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THE HESPERIAN.
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ent will admit the necessity of elocutionary training
for our orators. The literary societies should take an
interest this matter, and see that our representative to
the next state contest recieves the best training pos
sible. If nothing better can be done, why cannot
each of the four societies contribute ten or fifteen
dollars to secure good training for our orator? The
amount required of each society would be small and
they could well afford to use it in this manner. If
anybody has a better plan, we would be glad to hear
it. At any rate, let us be prepared to do something.
Let us enter the next contest to win, whether our ora
tor is trained by those whose duty it is to do so or
not.
INC IS the editor-in-chief of this paper has been
severely attacked by the organ of the Wesleyan.
for his conduct in the inter-state convention, he de
sires to make a full statement of his actions in the
convention during the day on which the delegates un
animously decided that Mr. Fergnson was almost a pla
giarist. An alleged gentleman from Wesleyan who
writes his own name as 'Mr.' L. M. Law makes the
statement that at the convention he, 'Mr. Law', was
met' by 'John B. Fogarty' who informed him that
the convention had decided to exclude the Wesleyan
delegates. So far 'Mr.' Law is correct. But with a
spirit that is highly becoming to such an oily tongued
deceiver, to such a wilful imposter, he carefully sup
presses a few 'cold facts' of which he cannot be ignor
ant. It was not the wish of 'John B. Fogarty' that
any one should be excluded from the convention,
much less the Wesleyans. Accordingly when the
motion was made that the deliberations be held with
closed doors he moved as an amendment that the offi
cers of the state association - should be allowed to re
main. This amendment was seconded by another stud
ent of the State University. It was last. Then the
Nebraska men present alone voted against the origi
nal motion. It is needless to state in detail how
complicated Nebraska affairs were. There were seven
delegates from the state. Many of the other delegates
had openly stated that they would not permit the seven
to sit in the convention, that we should have but three.
There weje but three present, and these three were
seated. Mr. Rockhold of the U. of N., Mr. Gregory
of Gates and 'John B. Fogarty' honestly believed
that the other delegates were excluded. This Mr.
Gregory and 'John B. Forgarty' told the Doane men;
this they told 'Mr.' Law. After having been urged
by several of the delegates to do so f John B. Fogarty'
made the motion to consider Mr. Ferguson's case.
By so doing he saved Nebraska from the disgrace of
being represented by a 'cribbed' oration and Mr.
Ferguson from the humilation of being compelled on
the next day to 'cat crow', for it was the opinion of
everyone except of course 'Mr.' Law, that if Ne
braska took anything but last place, her orator would
be deprived of his 1 onors. Acdordirigly 'Mr.' Law
was given twenty minutes in which to find out
whether his master would voluntarily surrender the
laurels he had so basely won. II not, the convention
would exclude him from the contest. Mr. Ferguson,
overcome by anxiety and the excessive amount of toil
necessanly expended in gleaning from honest men
not only the conceptions but also many of the very
words of his dazzling oration, was taken by a most,
for himself, opportune attack of nervous prostration.
Why does 'Mr.' Law, conceal these "cold facts."
Let his guilty conscience answer. He is a fitting com
panion of the literary thief whom he tries to defend;
proper 'trimmer' for the man who has brought dis
grace upon the Christian ministry, for the man who
has dishonored the Wesleyan University. But we
arc in possession of a few more 'cold facts' which
may be interesting reading. These facts will be
found in another column. We shall confine our re
marks in this column to certain facts with which all
the gentlemen of the inter-state contest convention
are familiar. We have a few more of especial interest
to Mr. Ferguson. The Ecaitcan h. an article, which
we believe may be correctly attributed to 'Mr.' Law,
states that "The acquittal was hailed by Mr. Fergu
son's friends with delight." This refers to the action
of the state executive committee. Let us see what
was this acquittal. "We, the executive committee of
the Nebraska Collegiate Oratorical Association, hav
ing duly considerad the evidence laid before us this
30th day of April, in regard to alleged plagiarism of
Geo. O. Ferguson, do decide that although said Geo.
O. Ferguson's oration is not entirely original, yet the
evidence brought against him will not warrant us in
excluding him from the inter-state contest May 1,
1890."
This is the "acquittal". This is the verdict which
but for the influence of those who had no right there,
would have been a unanimous verdict for Mr. Fergu
son. So says the Eccritean. Verily this Ferguson
is easily satisfied, for the decision plainly states that
he is a plagiarist.
"We ... do decide that although said Geo. O.
Fergusonss oration is not strictly original ..."
says the decision. We never claimed anything more,
and farther Ferguson admitted as much in his 'de
fense'. In fact there was no other course open to
him, and had he been a man, he would, under the cir
cumstances, have resigned his position as state orator.
But he did not possess the manhood to follow such
a course. Friends of Ferguson accuse 'John B. Fo
garty' of being the whole cause of the trouble. It is
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