18
THE REPRESENTATIVES CHOSEN.
THB NBBRASKAN
The final debate to decide who should represent the
University of Nebraska in the Kansas-Nebraska de
bate next May occurred Saturday evening, December
8th. Much interest was manifested in the contest, as
was shown by the large audience present. Each
speaker was at his best, and the arguments advanced
were the result of a careful investigation of the sub
ject. The program was opened by a piano solo by Miss
Triplett, which was well received. The question de
bated was, " Resolved, That Canada Should be An
nexed to the United States,"
ARM KM ATI VK. NKGATI Vli
E. B. Sherman, C. Barr,
E. O. Barr, C. M. Skiles,
A. J. Weaver, 1 1. J. Whitmorc,
E. McNeal. P. J, McGuirc.
The judges were lion. A. V. Field, lion. Sam Cox,
and Mr. Parks.
After an interesting discussion of two hours the de
bate was closed. While the decision of the judges was
being determined, Miss Turner favored the audience
with a vocal solo. After some delay the decision was
announced. Messrs. Weaver, Sherman, and McNeal
will go to Kansas, with Mr. Whit mo re for alternate.
Mr. Sherman, '95, opened the debate for the affirm
ative. He is a fluent talker and is thoroughly at home
upon the stage. His delivery and manner of opening
the debate were excellent. He said that the question
should be argued from the standpoint of a true Ameri
can, avoiding all selfishness, 'lwo divided countries
are a menace to each other and therefore should be
united. The population of the two countries is largely
kindred in nationality. Nature has made them a po
litical unity. The commercial interests of both de
mand political unit', because a commercial unity and
a political unity arc inseparable. True American pa
triotism demands a political union. The foundation of
these arguments cannot be denied, said the speaker,
and upon these fundamental planks he built his argu
ment. Mr. Weaver, '95 was also on the affirmative. His
success as a debater is due largely to his thorough
preparation and his able and forcible manner of pre
sentation. He has a remarkable clear way of stating
his points and clinching them when once made. An
swering his opponents and shattering their arguments is
his forte. The first part of his debate was taken up in
answering the arguments of the negative. He showed
that the union would not produce diplomatic compli
cations but would avoid them. It would not compli
cate politics for all local government is vested in the
separate states. The great agricultural West would
not be injured but benefited. The debt question will
not be a burden, for public improvements are constantly
diminishing this load. The French-Canadians need
cause no alarm. They have been assimilated in Louis
nana, and in New England and in New York, there are
500,000 who make good citizens. Mr. Weaver then took
up his own argument. Nature has made Canada and the
United States physically one. This was recognized by
the fathers in the Articles of Confederation and many
eminent statesmen since that time. The two countries
should be commercially one, but there can be no com
plete commercial union without political union. Phy
sical and commercial conditions alone would not justify
the union, but the similarity of the two peoples in in
stitutions and language warrants it. Three-fourths of
the Canadians are English and the other one-fourth
are French Canadians who can be readily assimilated
Our perpetual peace policy and our policy of a small
standing army demands the union. The same benefits
will accrue to Canada as to the United States.
Mr, McNeal, '95, is an excellent debater, if he don't
look like it. He goes to the bottom of a question, and
is loaded for any point that may come up. lie empha
sized Mr. Sherman's point that nature had made the
two countries a physical unity, and held that the ques
tion should be discussed from an American stand
point, and not as regards which country would gain or
lose by the union. He showed that Canadian indus
tries were owned largely by citizens of the United
States, and cited the Canadian Pacific railroad as an
example. The stock of this road is owned in the
United States, and both termini arc in the United
States. Political parties are divided on the tariff and
other questions in Canada as here, showing the simi
larity of the two peoples. Mr, McNeal devoted much
attention to the Catholic question, and left the impres
sion that his view was the correct one.
The University of Nebraska is to be congratulated
on having three such able debaters to represent h:r
in the first contest with Kansas. Of course they are at
a disadvantage in having to address a strange audi
ence with few supporters, and in having to select one
of the five questions bad ones at that which have
been presented by Kansas. It will, however, be our
turn next year.
A.
