Evening star., 1926-03-09

nent. The rules require the speecbes
TO be rated so per cent upon com.
position and logic and 80 per cent on
delivery somewhat different test
from that OF Demosthenes, who.
when asked the three most impor.
tant requisites of oratory, answered.
Delivery. delivery, delivery" Yet
the printed rules of this contest
almost poach upon .Demosthenes in
saving to the candidates: IF you
believe in it strongly enough. YOU
can bring your audience to your
viewpoint. One is always a ma jority
in oratory. provided that one is per.
suasive enough"
In spite of the emphasis upon de.
livery, the only criticism which has
appeared has been upon the charac.
ter or the arsuments-nOt the argu.
ments presented in the speeches OF
the students. but in the text matter
supposed to be supplied to the con-
testants. to influence the nature Of
their speeches. Needless to cite the
fact that the 100000 candidates do
not receive their data from the con-
test headquarters. but they gather it
from the local libraries and from
articles on American history pub.
magazines interested in the move.
ment.
According to the management.
there appears no foundation for the
efforts of prOpa agandists of radical.
ism to charge that the Oratory In
directed toward the Constitution as
originally adopted, before amend
ments were added. 1t is recognized
that the amendments are as much
part of our fundamental law" as
was the original document, for the
original Constitution supplied the
methods by which the voters could
keep the instrument a living soul OF
our Government. always in touch
with popular needs. instead OF a petrl'
fed relic of a dead past.
According to Mr.. Randolph Lelgh,
the originator and manager of the
movement, the Constitution insures
a republican Or representative
form Of government, not pure de-
mocracy in which all voters par
ticipate in passing judgment at the
polls upon all problems of state. MT:
Leigh, in his book, The Citadel OF
Freedom" argues that when the peo'
pie exercise the right OF direct baliot
through the initiative and referendum
they bust representative govern.
mont. The United States Supreme
Court decides that that is a politicai
question, and the court has refused
10 interfere with it's freedom In the
% States where it exists. The doom
Of Mr.. Leigh Is useful to the empiyo
orators, as q source book OF hlstoticai
data, but they are not bound to agree
with the author In his chapters oe-
nouncing Constitution busting py
the daring Rooseyeltian ana otner
Ogres. who have persuaded ZZ STATES
to adopt the democratic doctrine OF
initiative. referendum and recal OF
Judges" No pressure is broushs
upon the views of the orators, ana
certainly the contest judges are NOT
Influenced from any standard OF ao'
Judgment except the logic, forceIui-
ness and delivery Of the contestlng
orator, whatever his viewpoint.
The movement, which started as
State contest, grew quickly INTO
national affair, and this year 1t 10
to be supplemented with an lnterna-
tional contest, to be held next Oc'
tober, also in Washington. Mexico
has already held one contest modeiao
after this one. and next Octoper the
winners Of similar contests In Euro
pean countries will come to wash.
inxton, each to speak In his own
language, upholding the principles
of the government Of his own coun-
try. This is not at all a movement
Of pacif1st internationalism, out II
cannot fail to enhance cordisi Ieenngs
between nationals p the seVera'
countries.