Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-02-24

said that federal charters would be
harmful and would upset business,
causing panics. A federal charter law
would prove too centralizing and the
money trust would prevent the smaller
concerns from continuing in business.
Mr.. Seerley said it was dangerous to
interfere with the financial affairs or
the nation as it would destroy conf
dence and bring on ruin merely for the
sake of trying an experiment. The
speaker said that "big business" want.
ed federal law but the people did not.
Such law would be too cumbersome
and too ideal.
In rebuttal Mr.. Peoples said the az
firmative was picturing old conditions
ano not those Of the present. He stat
ed that Canada was using the same
plan that the United States is and
found it satisfactory.
Mr.. Gardner demanded to know of
the negative any remedy for the pres
ent condition except federal charter.
He said that national banks did not
fail because they had to report to the
federal government and that such a
law as the affirmative advocated would
cause no more disruption of business
than the currency bill did.
Mr.. Conrad read from newspaper
clipping telling how the Sherman law
is better than plans now being dis
cuSsed in Washington. He declared
that the federal government has not
shown that it can control corporations
better than the states can. Mr.. Con-
rad said that he believed in home rule
and that it was bad habit for the
states to always look to Washington
for aid
Mr.. Smith said he preferred to look
to Washington for aid than to the
state legislature, and he gladly sub
mitted newspaper article regarding
the trust laws in Oregon to his opDon-
ents.
Mr. Serley insisted that federal
courts would be partial to the big cor
porations and told the affirmative that
they were forgetting that they had to
prove the question. He compared the
affirmative to a duack doctor who
promised to cure everything.
ME-. Corrick ended the debate by say
ing that the affirmative had met the
negative on the fundamental issues of
the question. He stated that his side
had not attempted to frame bill for
congress, but that the success of fed
eral charters was not theoretical but
had been proved by similar acts al
ready in force.
Charles c. Clark, president of the
school board, presided over the debate.
The high school orchestra favored
the audience with delightful pro-
gram before the opening of the debate.
This talented aggregation is composed
of six boys and four girls. They rend-
cred the following pieces in manner
which showed much practice: Gray
Eagle, two-step; Pauline, intermezzo,
and Saddle Back, two-step. Burlington
high school cheers were also given by
the students present, led by John Nc
Kitterick.
Win a. Iowa City.
Iowa City, Feb. REPRESENTING the
affirmative arguments on the same
question debated at Burlington, the
team from that city, Tobin F. Conrad
and Hartman, defeated Iowa City high
school mere Thursday night, the. vote
being two to one. The favoring judges
characterized the style of delivery and
evidence submitted as extemporaneous
and forceful. The imp sion made by
the Burlington team Oh lie large audi
ence was splendid, the necessity of re-
buttal being almost useless.