The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-03-13
AN 0R|T0R|CAL CONTEST
Teams From Conconully and
Oroville High Schools
In Joint Debate

The joint debate between a team
consisting of Miss Edna Jones, Guy
Smith and Dick Thompson, of the Con-
conully high school, on the one side,
and Miss Mildred Downs, Miss Helen
Johnson and Mark Mitchell, represent
ing the Oroville high school, o.
other, was disappointing as to the ver-
dict of the judges, yet none the less
interesting to the large assembly Of
men and women that filled the audi
torium of the high school Saturday
evening. One of the largest crowds
that has yet attended school enter
tainment in the new building was pres
Cnt, and from the close attention given
the speakers it was evident that every
person present was keenly interested
in the forensic efforts of the youthful
debators. 1t was a generous, an ap
rreciative, kindly disposed crowd
free to marked degree from the par
tizenship that too often sways home
audience and stints the praise and
consideration due to honorable and
worthy opponents. On this occasion
the visitors were accorded as fair
earring as they would have received
if facing home audience, and the aD-
80 was as literally bestowed upon
the Conconuly contenders as upon
those who represented the home
school. 1t was a commendable atti-
tude to take, and while the young Wis
itors may have realized that they were
facing a gathering that naturally SYM
pathized with the other side, they had
every reason to feel that they were
being treated with kindly considera-
tion, and given perfectly fair show
liz the contest.
1t was late hour when the debats
began. Judge w. G. Brown. of Okla
hogan, and Hon. Geo. j. Hurley and
! w. Graham, of Loomis, were select
ed as judges. Prof Nance was chosen
chairman. The stage had been very
prettily decorated for the occasion.
On the west side of the stage were
seated the three Oroville champions
and on the east side the Conconullv
representatives. The question at issu,
was Resolved, That the Unskilled
lasborers of Southern and Eastern
Europe Should Be Excluded From the
United States" Oroville was assigned
the affirmative, and Conconully the
negative. Chairman Nance announced
that each speaker would be allowed
twelve minutes to present the main
arguments. The rebuttal would be
taken up by Miss Johnston and Mr.
Mitchell, on the one side, and Miss
Jones and Mr.. Thompson in the order
named. TO start with the local speak
ers showed signs of nervousness before
the home audience, the result in large
measure of lack of experience and
training, yet they spoke we'll and to
the point, preserving strong reasons
to sustain the position of the affrima-
tive, quoting statistics and authorities
to bear out their points. The Concon-
ully speakers on the other hand were
less Illustrated, which is the advantage
gained by frequent appearance in pub
lie. While they were at home on the
platform, yet their speaking was more
in the nature of we'll studied and
we'll committed recitation. This was
conspicuously noticeable in rebuttal,
when, with all kindness to the visitors.
the attempt at answering the argu-
ments of the affirmative fell rather
flat, without point, force or logic. On
the other hand both Miss Johnston
and Mr.. Mitchell aroused much ap-
plause by the manner in which they
handled the rebuttal, speaking more
easily and fluently, more to the point
and making more telling hits than
the opposition. 1t is fair to presume
that Conconully made shade the best
showing in the main debate, and that
the rebuttal was not taken into con-
sideration, for the judges so decided.
1t is difficult to understand how the
Judges marked points to reach their
findings, but they were selected as
the arbitrators of the debate and their
decision stands, although not unchal-
lenged. Prejudice cannot be charged
against the three, because the verdict
was unanimous, and this paper be-
lieves sincerely that they reached a
decision through unbiased judgment.
The local representatives have moth
ing to be ashamed of, no cause for re-
grets or establishment on account of
failure. The showing that they made
was greatly to their credit. They have
had no experience as speakers. This
season is their first appearance in de-
bate. They were pitted against op-
ponents who have had experience on
the rOstrum, who have had long and
careful training who had studied the
subject matter until they spoke from
rote.
When everything is taken into col
sideration the home team is entitled 10
the highest commendation and praise
for the showing they made against