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0r Crack Debaters.
IJAKER. GHEEN. OENNISOX.
The final debate drew a largo audience
last Friday night. The forensic part of
the program was so long as to bo tedious
despite the unusual excellence of the ar
guments. The program opened with a
piano' 'solo by Miss Nellie Cave. After
the judges retired the audience was fa
vored with a vocal solo by Miss Maud
Hearing and a whistling solo by Prof.
Lelimer. Mr. Maguire opened the de
base on tha question: Resolved. That the
law enacting power of Great Britian is
superior to that of the United States.
Mis speech gave evidence of wide reading
rather than careful thought. His matter
was not very well co-ordinated and a
slight hesitancv somewhat marred his
delivery.
G. V. Green followed in a speech which
had evidently been carefully thought out
in all its details. Bo criticised his op
ponent for taking a superficial view of
the differences between the law making
power of the two countries.
The British or cabinet system is one in
which the House of ('ominous, which
unites in itself both legislative and
executive power, is supreme. Our own
or the legislative sy-stem is one in which
power is distributed between the House
of representatives, the Senate and the
President. TheHouse acts as a check
nponthe Senate, the Senate as a ceock
upon the House, and the president as a
check upon both. Our national policy
cauujje changed only after mature dolib
.. enftiJQEfng'land's changes with every
btfjsgze of piiblic opiuion. The British
s'ystfmcJiuses instability of government.
England's law and constitution are "at
the mercy of every wave of popular pas
sion." Evorv temporary majority in the
nation either overturns the ministry or
plunges the country intp a general elec
tion The English system fails to provide
sufficient chucks upon socialistic tenden
cies. It causes a dangerous concentra
tion of power. The onlyreason why the
House of Commons has not abused its
power is that until recently suffrage has
been limited. The system weakens the
administrative dep xrtments. The minis
ters are loaders of tho House and avo
compelled to neglect administrative
affairs.
Our system pr educes stability. It doc
not del ly measures en lorsed by public
opinion but prevents those that would
result from transitorv excitement. It
furnishes better representation to the mi
nority. Vll departments aiv nt here, a-
in England, in the hanU of the party
that haiv mo 1 al the time to be in the
majority. The minority is not oppressed
by the majority. The legislator is taught
to feel his personal rospunibilily. which
begets personal capacity and produces
many great men instead of a few. )ur
system produces a more democratic and
more conservative government. Our
system is st hum; where the English sys
tem is weak, an I those points which se
cure stability of government, safety
against dangerous concentration of pow
er and a thorough and business-like ad
ministration of public affairs arc the
points on which the welfare and h ippi
moss of every people depend.
Mr. Dennison's manner was so difler
ent from Mr. Green's that he was net
well received at first, but lie soon secured
tho attention of th? audience and held it
easily. Mu said democratic government
has throe essentials: power to act, action
in accord with public opinion, and re
sponsibility to the people. These arc
secured in the cabinet system. Oivil lib
erty does not consist in mere negation;
freedom is not obtained by denyingpow
er to government. The American com
mittee system divides power. No part
of the svstem is strong and effective; the
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