Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1920-04-30
MIDI WINS AND
LOSES DEBATES


"The ST. Lawrence team was super
ior in delivery, but taking everything
into consideration, Middlebury Col
lege did the better work" announced
Governor Percval w. Clement, distn-
guished guest and judge at the debate
between Middlebury College and St.
Lawrence University, in the Mead Me
mortal chapel Tuesday evening" April
q.
The debate was the first intercolle
giate contest of the kind since the be-
ginning of the world war. President
Thomas in his Introductory speech re-
marked that debating was one of the
Oldest of academic exercises, older than
baseball and football. To the Kaiser,
he said, was due the interruption Of de-
batting during the past few years
Middlcbury supported the affirma-
tive, St. Lawrence the negative of the
following question:
Resolved: That in all the pricipal in
dustries of the United States, boards,
equitably representing employers and
employed, be established to settle all
questions arising between them.
1t was said that the visiting team
spent considerable time in preparation
for the contest. Their appearance bore
out the assertion Ever cool, they
spoke with sense of conviction found
ed upon not only the arguments in
hand but upon an apparent reserve
knowledge accumulated by study OF
the subject Their enunciaton was
sufficiently slow to carry their words
to the length of the chapel and yet not
seem forced. A feature of their speak
ing was the method of individual re-
buttal each used as he opened his own
arguments by replying to the speech OF
his preceding opponent. This gave an
impression of spontaneity that could
hardly have been lost upon the judges
On the contrary, the Middlebury
team appeared to have paid more at
tention to the collection of a mass of
data. This they seemed so anxious to
cram into the allotted minutes as to
disregard its presentation to the au-
dience Several times interest began
to lag Unfortunately too one of the
Middlebury men was forced to read
his text on account of insufficient pre-
paration He had entered the debate
at the eleventh hour to fill a vacancy
caused by illness. The strength and
cogency of MIDI arguments, however,
seem to have compensated with the
judges for an indifferent delivery.
In the first part of the rebuttal st.
Lawrence seemed to have cEnched the
victory With the same elaboration
as in argument the visitors spoke in
reply to the affirmative. Captain La
lone, the last speaker for the negative,
summed up the whole St. Lawrence
case in an especially mastery manner,
aliordng the example of the best in
dividual speaking of the evening.
The last speaker for Middlebury was
awaited with the most intense interest
To him alone was given the chance
to bring victory to his alma mate
His comrades had made their last stand
and had seemingly failed. And Captain
Murray Adams was equal to the oc-
casion. To borrow an analogy from
the national game, he was at the bat
with two out and home run needed tc
win Seldom dos 4 happen that
debate closes =" S. spectacular
fashion. Argum ia IN is rather dry
at best. Adams p eCiating the fact
injected the fire his speech that
brought back the ention OF the en-
tire audience ent ing it to pitch
that won it over his point OF view
completely. His method was moi
logic and "harspltting" Many were
already tired of an evening OF that
He ventured on satire. Turning to hi
opponents whose last word had beer
said and who seemed wholly taker
back by the newness and vigor OF nj
attack, he ridiculed their proposition
Consistency did not bother him. Hi'
rapid-fre eloquence took no account
of premises and unacceptable conclu
,, sions. Even though he disparaged th'
reliability of an authority, he quotet
that authority just the same. HIS arm
, full of books was awe-inspiring and nj
pounded upon them as they lay on th'
desk with all the vigor of dramatic con
viction. And again he would border
upon the burlesque. But that did no
matter. Was not the crowd with him
Anything he said was good. Ringin:
applause complimented him as the be!
sounded the close He had snatcheC
= victory out of the Goals and given i
by his individual effort to Middlebury
, The judges, His excellency Perciva
W. Clement, Commissioner Milo b
Hillegas and Hon. Marvelle c. Webbe
, spent more than twenty minutes in re
tirement before announcement OF thei
decision. The Governor, in a httl
;, speech, congratulated both teams o.
: the excellent work done.
The Professor Wetheren prize wa
awarded to Murray Adams, '23 for tn
best individual work on the Middle
: bury team.
At the same time a team from Mid
: dlebury College was debating the mega
. tive side of the same question in Car
I ton, n. Y. with a St. Lawrence team
| Middlebury lost in that debate. Sam
uel Ginsburg was adjudged the be'
i individual worker on the Middlebur