The theory and practice of argumentation and debate

The Bangor High School, the Bar Harbor High School, the Bucksport East Maine Conference Seminary, and the Foxcroft Academy, do hereby agree to form an Interscholastic Debating League. The purpose of this League is to hold debates subject to the following conditions:

I

The executive committee of the League shall consist of the principal of each of the above-named institutions and of the Debate Coach at the University of Maine. This committee shall meet once a year at such time and place as agreed upon by the schools and the University. It shall have charge of all matters pertaining to the League, subject to the provisions herein contained.

II

The League shall hold two preliminary debates and one final debate each year, according to the following plan:

The high schools and academies composing this League shall be divided into two equal groups. Each group shall hold a preliminary debate as herein provided. The two winning schools shall then meet in a final debate to be held at the University of Maine. The executive committee shall determine at its first meeting the time, place, and method of rotation to be observed in holding contests for succeeding years.

III

The questions for debate shall be selected in the following manner:

(1) For the preliminary contests. On or before October first, each school at which a debate is to be held shall submit to the visiting school a list of three propositions. The visiting school shall thereupon select one of these propositions and choose the side which it wishes to defend. On or before October fifteenth, notice of this selection must be communicated to the school at which the debate is to be held.

(2) For the final contest. Immediately upon the announcement of a decision in a preliminary contest, the principal of the winning school shall mail notice of the result to the Debate Coach of the University of Maine. The Debate Coach shall determine by lot the school which is to propose the list of propositions to its opponent. Notice of this fact shall immediately be sent to the school thus designated. This school shall prepare immediately a list of three propositions and submit them to its opponent. Within three days the opposing school shall mail to the other school an announcement of the proposition which it has selected from the list proposed and shall state the side of the proposition which it wishes to defend.

IV

The judges for both the preliminary and final contests shall be selected in the following manner:

Four weeks before the contest, the school which has proposed the list of propositions shall submit to its opponent, a list of twelve judges. The opposing school shall select three persons from this list and return their names to the other school. This school shall immediately attempt to secure the persons so named to act as judges. If any or all of the persons selected refuse the invitation to serve, the proposing school shall ask the visiting school to select substitute judges from the list. The school making the final selection of judges may require at any time, a new list of names from the opposing school. No school shall propose as judge any person who is financially or officially interested in, or a graduate or former student of, such school.

V

In the preliminary contests the visiting school shall bear all expenses of its own team. The school at which the contest is held shall bear the expenses of procuring judges and shall have charge of all local arrangements.

In the final contest each participating school shall bear the expense of its own team and one-half the expense of the judges.

Each school shall select for its team three representatives and an alternate, but no one shall be chosen who is not a bona fide student of the institution which he represents.

VII

Each debater shall be allowed two speeches, one of ten (10) minutes duration, the other of five (5) minutes. The first series of speeches shall be opened by the affirmative, and shall alternate between affirmative and negative speeches. The second series shall be opened by the negative, and shall alternate between negative and affirmative speeches.

VIII

In preparing for any contest, each school is entitled to three visits from a student of Argumentation and Debate in the University of Maine. This student Coach will give such assistance as is asked for in the training of the debaters representing each school. No charge will be made for this service, but each school must bear the expense of the student sent to coach its team.

IX

In each contest the judges shall be instructed to award the decision on the merits of the argument as presented in the debate, and not upon the merits of the question. It is understood that effectiveness of style and manner of delivery are to be considered.

X

This agreement may be amended at any time by the unanimous vote of the executive committee.

XI

At the close of the final contest, the President of the University of Maine, or some one on his behalf, will present to the winning team the University of Maine Interscholastic Debating Cup. The name of the winning school and the year of the contest will be engraved upon the cup. This cup will be kept in the possession of the winning school until within one week of the next annual contest. At this time it shall be returned to the University of Maine to be awarded to the school winning the final contest for that year.

XII

At the close of the final contest, the President of the University of Maine, or some one on his behalf, will present to the debater whose work is regarded by the judges as the most effective, a scholarship to the value of $30.00 good for one year in the above-named institution.

XIII

This agreement shall be in full force and operation when one of the two copies herewith submitted to each of the four institutions composing the League is signed by the principal of the institution and mailed to the Head of the Department of English at the University of Maine.

CONSTITUTION OF THE CENTRAL DEBATING CIRCUIT OF AMERICA

ARTICLE I

Object.—The object of this organization shall be to foster interest in debate by holding an annual contest in December on the Friday evening one week before the opening of the holiday recess.

ARTICLE II

Debating Boards.—Each university shall create a debating board a majority of whose members shall be of the faculty. The members of this board shall be chosen annually as each university may deem wise. The debating board shall have general supervision of all debating matters of the league affecting its university.

ARTICLE III

Questions.—On April first each university shall submit to each of the others a question properly stated for debate. On April fifteenth each university shall send the five questions to each of the others arranged in the order of its choice. The question ranked highest by all the universities shall be debated by all the teams. In the case of a tie the selection from the tying questions shall be made by the President of Yale University.

ARTICLE IV

Time and Order of Speaking.—Each speaker shall have seventeen minutes; twelve minutes for opening and five for rebuttal, but the order of rebuttal speeches on either side may be changed at the wish of the speakers on that side. The negative shall lead in the rebuttal. The visiting team shall support the negative.

Judges.

On April first each university shall submit judges according to the above schedule.

When a single state furnishes the judges for any contest it shall submit a list of 24 names to each of the two competing universities. These lists shall be duplicates.

When two states furnish the judges they shall each submit a list of 12 names.

When a state furnishes judges for two or more contests it shall make up its several lists as impartially as possible with reference to the distribution of able men.

Convenience and economy for the attending judges shall be a factor in their nomination in so far as may be consistent with the choice of able men.

Not later than the first of October preceding the contest the visiting university shall send to the entertaining university a list of six candidates for judges chosen from the proper rolls. Not later than the same date the entertaining university shall send to its opponent a list of twelve judges chosen from the proper rolls. Each university shall arrange the opponent’s list of candidates in the order of its choice.

Each university shall have the right to challenge any or all of the number of the candidates submitted by its opponent on presentation of good and sufficient reason. The challenge list, together with objections, shall be returned at once to the sender. The list shall be completed and re-submitted not later than October twentieth.

It is further understood that any person recommended for judge who is a relative, actual or prospective, of any contestant, or who is an alumnus of either university, or who holds or has held, any official relation with either university may be rejected.

The secretary of the entertaining university shall notify the judges by a joint note, the form of which shall be as follows;

The state universities of (name) and (name) will hold a joint debate at (place) on (date). The specific wording of the proposition for debate is, “Resolved, that &c—

We shall consider ourselves especially favored if you can be with us at (place) to hear and judge this contest. (Insert a sentence here stating the names of the other judges who have been invited or who consented to serve.)

We shall of course meet your entire expense. Trusting that we may have an early and favorable reply, we remain,

The entertaining university shall sign the names of both secretaries to the letter and shall enclose a stamped envelop addressed to each for the reply.

Before the contest the judges shall be entertained at a hotel and every semblance of an effort to influence them will be regarded as dishonorable conduct.

The secretary will secure two judges from the list of the entertaining university and one from the list of the opponent adhering strictly to the order recommended by the respective universities. But if any name or names should be found on both lists they shall be first invited to serve.

The university submitting a list of names shall always report on the qualifications of the judges in the following respects; I. Occupation. II. Where educated. III. Politics. IV. Religion. V. Official relations with any university of the league at any time.

ARTICLE VI

Instructions to Judges.—Each judge shall be instructed to decide for himself what constitutes effective debate, except that he shall consider both thought and delivery. Without consultation he shall vote affirmative or negative on the merits of the debate, not on the merits of the question. He shall sign, seal and deliver his vote to the presiding officer who shall open the votes and announce the decision.

ARTICLE VII

Expenses.—Each university shall pay all the expenses of its own debaters. All other expenses of the contest shall be paid by the entertaining university.

ARTICLE VIII

Conduct of the Debates.—In the contests of this league all communication with the debaters, by prompting or otherwise, is forbidden; also the introduction of both private correspondence and charts is debarred.

ARTICLE IX

Amendments.—This constitution may be amended by the authorized representatives of the universities at any special meeting or by correspondence providing twenty days notice be given of the changes desired.

ARTICLE X

Schedule.—The schedule for debates shall be as follows:

(Adopted by the representatives of the three institutions at Columbus, June 17, 1905)

Article 1.—This organization shall consist of the Indiana University, Ohio State University, and the University of Illinois, and shall be known as the State University Debating League.

Article 2.—Its affairs shall be conducted by an executive committee consisting of one member of the Faculty of each institution, to be selected by that institution.

(a) One of these shall act as President, one as Vice President, and one as Secretary and Treasurer, each holding office for one year.

(b) The three offices shall be filled by the representatives of the three institutions in rotation in the following order: 1905–1906 Presidency, Ohio State University, Vice Presidency, Indiana University, Secretary and Treasurership, University of Illinois; 1906–1907 Presidency, Indiana University, Vice Presidency, University of Illinois, Secretary and Treasurership, Ohio State University; 1907–1908 Presidency, University of Illinois, Vice Presidency, Ohio State University, Secretary and Treasurership, Indiana University; and thereafter in the same rotation.

Article 3.—The debates shall be held on the second Friday in March—one at Bloomington, Indiana, one at Columbus, Ohio, and one at Urbana, Illinois. In the year 1905–1906 the teams shall come together as follows: University of Illinois and Indiana University at Bloomington; Indiana University and Ohio State University at Columbus; Ohio State University and University of Illinois at Urbana. In the year 1906–1907 Ohio State University and Indiana University at Bloomington; University of Illinois and Ohio State University at Columbus; Indiana University and University of Illinois at Urbana; and thereafter in the same biennial rotation.

Article 4.—(a) A question shall be proposed by each institution not later than the 5th of October preceding the debates.

(b) The Secretary shall at once send the three questions to the three institutions, and they shall reply not later than the 25th of October, each institution indicating its ranking of the three questions as first choice, second choice, third choice.

(c) The Secretary shall report the result of this vote not later than the 30th of October, and the question ranked highest in the vote shall be debated by all teams. In case of a tie in the ranking the selection from the three questions shall be made by the President of the University of Minnesota.

(d) After the question has been chosen no modification shall be made in its wording and no definition permitted.

Article 5.—The home team shall support the affirmative of the question and the visiting team the negative.

Article 6.—Each speaker shall be allowed twelve minutes for a principal speech and five minutes for a rebuttal speech. No time may be transferred from one speaker to another, but the order of rebuttal speeches on either side may be changed at the wish of the speakers on that side. “The negative shall lead in rebuttal.”

Article 7.—(a) The visiting institution shall not later than the 15th of January nominate a list of twenty names of persons living within two hundred and fifty miles of the place of the debate, no one of whom shall be or shall have been connected with any of the three institutions concerned either as officer, teacher or student. The home institution shall have the right of veto for cause to be explicitly stated to the other institution within two weeks thereafter, and the visiting institution shall submit other names equal in number to those vetoed. The home institution shall choose three persons from this list to act as judges.

(b) Each judge shall be provided with written instructions in the following form:

In rendering your decision, you are asked to consider the merits of the debate and not the merits of the question. You are the sole judges of what constitutes effective debating, remembering that both thought and delivery are to be considered.

In my opinion the ......... team has done the most effective debating.

(c) At the close of the debate each judge shall be permitted to withdraw, and within 15 minutes shall present to the chairman in a sealed envelope his individual decision, reached without conference with his colleagues.

Article 8.—Each institution shall pay the expenses of its debaters. All other expenses of each debate shall be paid by the entertaining institution.

Political

A. Legislative.

1. Any further centralization of power in the Federal Government of the United States should be condemned.

2. United States senators should be elected by popular vote.

3. The House of Representatives should elect its standing committees.

4. The state of        should adopt the legislative referendum.

5. An amendment of the Federal Constitution should be adopted convening the first session of Congress within a few months after the election and compelling the second session to adjourn several days before the following election.

6. The number of representatives to Congress should be reduced.

7. All members of the Senate and House of Representatives should be required to be present during the discussion of all proposed legislation, unless prevented by illness.

8. The United States should adopt the Swiss referendum.

9. The Constitution should be so amended as to make the passing of amendments easier.

10. The United States Senate should adopt a closure rule.

11. Lobbying in Congress and in the state legislatures should be prohibited by law.

12. Direct legislation by means of the initiative and referendum is desirable for our states and their subdivisions.

13. The initiative and referendum offer a desirable relief from the evils arising from the dominance of special interests in our states and their municipalities.

14. The President of the United States should be elected for one term of seven years, and be ineligible for reëlection.

15. The President of the United States should be elected by direct vote of the people.

16. The President should be allowed to veto items in appropriation bills.

17. The President of the United States is justified in calling out the militia to subdue local disturbances, without consent or request of state authorities.

18. Counties in which a lynching occurs should be placed under martial law until they give evidence of capacity to exercise effective local government, not exceeding a term of one year.

19. For the better protection of life, liberty, and property in rural districts a state constabulary is necessary.

C. Judicial.

20. The recall of state and local judges by popular vote is desirable.

21. A two-thirds vote of the jury should constitute a verdict in criminal cases.

22. A two-thirds vote of the jury should constitute a verdict in civil cases.

23. Federal judges should be elected by popular vote.

24. The jury system should be abolished.

25. The courts should be forbidden by law to issue “blanket” injunctions in labor disputes.

26. The detention of innocent witnesses, pending the trial of cases in court, without adequate compensation and without proof of its necessity should be prohibited by law.

27. State judges should be appointed by the governor to hold office during life or good behavior.

28. The law governing judicial process should be so amended as to provide for the more speedy conduct of criminal cases, and fewer opportunities for delay in the execution of the sentences imposed.

29. It would be desirable to elect justices of the United States Supreme Court by popular vote.

30. The right of suffrage should be limited to persons who can read and write.

31. There should be an educational test as a qualification for voting.

32. The white citizens of the South are justified in using all peaceable means to secure political supremacy.

33. Men and women should have equal suffrage.

34. The admission to citizenship into the United States should be granted under stricter requirements as to a working knowledge of rights and duties of the privileges conferred.

35. Admission of aliens to the privileges of citizenship should be granted on more restrictive conditions.

36. The admission of native-born and foreign-born citizens to the privilege of voting should be granted only upon evidence of due qualifications both as to knowledge of the rights and obligations and also of respect for the institutions and ideals of our national life.

E. Immigration.

37. The immigration restrictions which now apply to the Chinese should be extended so as to apply to the Japanese.

38. The United States should make no discrimination between the immigrants from China and those from other countries.

39. Admission of further immigration to the United States, so long as the congestion of alien groups persist in our large cities, should be subject to Federal control of such arrivals for a definite period of years for purposes of better distribution with regard to the requirements of the different sections of the country.

40. The immigration of all Japanese and Chinese laborers to the United States should be prohibited by law.

F. Miscellaneous.

41. Party lines should be disregarded in all elections.

42. Public advocacy of violent means for the subversion of government should be suppressed by law in the United States.

43. The United States should have exclusive jurisdiction over Behring Sea.

44. The sharing of public funds for purposes which ignore the constitutional separation of church and state is a menace to our Federal, State, and Municipal institutions and should be abandoned wherever inaugurated and prevented wherever existing or proposed.

45. The short ballot should be adopted in State and Municipal governments.

46. The tendency of political platform making is to overburden the Federal government with proposals whose nature and accomplishment are better adapted to State, Municipal, and other local governmental agencies.

47. Congress should provide for uniform Federal marriage and divorce laws. Constitutionality conceded.

48. All cities in the United States of over 5,000 inhabitants should adopt the commission form of government.

49. The “Galveston Plan” of city government by a board of directors insures increase of efficiency combined with a decrease of corruption in city affairs.

50. There should be a large and immediate increase in the United States Navy.

51. A political reformation in the United States looking to the formation of two new political parties is desirable.

52. The states should adopt the recall for all state and local officers except members of the judiciary.

53. A commission form of government is preferable to a mayor and council plan.

Economic

A. Tariff.

54. Commercial reciprocity with Canada would be for the best interest of the United States.

55. The tariff on goods imported into the United States should be fixed by a bi-partisan commission.

56. The United States should impose a tariff on imports from the Philippines. Constitutionality conceded.

57. The protective tariff should be removed from trust-made products.

58. Raw materials should be admitted to the United States free of duty.

59. The tariff on raw materials is justified on the ground of the protection of American industry against foreign competition.

60. Sugar should be admitted to the United States free of duty.

61. Commercial reciprocity between the United States and South America would be for the best interests of the United States.

62. The United States should adopt the policy of tariff for revenue only.

63. Steel should be admitted to the United States free of duty.

64. All goods, the price of which is controlled by a single capitalist or combination of capitalists, should be admitted to the United States free of duty.

B. Taxation.

65. The growth of large fortunes should be checked by means of national progressive income and inheritance taxes.

66. The Federal government should levy a progressive inheritance tax. Granted, that such tax would be held constitutional.

67. The Federal government should levy a progressive income tax. Constitutionality conceded.

68. The single tax as advocated by Henry George, would be an improvement over our present system of taxation.

69. The tax on the issue of state banks should be repealed.

70. That a graduated income tax would be a desirable addition to the Federal system of taxation.

71. A Federal graduated income tax with an exemption of all incomes below $5000 per annum would be a desirable modification of the system of Federal taxation.

C. Corporations.

72. Congress should pass laws prohibiting corporate contributions to political campaign funds.

73. The regulating power of Congress should be extended over all corporations doing an interstate business. Constitutionality conceded.

74. All corporations engaged in interstate commerce should be required to take out a Federal license.

75. Physical valuation of the property of a corporation is the best basis for fixing the rate of taxation.

76. Railroad pooling is economically advantageous to the public.

77. The price of “trust-made” products should be regulated by law.

78. The National Bureau of Corporations should have control of industrial and commercial corporations doing interstate business, similar to the control which the Interstate Commerce Commission has over railroads.

79. All corporations engaged in interstate commerce should be required to take out Federal charters; it being conceded that such a requirement would be constitutional and that Federal license shall not be available as an alternative plan.

80. The policy of regulating industrial corporations is preferable to the policy of dissolving them.

D. Labor.

81. The New Zealand system of compulsory arbitration should be adopted in the United States.

82. A system of compulsory arbitration should be adopted in the United States.

83. Employers and employees of all public service corporations such as railroads, street railways, etc., should be compelled to arbitrate labor disputes.

84. Members of trades-unions are justified in refusing to work with non-union men.

85. State boards of arbitration, with compulsory powers, should be established to settle all disputes between employers and employees.

86. Employers are justified in refusing recognition to labor unions.

87. The history of trades-unions for the past ten years shows a tendency detrimental to the industrial development of the United States.

88. The boycott is a legitimate means of enforcing the demands of organized labor.

89. The growth of labor unions is a menace to liberties of the working man.

90. The closed “shop” is justifiable.

91. Employers should be prohibited from setting up contributory negligence or negligence of a fellow servant as a bar to recovery of adequate compensation by an injured employee.

92. The right to strike on the part of public employees should always be subject to referendum on the part of the community immediately concerned.

93. It would be advisable to legalize the strike and the boycott.

94. The movement of organized labor for the closed shop should receive the support of public opinion.

95. The best interests of the laboring classes would be advanced by the development of a separate labor party.

E. Public Ownership.

96. The Federal government should buy and operate the telegraph systems.

97. Municipalities in the United States of over 10,000 inhabitants should own and operate their systems for lighting and local transportation.

98. The United States should own and operate the coal mines within its borders.

99. The forests of the United States should be owned and operated by the Federal government.

F. Miscellaneous.

100. The powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission should be enlarged.

101. The United States should subsidize our merchant marine.

102. It is economically advantageous to the United States to own territory in the tropics.

103. The amount of property transferable by inheritance should be limited by statute.

104. The existing systems of commercial distribution between producers and consumers is chiefly responsible for the high cost of living.

105. The national debt should be paid as rapidly as possible.

106. Mail order stores are a benefit to the public.

107. Prison-made products should be excluded from the open market.

108. The labor of prisoners in the state penitentiary should be utilized in improving the highways of the state.

109. The American coastwise traffic should pass through the Panama Canal toll free.

110. Congress should be given the power by constitutional amendment to regulate manufactures and industry.

111. The Federal government should establish a bank of the United States.

112. The Aldrich plan of a National Reserve Association should be adopted by the Federal government.

113. The Federal government should regulate and supervise all fire and life insurance companies doing an interstate business.

114. The Federal government should grant financial aid to ships engaged in our foreign trade and owned by citizens of the United States.

115. There should be some legislation providing for the guarantee of bank deposits.

116. The Federal government should develop the waterway from the Great Lakes to the Gulf.

117. A system of compulsory industrial insurance covering accident, sickness, and old age should be adopted in the United States. Constitutionality conceded.

118. The inland waterways of the United States should be extensively improved by the Federal government.

119. The United States should adopt a double monetary standard.

Social

A. The Liquor Problem.

120. The elimination of private profits offers the best solution of the liquor problem.

121. Prohibition of the liquor traffic is preferable to any system of license, wherever public opinion will sanction the passage and enforcement of such a law.

122. The United States army should reëstablish the use of the canteen.

123. The Carolina Dispensary System for controlling the use and sale of intoxicating liquors should be adopted in the state of       .

124. State prohibition has failed wherever it has been adopted.

125. Prohibition is more conducive to temperance than high license.