The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-04-25
MISsouLA HIGH SCHOOL TEAM
LOSES CHANCE FOR FINALS
IN CONTEST.
JUDGES ARE UNANIMOUS
Speakers From eozeman Prove Too
Much for Local Team and After
Hard Fought Battle Are Announced
the Winners In Close and Exciting
Contest.

Strong argument coupled with spir-
tied rebuttal gave the Gallatin county
high school debaters a unanimous de-
cision over tho local scholastics in the
debate here last evening that decided
the inter-district championship of the
southern and western districts in the
state debating league and which placed
the winning team in the finals to be
held here during interscholastic week.
Although the Bozeman boys secured
all three Of the votes the debate was
close and exciting to the very end.
When LleWellyn Luce had finished his
rehnttal, however, there was small
doubt as to who the victors were.
Luce, the. winner of the extempora-
neous speaking contest of 1912 and
member of the champion Gallatin team
last year. was the one who turned the
tables. The last speaker in refuta-
tion, he started speaking with things
looking rather gloomy for the visitors,
for Clarence. Streit of the Missoula
team had just finished a splendid re-
buttal. Luce was equal to the oc-
casion, however, and when he had fin
ished the result was certain But all
the honors were not with Luce. His
, teammates, Don Langhor and Lee
Park, were both excellent speakers and
raped some of Missoula's arguments
rather soundly. For Missoula honors
were about even, all of the boys being
at their best. Stuart McHaffie prob
ably had a shade on his colleagues and
even pressed Luce hard for laurels. His
main speech was most effective and
he interpersed it with refutation with
out break in his fluency Carroll
Baker and STREET. were also good, filling
out the best team that the locals have
had for years.
The Question.
The Gallatin debaters upheld the at
firmative of the question, Resolved,
that the United States government
should own and operate the telegrap ph."
Their first speaker was Langhor, the
hoy who won second in the extem-
poraneous contest at Bozeman this
wear. He stated the line of argu-
ment he and his colleagues would fol-
low and made a very effective Begin
ming. He was followed by Baker,
who opened up the negative for Mis-
soula. He endeavored to show that
the people of today do not want the
JGleSTapf because the pIeSeLL COilul-
tions are satisfactory. His delivery
was good and his argument sound.
Park, the second speaker for the visit
ors, followed and proved that the
telegraph was an essential part of the
postal system. He was the only
Gallatin speaker who came down with
out a reputation already made, but he
will have the satisfaction of going
home after having made decided im-
preston upon his audience. McHaffie
came next for Missoula and presented
"a speech brilliant with wit and mingled
with refutation that was, perhaps, the
strongest direct-argument talk made
by any speaker. His delivery was
excellent and he took his hearers by
storm He was followed by Luce, who
almost equaled McHaffie's record. His
enunciation is very good and he is per-
fectly at home on the platform. Next
was STREET of Missoula, who concluded
the direct argument and made very
good talk.
All six of the speakers We're allowed
five minutes each for rebuttal and il
was at this time that Luce was at his
1best He concluded the speaking and
put up some of the best refutation thai
has been heard at a high school de-
bate here for some time. He talked
his whole five minutes without 8
break and hit Missoula's pet argu,
ments with the strength of a polished
Continued on Page Seven.)