Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-25
BoWdoin Debaters
Undefeated on
Western Tour

w oSCefn lOur
Bowdon College, Brunswick. Me.
March 24-(SpeciaD-The Bowdoin
debating team returned on the 1855
+. NJ. train Thursday evening from
their extensive trip through the mid
die west. The team is this year rep
resented by Albert r. Thayer '22.
William r. Jacob '223, Edward 3.
Ham ~, and Richard H. Lee "a. al
| tCrnate. The four successive victories
won by this team were: Tufts college,
Medford, Mass; Knox college, Gales
burg, H.; Ripon college, Ripon, Wis:
Syracuse university, Syracuse, y. Y.
! In every case BoWdoin debated on the
question: Resolved; That as to Rail-
roads and Public Utility Companies.
Changes in Wages and Working Con-
ditions Not Accepted by Employees.
and Strikes, Should Be Prohibited
Pending Settlement by a Permanent
Disinterestcd Board Having Power to
Enforce Its Decisions.
The first debate, that against Tufts
| college, was won by two to one de-
clsion. In this debate Bowdon up
. held the affirmative of the above
| question. The speakers representing
Tufts were. Charles A. Hancv.
stephen i. Crowell, and Alfred f.
Grant. The judges were Professor
Lyman II. Newell of Boston univer-
sity, Professor William r. Hastings
of Brown university, Herman Baker
of Boston. During this debate the
electric light system failed and Mr.,
Ham of the affirmative side was
obliged to deliver most of his speech
in darkness.
| The first Bowdoin speaker was
Thay"r. He attempted to prove that
/ IN all such matters of strike. etc.
the interest of the public is always
paramount. He endcaVOrcd to show
that all methods short of commission
had failed. The menace of the strike
in public utility companies is intol
cradle to the public. The first speak
er Tor the negative, Mr.. Haney, dealt
with the constitutiOnality and practi-
| cablllty of such 4 system, maintain
hng that the system would not Worl,
out. Ham continued Bowdoin's staud
by showing that the system is prac-
tlcablc, that 1T would be possible to
set permanent disintcrcsted board.
Ito considered tho various methods
mat the board could use to enforce
its rules, ipcludnS arrest of strike
leaders, the attachment of strike
funds, the employment of police and
militia, and the right to fine and i'm
prison representatives of capital.
The second speaker for the mega
tive was Mr.. Crowell, who dealt with
the failure in Australia of such a
system. This and the argument
brought out in the rcbuttal that so
powerful an organization as the Rail-
road Brotherhood. consisting of more
than 100000 men. could hardly be
coerccd. were the two strongest ar
Euments in the case of thc negative.
The last speaker for the affirmative
was Jacob. He stated that the con-
Stitutionality of the measure was as
sured 1t is the right of the public
to control disputes in public utilities.
The system, he Claimed would not be
unjust toward labor, but would result
in greater justice to all concerned.
Grant. the last speaker for the mega
tive, was the most formidable OF
BoWdoin'S opponents. He treated
more at length of the question of
practicablity of the plan and also
suggested four possible alternatives.
each of which was dealt with in the
rehuttal. The main speeches finished.
Il short intermission was taken and
the rebuttals delivered.
The team loft Boston Wednesday,
March Il, when they started their
long trip to Wisconsin, The team
arrived in Ripon on Friday. Here
they debated Ripon college. for the
past two years one of Rowdoins op-
ponents at Brunswick. About 400 poo
pie attended this debate. The Ripon
speakers were: Clemens F.. Lucck
80. who substituted just ten hours
before the debate for the regular
speaker. Rurl w. Miller 30. and CYL
vester II. Toussaint '23. The judges
of this debate were of unusual legal
ability and reputation. They We're
Justice Franz G. Eschweiler, of the
supreme court. Hon. William J. Nor
gan. Attorney General of the State,
anu JutSp TIIllll i'utIiStii. tA-litht'u-
ant governor. The decision was un-
animously in favor of BoWdo!n. At
Ripon the debate centercd upon tho
question OF impracticability of the
plan. The first speaker for Ripon
claimed there was no judicial preccd-
cnt for such a system; there was no
standard Of right and wrong in such
decisions The second speaker COW
cred all the methods of enforcement
of the boards decisions except the
attachment of strike funds. He also
quoted regarding the failure of tn
.pIan in England The third spcallc.'
presented Il series Of quotations COW
Cring points about the impossibility
of fixing wages and the fundamental
wrong in such attempts. He advocat-
ell collective bargaining as substi-
tutc In the rehuttal Rowdoin show
ed her superiority. Here BoWdoin
used the advocation of collective bar
gaining as a point in her favor as it
was promoted under the proposed
plan. Arbitration was shown to he
possible. A point was here made of
the refusal of the negative to consid-
CIR the interests of the public, and the
conclusions regarding Kansas. which
were favorable to the affirmative,
were driven home. After the debate
y reception was held for the Bowdoin
dcbaters in Duffie Horse.
On the following Saturday the de-
baters stopped at Chicago where a
banquet was given in their honor by
the Chicago Bowdoin Alumni at he
City club Of Chicago. The reception