she had one she
wouldn't know what to do with it I'M
less she gave 1t to an awfuly nice fell
low, who would do her voting for her
soon after she had been graduated.
Another had admitted that she had
lost interest in the subject, while a
third renegade to her sex declared that
no woman could be driven to the polls
past a department store In which a
bargain sale was in progress.
A mutual disappointment brought
about a mutual sympathy. Mr.. Mark
ley was one of Blacks most prominent
undergraduates, and Miss Spanker
was a young lady OF great refinement,
90
held several protracted meetings and
at the end of every meeting were far
nearer being in love with each other
/ than with the subject that brought
| them together.
The arrangements for the debate
were now In such an unsatisfactory
state that the condition came to the
ears of Professor of Elocution At
wood in Black college, to whose de-
partment it belonged. He sought Pro
| fessor Cummings of the corresponding
department IN White, ana the two put
their heads together with a view 10
! seeing what could be done to save the
debate from falling through.
But bad luck seemed to attend the
movement from the first. Everybody
knows that spring is the season for
love. and this spring seemed to be es.
peciaIly adapted for the purpose In
that vicinity. Professor Atwood was
a bachelor and Professor Cummings a
maid The result of fheir putting
their heads together was not condu'
Give to solution of the problem.
Several students of White college
the day before the one appointed for
the debate got together to insure rs
coming off as announced. These young
ladies' were of a very different type
from those who had thus far had the
matter in charge, taking real inter
est in the subject to be debated. They
solved the problem at once. SO far as
White college was concerned, by ap
pointing a real capable substitute FOL
each and every woman debater. These
substitutes were not endowed with
beauty OF face or figure; they were
lntellectuas standing high IN Theii
classes and in every way lifted to rep
resent it in any capacity.
When the lay and nour for the de
bate arrived the nali IN which 1t was
to take place was crowded On tht
platform sat the substitutes. Dnt moi
an original appOintee appeared. Ih'
manager Of the men team walked
4 forward and announced that there wa,
, no necessity for u debate on the gues
ton 50 far as his college was concern
ed since every man appointed To argue
against wumans voting mad from tbs
first shown marked indifference II
the matter and finally backed Out from
serving ~ a drbnter. He nHd called
for substitutes. hut none hnd volun
teprcd. One thing mad been demon
strated-that the students OF Back col
lege were not 50 ungallant as 10 argu'
on the negative side OF the question
shall women he given the vote HI
regretted that the audience shoud Il,
disappointed. but that could DOT b
helped.
The audience then strolled out on T.
the campus. There was much rndVid
ual comment expressed. but on SuOtn
. er matter than the debate that had no
come of IL was concerning the NUN
Der OF engagements that had been Ga
b only result OF the proposed discussion.