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The Spike or Victoria College Review, June 1908

The Easter Tournament Debate, 1908

page 75

The Easter Tournament Debate, 1908.

TThrough the courtesy of the Rev. W. Hewitson, B.A., of Dunedin, who was one of the judges of the contest, we are enabled to publish some interesting opinions of the judges in connection with their method of arriving at a decision, and also their general impressions of the standard of debating reached. The following letter was received from him :

Dunedin, 5th May, 1908.

To the Editor, The Spike.

Dear Sir,—

In reply to your letter asking for some remarks on the speaking at the recent University Debating contest and for a copy of the judges' notes, I am sorry to say that the notes cannot now be obtained.

Before the debate, my colleagues and myself decided that in judging we would have regard to the nature of the arguments used, the order in which they were presented, and the form of expression. We did not feel called upon to decide whether the affirmative or negative position was the sound one, but we considered whether the arguments urged by speakers contained matters requiring careful thought by one forming a judgment on the question at issue.

We attached some importance to order, because a number of thoughts, even good thoughts, thrown together promiscuously do not constitute a speech. Under expression we included such matters as delivery, the grammatical construction of sentences, pronunciation and articulation.

I can perhaps set down some general impressions that may interest your readers. We thought the speaking of a distinctly high order. The speeches showed reading, thought, and careful preparation. The points were clearly made and the arguments well constructed. There was little to find fault with in pronunciation, and the sentences generally fell out well.

I am inclined to think that the most marked defect in all the speakers was a lack of emotional force. Emotion being absent there was little or nothing that was impressive in the way of gesture. The glory of our Empire and its possible decline and fall did not touch the imagination of the speakers and kindle their feelings. The consequence was that men talked of the possible fortunes of our Empire with as little feeling as if they were discussing the fortunes of a cabbage patch.

It is to be borne in mind that the first speaker in a debating contest has a distinct advantagfe in the matter of language and order of presentation. He can prepare beforehand in a way that is not possible to subsequent speakers if their speeches are to be really replies to what has been said. A reply makes a demand for readiness. A man in replying requires mental alertness in seizing a point and fluency in expressing it. I would suggest that it might be a good thing to have occasionally an oratorical instead of a debating contest. This custom prevails in Leland Stanford University page 76 and some of the other American Universities. As you are doubtless aware the American Colleges pay much more attention to the art of speaking than we do. In the great University of Chicago every student has to take the subject for six months sometime during his first two years. In democratic communities it is of great importance that educated men should be the leaders of their fellows. One sometimes sees a full man who has not cultivated the gift of utterance. When he tries to express himself he is like a full bottle turned upside down—all stoppages and splurts.

As my two colleages and myself moved along the hall to the platform to declare our verdict we were impressed by the song, "Three Blind Mice." With which we were greeted. I have wondered since if those young men who thought so lightly of our powers of discernment hailed from wellington. In our blindness we feel supported by the fact that our verdict met with such hearty approval from the audience.

My colleagues are not responsible for what I have written, but I do not think I have misrepresented their opinions.

Yours faithfully,

Wm. Hewitson,