Evening star., 1925-02-23
ORATORY CONTEST
LAUDED BY D. A. R.
Magazine Writer Outlines
Benefits That May Result
From Competition.

torical Contest on the Constitution is
contained in the February issue of
the Daughters of the American Rev
olution Magazine. Writing on the
subject, Our Friend-The Constitu-
tion," Louise Boardman Proctor not
only describes and evaluates the
movement, but also gives an excel
lent outline of the way in which 1t
works in relationship to a specific,
though Hypothetical, community.
The article follows:
I'VE, the people of the United
States, Most of us recall
that much of the Constitution, and
some, with specially good memory,
have retained the old preamble's
other forty-hve words, but who can
describe the body of that charter
upon, which is founded the greatest
business of the world-the Govern
ment of the United States?
Suggested as "PracticaI PIan.-
Many who have pondered upon
this vital question of the day will
be interested in plan that has been
devised to meet the situation-a plan
so practical that through the CO.
operation of the Nations leading
newspapers it has materialized into
project in which, in 1923, ten
thousand Californians took part and
In 1924 more than million Americans
competed. IL the coming Spring,
with its repetition, many thousands
above last years million will doubt
less enlist.
IF you are under 19 years of
age and a secondary school pupil
You mayl be numbered among these
thousands. But if not, and you hap
pen TO know or to be kinswoman
of such an eligible, in all likelihood
your interest will be just as keen as
that of the publisher in your locality
who is spending good money as his
gratuitous offering toward better
citizenship.
ut is a contest-this unique plan
an oratorical contest to increase in
terest in the Constitution of the
United States High school boys and
girls in all parts of the country, un-
der the guidance of newspapers in
their respective territories, will again
this Spring dig down into the
archives of their town libraries and
CLEAN from those shelves romances
and facts surrounding this blessed
old document. tie original of which
now proudly adorns wall in the
Library of Congress at Washington,
and will frame essays upon either
the Constitution or the Constitution
and its. connection with one of the
following statesmen: Washington,
Hamilton, Jefferson, Marshall, Madi-
son, Webster or Lincoln.
Then the fun will begin. Through
the gantlet of many teachers and
judges the competitors will run, in
classrooms, assembly halls and audi
toriums at home and abroad, deliver
ing their arguments in 10-minute
orations, in which oratorical delivery
will count equally with context of
essay. Five times will competitions
be held before the representatives of
each TO the seven zones into which the
country has been divided for the pur-
poses of the contest will have been
selected for the final national con-
test May s at Washington.s
For example, young Tom Brown
of Smithville, Kans., submits his
essay to his classroom teacher in the
Smithville High School Toms
treatise is a clear and convincing
discourse on the subject he has
chosen and as a speaker he is well
rated in his classes. He is selected
by his teacher as the best competitor
who has come within her bailiwick-
Therefore Tom is allowed April to
compete in the assembly hall of his
high school with other schoolmateS.
Judges picked either from the school
faculty or from representative citizens,
or from both, hear the orations and Sc
lect Tom as contestant from the
Smithville High School in the district
hIldlS SApIL H. "AClt O'LACi Ai+SN
schools are likewise represented.
Tom "Comes Through
''On April II Tom comes through with
flying colors, to the satisfaction of
all Smithville, and appears April 81
as the representative of his local
newspaper for the newpaper semi
finals. Here, again, he leads and re-
ceives from that newspaper d re-
ward of s25 or thereabouts, possibly
more or less, and is sent on to the
newspaper finals of April "a. The
lads oratorical talents are steadily
gaining, he knows his Grafton per-
fectly from beginning to end, as, for
that matter, to a large extent, do his
sisterns and cousins and aunts) and
he is proudly proclaimed in head
lines in the leading newspaper OF his
territory as its representative in
Kansas City for the final contest of
the sixth, or Midwestern, zone,
Here, in the presence of, possibly
the Governor of Kansas, the presi-
dent of the First National Bank of
Karsas City and a Justice of the
supreme court of the State, acting as
Judges, Tom once again recites the
argument in behalf of his Nations
Constitution that has won him recog-
milton thus far. And here, amid ap-
plause, he is designated as represent
the national finals in Washington.
AT beautiful Memorial Continen-
tai Hall in Washington on May 8,
Tom feels himself none too practiced
in the task for which he is chosen
Before him are statesmen, diplomats and
soldiers of national and International re-
nown, and Iadies-brilliant and cultured
Beside him, on the platform, where
Daughters of the American Revolu-
tiou have held MANY sessions, sit the
President of the United States, the
Secretary of State, justices of the
United States Supreme Court, the
United States commissioner of edu-
cation, the president of the American
Bar Association, and no end of other
statesmen and educators who have
reached the top rung on the ladder
to fame.
TON would be appalled,, but on
either side of him sit also young men
and girls from the six other sections
of the country, and in his mind there
looms the picture of $4,000 prize
for a large part of which he has
Travelled here from Smithville. And
he braces up, of course.
Many astute thoughts are ex-
pounded that night in speeches of
some of the prominent leaders gath
cred there. But when Tom sets forth
his message in clear, studied tones
and presents his thoughts so swiftly,
so concisely. a peculiar thrill goes
through his visible audience of sew
eral thousand. and his invisible list
eners-in numbering countless thou
sands throughout the land. Some
how, Toms words work strange mir
acles in the hearts of men and women
grown immune to the appeals of the
servants into whose hands they have
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