THE HESPERIAN.
i
u
n
tion was an injustice. It was not plain why five persons were ' from them. He also warned the judges against taking him
selected from a delegation of eleven when the credentials of
all were perfectly proper and legal. Motions, previous, priv
ilege, etc., were made; appeals were taken; points of order
were raised; and several points of disorder were indulged in,
until the audience grew weary and departed in squads. Alter
this work had gone on for some time and no vote had been
taken, the air began to be clarified. It was getting late, and
something had to be done. Cotncr and Wcslcyan, icaring
that the state was working some scheme by which to gel
ahead of them, could not agree to support right in this case
and scat the six deleggatcs in question. The other five in
the Doane delegation were opposed to the six on general
principles and class differences. Alter waiting as long as pos
sible and fearing thai the game would be called on account
ol darkness, the State gave way, and agreed to lei the five
vote without the six, and the convention was organized. For
reasons given above the six were thrown out; then the reg
ular work of the convention began.
Officers were elected as follows: president, J. H. Bicknr .
Cotner; vice-president, W, M. Morrow, Wcsleyan; secret
and treasurer, Bertha B. Stall, Doane; delegates to irtci
state convention, Eugene Brown, state university, and Mr.
Essert, Wcslcyan.
James Roberts was then allowed to bring before the con
vention a communication from Charles Winter. Itwas a plea
for $50 ihat the old constitution granted to be used -"exclii
sively for training preparatory to the interstate contest."
Mr. Winter had only used between ten and fifteen dollars for
training but thought the spirit of the constitution, if no: ihe
letter, would have given him the amount. The spirit of the
convention thought fifteen dollars was enough and ordered
such a sum to be paid him. Other questions were brought
up until finally, about six o'clock, the convention, whr-s del
egates were in the best ol humor, adjourned to meet in one
year at Cotncr university.
It may be well to add here for the "benefit of future cre
dential committees that in an assci.ition, the constitution of
which may be amended at any meeting of the convention, it
is not establishing a .dangerous precedent to admit a large
delegation, for precedent does not take precedence of the con
stitution. If there arc any dangerous tendencies there is a
resort, an appeal to which is final, and that resort iz the com
stitution.
THE CONTEST.
Shortly after 7 the opera house of Crete l)Cgaa to fill. By
half past the liouse was full, about 550 being present. I' was
a happy, noisy, yelling, screeching, singing, hooting and
horn blowing crowd. Scarcely one in the audience but
added in some manner to the general cnlhu.Etsm. As usual
the university was on hand with the greatot!; eancunt and
largest selection of noises. One might itho their choice
from the clashing of cymbals and pound up iff the drum io
the screech of a feminine yell.
After one hour of such amusement fli iuseting was
opened at 8:30 by the president, W. K. CasaeU, of Doane.
He said that at the meeting held in the afternoon it was
decided not to interrupt speakers during the delivery of the
orations by applause.
The first number on the program was a honn quartette, by
Messrs. Hildreth, Staufler Morrow and Qbanlies of the uni
versity band. They played well together, anfl obtained lib
eral applause.
Professor C. 'C. "White, of 'Crete, then gave the address of
-welcome. It -was short ibut good. He was glad to see the
large delegation that Hind come down. Crete had but one
college, and lie hooped Lincoln -would not take that away
for one of the orators.
The celebrated Adclphian quartette of Doane next gave
a song, "The Three Fishers," by Goldbcck. They highly
pleased the audience, receiving a well-merited encore to
which they responded with a comical srlection.
After this number the audience settled down in order to
listen to the first orator of the evening. At the announce
ment by the president Miss Bertha Stall appeared. She was
dressed entirely in white and presented n very attractive
appearance. She delivered her oration in a quiet manner
and with very few gestures. Her voice, however, was rather
harsh and unsympathetic. She Jailed to respond to the
various phases of her subject. The following is her oration
in full:
A TYPICAL AMERICAN.
n oin-insnioncn mansion, surrounnca uy irecs siaieiy
lms and ruddy maples nodding and sighing in the wind, grace
a..1 '""Hows waving their plumy branches to the birds, here
car grcaUtt poet was born, lived, and died. Here as a child
he played under the sturdy elms, gay as the butterflies he
chased.
At the age of fifteen the boy entered Harvard college,
where 1 c displayed liter iry and poetic ability and read every
thing except what vus prescribed in the course. Upon
receiving a reluctantly given diploma from his displeased alma
mater, he turned to the study of law that rocky shore on
which so many poets have ship-wrecked.
The young lawyer opened an office, but it is not recorded
that he ever had a case or wanted one. He preferred to wan
der in the fields, making friend with beast and bird and list
ening to the tales of love the leaves were whispering to the
flowers, lie published some poems. Few rend them. Fewer
still were discerning enough to sec in them the poet, like no
other poet.
Meanwhile strange things were happening in the world
about him. The nation was shaken to its foundations by
internal strife and dissension. On the one hand stood the
south, arrogant, overbearing, imperiously demanding an
increase of slave territory. Behind her a loathsome serpent
the slave power rearoc its Aile head, swnvingto and fro. On
the other hand stood the north, hesitating. The south
insisted; the serpent" s Imloftil eyes ilnrihed fire; it drew back as
if to strike; the north, cowering, cringing, yielded, and the ser
pent trailed 3ts Mmy length over Tesns. Then as it lay across
our fair field In all its-multHudiuouu coils of bloated vlleness,
itslioad resting on our national capital, tew indeed were "brave
enough to attack it A handful of bold spirits however,
fought it with all the strengtih -of outraged conscience, hut
upheld neither by church or by state, theirs seemed a losing
fight. Suddenly they were joined by a youth, who with his
powerful pen, inflicted through the scaly armor, gaping
wounds which ref used to heal. The boy had become a man
and as the world read the "Biglow Papers" the rivets that
bound clanking chains upon the heljileis slaw began to loosen
and the advancing spear of the glorious morning of universal
freedom appeared on the eastern homaou. Lowell's scathing
harcasm and blinding ridicule woke the northern intellect from
its lethargj and stung the northern cytihcience into activity.
Men began to think ns they had never thought before. The
south, becoming more and more arrogant as the slave poyver
increased, took up arms againwt the flag. The north, that had
meekly borne all insula, was now forced to fight, but for
what? She hardly knew. Her oongress was corrupt; her peo
ple were divided; her leaders were occupied with petty jealous
ies. All were united however, in the determination not to
interfere with slavery, but in attempting to avoid its snaky