Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-24
boy OF Is
ORATORY WINNER
Girl Is Second, Spokane Boy
Third and D. C. Con-
teStant Fourth.
CONTINUED From First Page.)

OC1er cOnlenQerS 1Or the nOnOrS ne won
rushed forward to grasp his hand in
congratulation.
Earns Pianist Reputation.
The champion is ambitious to become
a musician and already has earned an
enviable reputation in his State as a
pianist. At the Newton High School,
where he is student, he has been ac-
tive in debates and dramatics. When
asked last night the laconic question:
What made you win?" the champion
promptly replied:
MY coach"
This coach is Mrs. Alma Moore, a
teacher in his school, who accompanied
him to Washington for the contest
finals. He added he was not nervous
until lit was all over" and admitted
that winning the national champion
ship Is hard work, but it was worth
itr'
Prior to the opening Of the contest
meeting itself, witnessed by $500 peo-
pie, the Tech Symphony Orchestra of
Mckinley High School. under the d.
rection Of Dore Walten. the faculty
leader, played numerous selections.
Robert Rayburn was the first of the
contestants to take the stage in COM
petition for the championship. Fol-
lowing two adult speakers young Ray
burn matched poise and vocal vigor
with his elders. Speaking on THE
Tests Of the Constitution" the Kansan
traced national emergencies from the
difficulties attendant upon the Constitu-'
tional Convention through the wars to
present-day political upheavals. Dis
cussing the future of the Constitution,
he said its preservation rests with the
people governed under 1t.
Henry Clay Second Topic.
Washington's own 15-year-old Jimmy
Moore-the youngest and smallest ora
tor in the group launched into his dis
custom of Henry Clay-the Great
Unionist," as the second contestant to
speak. Jimmy was expressive both in
speech and gesture.
His was a laudatory treatise on Clay
a product Of Kentucky, the boy orators
own native State, and thunderous ap-
plause greeted his effort.
Jack EN- nett of New York followed
young Moore. In his grafton on Per
sonalities of the Constitutional Conven-
tion," the speaker employed the first
person, relating In the words OF a hui
manized Independence Hall the story
OF the great constitutional convention as
witnessed by the historic Philadelphia
structure.
The use Of the first person gave EN-
mett's grafton personal touch unique
in the history of the contest. The
speech was enthusiastically received,
even though the timekespers whistle
sounded in the middle Of the last SEN
tence. He was loath to hault before
completing.
Next came Miss Ever Louise Conner
Of Chicago. the only girl in the contest
finals This l6-year-old girl gave a
feeling discussion of The Constitution.
a Living Document" Miss Conner.
whose feminine charm was accentuated
by black evening gown, met the same
fate as her predecessor. She, too, was
slenced by the whistle. Unruffed, how
ever, she stopped instantly and bowed
sTilingly with a poised Il thank you"
William J. Codd, Spokane entrant,
followed with his speech on Lincoln
and the Constitution" Colds was a
sincerely feeling grafton on the Con-
stttution savior, who, as he said, pour
ed out his LIES blood on the altar of
security" Privileges enjoyed
today, Codd said, are traceable to the
life's work of Lincoln, to whom we owe
a debt OF gratitude"
Again time proved fleeing and Codd
also was stopped by the timing officials
whistle
William J. Donohue, Herkimer, N.
Y, was the sixth contestant to speak
Drama and vigor were combined in his
address on Lincoln, the Savior of the
The vitality of this ora
ton contrasted Interestingly with the
quiet sympathy in the Spokane en-
trant's speech on the same subject
James H. Pelham of Birmingham
the prepared phase Of the
contest with his grafton on THE Con-
stitution, Challenge to citizenship"
Pelham's speech was laid in the present
with a warning that the dangers beset-
ting the Constitution be not foreign
war lords power, but IN the careless
ness of today's Americans. Popular ed
ucation. he said. will produce respect
for authority that makes citizens de-
voted to their Constitution.
First Elk TempOre Speaker.
After a musical interlude, Robert
Rayburn delivered the first Of the ex-
temporaneous addresses, the supreme
test for the young orators.
The Conflict Between Jefferson and
Hamilton" was young Rayburn's topic,
and he spoke with the same smoothness
which characterized his prepared ora
ton. The historic differences bstween
the two great figures we're described I'M
hesitatingly by the Kansas youth.
Jimmy Moore was welcomed by a new
outburst OF applause when he returned
for his extemporaneous address on
CLAY and the Bank Of the United
States" He displayed a wide basic
knowledge Of the personalities, the
strong points and the weaknesses of the
principals in the conflict between Clay
and others Of his time with regard to
the bank.
Jack Emmett followed Moore again
to discuss The Annapolis Trade Con-
vention." He pointed out clearly how
this meeting, called merely to settle
trading differences, produced the later
constitutional convention at Phila-
delphia.
THE Prescribed Methods Of Amend
ing the Constitution" was the topic
Miss Conner discussed extemporane-
ously. Here was real chance for an
oral examination" and the Chicago
girl proved equal to the test.
William Codd followed. speaking on
Lincoln and the Supreme Court" and
citing the tests to which slavery put
both the Civil War President and the
high tribunal.
Lincoln and Congress" was the topic
young William Donohue returned to
discuss, while James Pelham concluded
the contest with speech on the Con-
stitution's provision for foreign rela-
tons. II it was display Of knowledge
which the eXtemporaneous speech was
to test, Pelham was ready, for he
crowded a host Of facts into his four
minute discussion.
He stopped on the whistle blast and
the fate of the one girl and six boys
was IN the hands of the judges.
Warning OF PaternaIism.
In his warning against paternalism
m government and the Capitalization of
It's authority, Senator Bingham declared
that the very principles OF government
Is laid down in the Constitution ARE
fundamentally those of individual free
dom as opposed to paternalism or So
cialism, and of representative govern
-lan..- nrar,nsnd u !,