Alma record., 1921-12-15
MT. PLEASANT Is
LOSER IN FIRST
DEBATE Of YEAR
HIGH SCHOOLERS GET UNANI-
NOUS VERDICT OF JUDGES
IN FRIDAY CONTEST.
WW Debate Big,
Rapids in January

'c'Hl WON unanimous decision
against Mount Pleasant High School
in the initial debate of the year at
Mount Pleasant Friday night. The
question which is receiving the at
tention Of the Intcrscholastic Debat-
ing League this year is: Resolved
That the principle of the closed shop
should receive the support of public
opinion in America today"
The local team upheld the mega
tive side of the question and had little
difficulty gaining the decision. The
Alma team consists Of John Holmes,
Ncsta Ellcot and Elliott Crooks. Both
John Holmes and Elliott Crooks have
aad previous experience in the debat-
ing field and their work of Friday
night showed TO a good advantage
the results Of that experience. Miss
Ellicot, who made her debut in high
school debating Friday night, did ex-
coptiOnally efficient work and prom
iscs 90 become a forceful debatcr.
Mt. Pleasant was represented by
Elsie Beach, Wayne Kelley and Har-
old Bentley.
Since the question is itself one of
vital interest to the industrial world
today and is being debated in coll
legiate circles as well as. high school,
4 word might be said about the man
ner in which il was developed on Fri
day night. The first affirmative
speaker defined the question and then
proceeded to give an eloquent appeal
for trade unionism. II one outstand-
ing reason were to be deducod for the
defeat Of the Mt. Pleasant team, il
would be that they assumed grounds
which were quite outside the confines
Of the question. Clearly, from the
statement Of the question, the debate
is not concerned with trade unionism
gaining. 1t was upon the basis of the
belief that the open shop would deny
the benefits of collective bargaining
that the affirmative took issue. Hence
when the first speaker for the mega
tive (Alma) made it clear that closed
shop and collective bargaining are
not Synonymous; that the negative
would not seek to eliminate collective
bargaining or deny the good effects
Of trade unions in the past: and fur
thcr, pointed out that the argument
of the affirmative thus far had been
beside the question, major point was
gained for Alma. The second speak
er for the affirmative presented an
impassioned plea for the laborine
man, the honest toiler and soundly
beratcd capitalistic dominance Of in
dustry. Miss Elicot pointed out that
the spirit Of the closed shop is con
trary to the spirit Of American de-
mocracy fecausc of its malignant ap-
premiership rules and also that the
closed shop Is, under the present
status Of capital and labor, no longer
necessary. The third speaker for the
affirmative presented far the best Of
the affirmative arguments and
seemed to be the directive force on
the Mount Pleasant team. Elliot
Crooks rounded out the argument for
the negative, devoting n goodly share
Of his time to the quotation Of author
tiles supporting the negative conten-
tions.
The rebuttal arguments developed
practically no new material with the
exception Of the citation Of additional
supporting proof by the negative. The
next debate scheduled is with Big
Rapids at Alma, some time in Janu-
airy and with little intensive train
inc there is no annarcnt roaeon \yhv
the team cannot be AS successful
with the other side Of the question as
they were with the negative in their
first debate of the year.
The judges Friday night were Prof.
Beddow Of Mount Pleasant Normal,
Professor Hamilton Of Alma College.
and Supt. Jones Of Clare.