6o
THE NEHRASKAN
HI
n
upon " The Great American Agitator "
Wendell Phillips. Mr. Ricketts spoke in an
unnatural tone, but had many admirers. He
would make a good Methodist exhorter.
D. N. Lehmer relieved the audience for a
while with a whistling solo. It proved to be
such a relief that he had to respond to an
encore. F. D. Eager acquitted himself cred
itably upon "The Inheritance of Wealth." He
spoke deliberately and freely. C. R. Wel
den followed with "A Dark Chapter in Amer
can Legislation." Mr. Welden had an easy
delivery, and certainly was as good as he
was in the Chase and Wheeler contest. T.
E. Wing selected " Patriotism and Brother
hood " for the winning oration. His manu
script was excellent,but his delivery was not so
good. He had the conversational rather than
the oratorical style. Last but not "least" came
R. E. Johnson and " The Crowning Democ
racy." He received first place on delivery,
but some discouraging and discrepant marks
on manuscript let him out. While the decis
ion of the judges was being computed, Pro
fessor G. C. Mensendorf rendered the " Fan
tasie de Concert Faust," which was highly
appreciated. The decision of the judges
gave Mr. Wing first. Messrs. Pollard, Wel
don and Johnson were tied for second place
on ranks, but Pollard's grand average was
slightly in the lead, giving him second place.
Upon a whole the contest was carried
through in splendid condition. Each con
testant spoke without stage fright and seem
ed perfectly at home upon the stage. The
gestures used by the orators were well se
lected and for the most part gracefully ex
ecuted. They seemed to add force and im
pression to the speeches.
"Dead falls the cause, if once the hand be mute;
But let that speak, the client gets the suit."
NOTES.
The proceeds above expenses go to the
athletic association.
H. C. Peterson: "Some of you fellows
won't think so much of oratory after the contest."
The fraternities will for the first time have
a representative from the university in a state
contest.
The state contest lias been changed to
March 7U1, and will be held in the Lansing'
theatre.
Many came up with light purses, having
read in the Journal that no admission would
be charged.
F. W. Dean, Doanc's orator and A.
Turner, the winner at Wesleyan, heard the
contest and picked a winner.
Miss Alice Gadd won the contest at Cot
ner Friday night. Hence co-education will
be represented again at the state contest.
Mr. E. M. Pollard : "There's politics in
oratorical contests, as well as elsewhere."
Have you spied the politics in the late array?
The hairless foxes as well as those with
bushy heads who "don't like contests nohow,"
will smile the smole of the villain if the state
can be again laid on the shelf in the state
contest.
The conversational style in delivering ora
tions may be the ideal one, but at present it
is ahead of the times. The University should
look out for the present, and the future will
take care of itself.
On the Chase and Wheeler contest Mr.
Welden received first place and Mr. Pollard
fourth. On the local, Pollard received sec
ond and Welden third. This is an apt illus
tration of human variation.
The stone, which '92 burdened the campus
with, will be offered as a monument for the
memory of the martyrs of the oratorical con
test. May their persecuters be tortured
through eternity if moved by the spirit ot
prejudice or bribery.
The Nebraskan extends its sympathies
to all fellow editors who have had oratorical
ambitions recently. Frank A. Lutz, one of
the Kansas foot-ball boys who visited Lincoln
last fall, and editor of the Kansas Courier,
was one of the martyrs on the local contest
in the state below us.
MMWiiHH I TSy
