The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-04-03
FORKS NAN WILL Be
STATE UNIVERSITIES ORATOR

The university oratorical contest
was Won last night by Francis Fl.
Tcmpleton of this city. His victory
entities him to represent the univer-
sity IN the state oratorical contest at
Fargo April %. The winner of last
prize Of $50. The winner Of second
place. George koehn, was awarded
the second prize Of $50. The contest
was on a par with contests OF previ-
U years as to excellence.
The subject of Mr. Templeton's ora
ton was the great orator, Wendell
Philips, and was entitled, THE Toll
short. but n Of the very best that
has ever been heard at the univer-
sity. The title OF Mr.. Koehn's Grafton
was: The Flower Of the South" 1t
a splendid tribute to the great
ma OF the south, General Robert E.
Lee. The other orators and their
orations Were. Edward Dudly, who
spoke on The Supremacy Of Char
acter:" Lawrence Plank. who spoke
spoke on THE New Democracy"
j. Earl Louden, president of the
university %oratorical contest. presided.
The Judges on thought and COMPOSE
ZION were Miss Mary E. Black, DR..
Never J%acobstein and Attorney r. B.
Feetham. The judges on delivery
were Dean NJ. A. Brannon and Prof.
A. j. Becker of the university and
DR.. Webster Merriield, who so long
served the university as it's president,
is the donor of the prizes. DR.. Mer-
r:field has always taken a very keen
interest In oratory, and his gifts each
year have done a great deal to adj
vance the art Of oratory at the stata
university. The custom in the past
a been to give each society a rep
r~esentative in the contest. this year the
orators were chosen from a free for
all contest.
The Winning Grafton.
Mr.. Templeton's Grafton in part was
as follows:
Were I to ask you tonight what
drama enacted during the nineteenth
century and with America as the stage
was the most remarkable, / believe
you would answer and rightly, our
great drama of the rebellion" But
were to ask you what actor in that
great drama was the most remarka-
nle; l doubt not you would answer,
PLAYED in that mighty tragedy another
actor. unique, unrivalled, alone,
Some one has said that in the anti.
avery struggle between the years
1885 and 1865 no more majestic figure
appeared upon the American rostrum
than Wendell Phillips, the silvery
tongued orator.
Reared amongst luxury. refinement
and culture, he abandoned all for the
rigorous life Of the abolitionist. He
forsook his circle of friends ready to
open the ways of success to him in the
neld OF education or arts: he hewed
his way to imperishable fame and
honor in the espousal of the unpopu.
lar cause Of abolition. an espousaI
that was frought with DISCOURAGE
ments n dangers without number
The doors of his friends, even His
family, were closed to this man who
in their eyes had made of himself an
outcast. a pariah. He had t. face a
storm of ridicule and abuse. Through
1t all his work for the eventual free
ing of the slave was kept UP, and
when at the close of the civil war he
sew his fond hopes .ealized he turned
to other fields Of reform.
No nobler friend of freedom and
Of man ever breathed upon this con
ttnent and no man service to free.
dom surpasses his. AS the years 20
by and only the large outlines of lofty
American careers and characters re.
main. the wide republic will confess
the benedictfon of a life like this and
gladly W that IL with perfect faith
and nope assured. America would still
stand and bid the distant generations
hail the inspiration of her national
me must be the sublime mor1l cour-
spotless integrity. the absolute un-
selfish devotion of great pSwers to
great public ends which were the
glory Of Wendell PhilliDs