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not satisfied with the extent of their field of
operations, soared up among the stars to
find out what the Creator had done. It is
more than most philosophers can do to
handle generalities of this nature. Let our
orators say something if fate decrees that
they must talk.
THE STATE CONTEST.
Nearly everyone in Lincoln interested in
oratory, attended the State Contest at the
Lansing Monday night, March 19. The
Weal cyan students occupied the center of
the parquet and there flanked on the left
by Doane students and on the right by
those from Cotner. The State University
occupied the dresscircle. Yells, not on the
program, formed a prelude to the cere
monies of the evening. One peculiarly
enthusiastic Cotneritc who had evidently
taken a course in ghost dancing always gave
the signal for his crowd to yell, by rising
and uttering a hair raising howl that sounded
like the last whoop of a maniac warror.
The curtain went up with Mr. Schell, of
Cotner, in the chair. Mr. Schell had lost
sleep for many nights, from fear that he
would be deprived of the bliss of exercising
his prerogatives as vice president, but after
the convention, his friends noticed a great
change in his appearance for the better.
The first oration was by W. W. Shank,
of Wesleyan. Mr. Shank spoke of the
"Triumph of Truth." His delivery was
quite forcible, and his bearing graceful, but
he did not have an oration into which he
could put his soul. One of his chief points
was that truth is the thought essence of
reajity.
Adam McMullen followed for the State
University. He spoke with feeling and
force. He has a resonant voice which was
used to good effect in the eulogistic passages
of his oration. No one doubted that his
oration on "Blaine the Man" decerved high
rank.
J. H. Andress of Doane came next with
"Lynch Law in the South" To him the
judges on manuscript gave first place. His
delivery was rather weak, a consequence of
sickness from which he had not entirely re
covered. C. A. Finch of Cotner came last with
"The Crucible of Time." His oration re
sembled that of Mr. Shank. He spoke too
rapidly and too energetically for his theme.
He was awarded third place.
The judges on manuscript were J. F.
Saylor, Chancellors F. H. Snow of Kansas,
and W. H. Scott of Ohio.
Judges on delivery, Ross L. Hammond,
Rev. E. H. Chapin and Frank Irvine.
Adam McMullen was awarded first place
and J. H. Andres of Crete received second.
THE HISTORY OF A CRIME.
OR THE GRAND COUP D7ETAT.
UA man may smifo and smifo and Id a
villain"
The great crowd of students and common
people who went out to Wesleyan Univer
sity on the afternoon of March 19 for the
purpose of seeing a scrap were greatly dis
appointed. The're was no scrap. All they
had gained when they went home laden
with Wesleyan mud in more senses than
one was a glimpse into realms of rascality
they had never dreamed of, and a settled
conviction that the devil and some other
people are blacker than they've ever been
painted.
There is a great deal of local history con
nected with this meeting of the state
oratorical association. It began a long
time ago, apparently, just how long ago
nobody knows or cares now. But it is
history of such importance and such ex
ceeding interest that wo really do not see
how any "representative college paper"
could declare it "not our purpose to go
into the details of the fight," unless some
one had good reason for wishing the details
to remain unknown.
In the light of subsequent events it must be
of considerable interest to everyone to
yr
&HSS1
