New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1915-01-13
New Uln High
Loses Debate
REDWOOD FALLS TEAM PROVES
ITS ABILITY TO TAKE
HONORS.

1t was quite severe disappointment
to New Ulm High School students when
the decision of the judges in the Inter-
scholastic Debate was given as 2 to in
favor of Redwood Falls. Not only were
the young people disappointed but a
number of their elders for, judging
casually, the New Ulm team made their
points more evident and seemingly in
greater numbers than their opponents
and it was expected that the decision
would be just reversed. Even the most
sanguine dared not hope for a unanimous
decision because the Redwood team
put forth their best efforts and because
the second speaker on the New Ulm team
suffered lapse Of memory that caused
loss of precious points when it came to
the final count.
The debate was held in the new High
School auditorium which was comforta-
bly, filled with students, the Redwood
rooters and friends of the team. This
does not mean that anywhere near as
many people attended the exercises as
were in duty bound to be present for the
parents of most of the students were not
there and showed their Indifference to
what goes on in the public schools by
their absence. This Indifference in a
way accounts for the failure of the New
Ulm team to overcome the Redwood
team which also defeated the New Ulm
team last spring. When the parents
wake up and do their part, the New Ulm
High School will be able to put a winning
team in the field once in while. Until
they do, New Ulm will draw the small
score in interscholastic contests.
AS a subject for the State Debating
League this year the question, "Resolved:
That the Federal Government Should
Own and Operate Telegraph and Tele-
phone Lines New Ulm was assigned
to the Affirmative of the question and
Redwood Falls had the defense of the
Negative. They had somewhat more
practice in debate than the New Ulm
team since they won in their struggle
with the Tyler team some weeks ago
whereas the New Ulm team took their
victory from Mapleton by default Of the
latter team. Redwood team members
were more mature also, all three being
young men in the Senior year of High
School work and one of the New Ulm
defenders, Walter Wiedenmann, is very
young lad, a member of the Freshman
class. This was the boy whose lapse of
memory served the team such bad turn.
Armin Koehler, the leader of the New
Ulm team is Sophomore and Miss
Elizabeth Dougher, the third member of
the team is the only Senior among them.
The style of delivery Of the two teams
was similar in only one. thing and that
was the hurriedness with which each
speaker produced his arguments. The
New Ulm team were the worst offenders
in this line. They had evidently been
trained to talk against time. This has
always been one of the big faults in the
debate work here. Pupils apparently do
not realize that their arguments are
weakened by too much talking about
them. They make their speeches too
long and involved and when they get up
to deliver them they must reel it all off
as if they were wound up and feared to
run down before finishing. In the case
of the boy whose memory went back on
him, the effect was exactly as if a spring
had stuck and couldn't be easily loos-
ened. When it was loosened away the
machinery sped again. The Redwood
boys were more deliberate but the same
fault is chargeable to them also. New
! Ulms speakers put more emphasis upon
their points and varied their delivery SO
that it was more pleasing to listen to than
the dead evenness of the visitors manner
These criticisms are made in the spirit
of helping the students to overcome the
faults that initiate against them when
contesting with others.
Arnin Koehler opened for the affirm
alive. His arguments dealt with the
evils inherent in private ownership Of
public utilities. Walter Wiedenmanr
compared the government owned systems
of Europe with the private monopoly O.
this country and argued that government
regulation has proven a fiat failure
Elizabeth Dougher presented a plar
whereby the government might assume
control without lost time or money. Mr.
Steele, Mr.. Stevens and Mr.. Luscher
; did not differentiate their arguments
:, sufficiently to outline them individually
They based their contentious on tn,
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