THE HESPERIAN STUDENT.
THE STATE CONTEST.
A Good Programme and an Unique
Decision.
On Wednesday, Hie 15th l April, in the city or Hastings
wna duly held the first contest of the great and only Neb
raska Collegiate Oratorical Association. A dozen students
of the Univcrsityjwere in attendance, also giant intellects
from Doanc college to the number of ten. With these ex"
cepliot s the audience was a large and cultured one. The
stage decorations were profuse and in good taste, heing,
for the most part, flowers and painted canvas. In the
midst of these tropical glories was placed the form of
G. W. Horton, of Crete, whosejmoustache and hoots had
been thoroughly rubbed down and trained for the heavy
parts they were to take in the coming tragedy.
The .music for the evening was entirely orchestral, and
the product of Hustings, which city also furnished one or
ator and nearly all the applause. It can thus be credit
ed with giving its full share toward making up the enter
tainment. The exercises were opened with an invocation
and a musical selection , after which Mr. A. G. Warner
of the University , was announced. The subject of the
oration was "An Italian Monk," and its ticatment was so
original and striking, as to hold the entire attention of
the audience from the litst sentence to the close of the
well-rounded peroration. Much had been expected of
this speaker and, as he retired, a storm o( applause gave
the University delegation an assurance that their confi
dence tu the superior strength of their representative was
already shared by the audience. In cider that we may
not be charged with unfairness toward the remaining ora
tors, we give report from a comparatively disinterested
source, the Hastings Gazette Journal:
"After more music Mr.II. S. Braucht, of York was intro
duced. The subject of his oration was "Bigotry". Mr.
Braucht has a flue, heavy voice aud delivered his oration
with that distinctness that is sure to favorubly impress
au audience. He had his subject well mastered, and al
though he showed signs of slight embarrassment at times,
his superior talent as an orator was recognized.
Mr. J. II- II- Hewitt, of this city was next introduced
aud his bubject "The Statecraft of Citizenship" announced
Mr. Hewitt though not possessed of a heavy voice, spok.
witii distinctness and without hesitation. His oration wac
a well-written, practical discourse on citizen-statesman8
ship and it was well delivered. The orator was loudly
applauded, as ho deserved to be.
The last orator on the program was A. V. House of Crelc
His subject, "A Mistaken Policy", was well handled and
during a portion ol his address, was delivered with much'
force aud effect. At times, however, his utterance became
so indistinct and low that the audicuco was unable t
hear what was being said. Till was due, no doubt, t
embarrassment which he showed more or less through tli
entire oration. But for this his oration would have mad
a much more favorable impression on the audience than
it did. He seems quite young and much allowance wa
no doubt, made on this account for his hesitancy and in
distinctness of Ii Is delivery.
The very delightful literary treat was closed with the
announcement that thu judges awaided first place to Mr.
House, and second to Mr. Warner. If we were allowed
to make a suggestion for future contests wo should rccom.
mend that each college society choose ono of tho judges
and they together choose a fifth."
This mild statement of facts, especially in rogard to tho
last speaker, was reinforced on the following day with
the statements that the editor of the same paper had occu
pied a scat in the second row from the stage, but had
been unable, with the closest attention, to hear Mr. House
distinctly, and that toward the clnso ho broke down and
was unable to proceed without consulting liis manuscript;
that when the decision was announced "A murmur of dis
sent ran through the house," but the curtain immediately
fell and there seemed no way in which to make an ob
jection. The article closes with a castigation of the au
Miors of the "scandalous decision," and intimates that the
audience would have reversed it in a moment had there
been an opportunity. Private letters confirm the impress- '
ion that in the minds of nearly all who wore present ut
the contest, the representative of the University should
have been given first honor. Manj declare tho decision
an "outrage," a "disgrace" aud even go so far as to mako
ugly charges against not only judges, but various'cfllccrs
of the Association. As tho representative of a defeated
college the Hespkuian has little to say on ilsown account
Important developments were made on the day following'
the contest, however, and a convention of the different in
stitutions interested was called to meet here on Wednes
day, April 22nd, to take into consideration the alleged er
rors in the marking.
After an investigation it was made clear that, by accident
the wrong figures had been footed up In the caso of JiuKc.
Meiklcjohn. He has bpen asked to give corrected figures
and they, will be placed upon the lecords. The result
will probably alter the final result only in giving the
University third place instead of second, which condition
of aflairs is looked upon by all parties as decidedly ludi
crous. The discovery made after the contest that ono of
the Judges is connected with Doane College as a member
of the Examining Board, aud thus ineligible to the posi
ion, according tc tho constitution, also adds humor to the
situation. Taken in connection with Agee'a mark of 100
iu delivery when the recipient of that flattering grade
broke down utterly, it "gives away" the combination
against the University so complo'ely that no further re
marks are necessary. "The field is against us," and if the
State Association does not care to make right a decision
that is taeitly acknowledged unjust by every college repre
sented, this institution can not afford to continue its
membership in such au organization.
University students are invited to visit Lincoln Busi
ness College. '
The best judges of artistic work go to Kelloy & Qo for
Photos. No. 1020 O st.
G. B. Skinner deals in fancy horses, also turns out lino
single and double rigs at low prices.
Possibly some of these chilly mornings and evenings
will induce you to look at W. R. Dennis' line of under
wear. Remember Students you can gut fine work, and better
inducements, in tho "Fotograf" line, at Kelloy & Co
1020 O. St.
Students, when you want a first class shave or a bos
haircut go to Sam Wester field's corner of O and Twelfth
Don't forget it. ...