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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 24

Effects of Debating Societies

Effects of Debating Societies.

No one can doubt that Literary and Debating Societies duly constituted and conducted, and rightly used, are very powerful helps to intellectual culture; but it must also be admitted that they are exposed to certain incidental evils which require to be carefully guarded against.

If they induce young men to observe, to read, and to think for themselves, to take trouble in order to express facts, ideas and arguments, in correct and vigorous, appropriate and graceful, language, to argue with calmness and judgment, to appreciate the arguments of others, and to form a sound judgment on the subject of debate, even after they have energetically advocated the prescribed side of a question—if they develop at once the "vis cogitandi" and the "facundia eloquendi" among their members, they are doubtless most beneficent in their operation; but if they are conducted in a slovenly manner, or used chiefly for the purposes of display, and encourage glibness of speech and pointless wordiness, or engender over disputative habits in ordinary conversation, they are apt to become rather mischievous than useful.