Show 1 9 I Editor Un University Chronicle As y you you u have invited expression on th the the ideas suggested in y your ur editorial 9 on society reform and as nothing has appeared appeared appeared ap ap- I venture once more to speak in support of an old old opinion in w which i h happily I am not alone I certain certainly y believe that your questions can be answered answered an an- in the affirmative and therefore that our debate is not without its evils Too many of ofus us are disposed to lean e p back in our e easiness siness and say by not 6 shying saying yng a anything that II existing institutions institutions are good enough for me We might safely go further a and d say they are too good for some of us This going easy-going attitude is not consistent consistent con con- for the one who believes in free debate which presupposes that existing customs and institutions are not what wha they should be or at least that if they are they have become so by hy active discuss dis- dis J I cuss ion And so for custom in the d. d deliberative deliberative de- de 1 society to hold his claim by 1 virt virtue e of II squatters squatters' rights and express express express' hi himself only in silent contempt or a 1 j negative vote when reforms are being bein j p se seems ms here mo most t. t unfitting I If ideals ideals' to be with mens men's are n not t to be raised advancing knowledge and if there is conscious to it itin itin itin not f to fo h he a a- a in society the world must have suddenly sudden sudden- ly reached a strange and happy dum But that the ideals of the profoundest educators and philosophers who have expressed expressed ex pressed themselves on this subject have reached above custom in inthe the matter of college debate may be supported by ample proof Only last week was met the passage Locke always maintained that the object of disputation should be beto beto beto to arrive at truth that the art of arguing arguing ing for party purposes or for mere personal personal personal per per- triumph an art at that time begun 1 and carried to great perfection at the k university is not according to philosophy philosophy philosophy philos philos- ophy a desirable accomplishment Goldsmiths Goldsmith's observation on the village schoolmaster II that een though vanquished van vanquished vanquished van van- he co cold d argue sti still l is significant F cant We need not go beyond the limits i f of bf our institution for a authority i in our j favor I I have before cited the highest I authority obtainable among statesmen t as in support of this position and might 6 continue if authority rather than reason were vere the more desirable To continue our method seems an unhappy unhappy unhappy un un- happy attempt at pouring new wine into old bottles that was used when men for want of data in fact and the knowledge of how to seek it found mental discipline in discussing how many angels could dance on the end of ofa a pin or which way a hungry donkey would turn if placed equidistant between two haystacks To appeal to the naked pugilistic in instincts instincts in instincts of f a mind in order to arouse action in a time of peace and an age of wonder and inquiry astounding scientific discovery and rapid moral advancement se seems ms not only blockading the wheels of f Progress but childish in the extreme The champions champions' of the recent d debate bate between the Bountiful and the Delta Phi Ph I societies are to be congratulated on f. their millennial spirit in deino demonstrating tr y that vigor of and and- er of thought po power expression expression expression ex ex- can be had without five or even everi three judges to decide who beat The spirit of controversy for the sake of controversy is and must be in direct antagonism to the scientific spirit Whether the instinct of combativeness has had its use in the th past or not that of unconditional surrender to truth and loyalty to honest convict conviction on is now the order of the day and therefore has a aright aright aright right to be called for I. I The question at issue is fidelity versus versus versus' infidelity in the truest and ana broadest sense of the terms In this age of diversity of opinion we can learn to tolerate all all' belief except that which asks us to assert that which we we do not believe Every age and nation has its own own generic reason and ana of this every state staf has its specific phase The peculiar combination of elements elements' and forces of which the the new new State is the resultant have given its citizens a reverence everence for sincerity and that the speaker whether r secular or ecclesiastical should possess this quality is I believe so instinctively looked for that we cannot be made believe believe believe be be- lieve that the speaker is like the actor not supposed to be himself History we are told repeats repeats' itself When Greece was was as in her period of thought transition and Socrates Plato an and Aristotle stirred the mental atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere atmos atmos- phere with new problems the sophists denied the possibility of any common criterion of truth and boasted in their ability to handle with equal credit any side of a disputed question Mental bewilderment and moral degeneracy fol fol- lowed We are in a similar position and in similar danger if we follow the same route I believe the only timber that will bridge the chasm b between tween the theold a old age and the new is si S1 sincerity ty That freedom of debate is the safeguard safeguard safe guard of liberty is admitted But the system of oLD University debate under which the the coming lawyer and minister arc arl to to have equal rights ought to be placed on a plane broad enough for them both and arid not hot rest on the maxim applicable in ina a l legal gal sense only that a a a- man or II man or f i cause is innocent until proved guilty guilt and thus exclude those who from their R maxims must positively deny the stateR statement statement statement state state- ment and yet wish an and have the right right- to demand practice in forensic J tion lk t. t If the law of equal l justice when rightly right fight kly stated ly stated is that than each individual has a an n right to right to s secure cure i that which he desires only only in s so so Jar far as he lie does not nob intrude on the the like privilege of oth others rs we we find ourselves ourselves ourn our- our n selves in possession of a University cus- cus torn tom that is too narrow for its name and andu w u therefore not commendable I 1 I The unhappy fact factor r. r of judges as bas c ben en sh shown shown- eliminated can wn- wn can be eliminated with the best results The usage that has im- im ima a iT t posed ed on on person personal L conviction can be avoided by allowing the aspiring champion cham- cham 6 pion to place his name name- opposite name opposite the the thede de desired sired one of a list of questions in a a. column col- col 4 affirmative II negative or or II unde unde- t vi c at a date early enough to allow fallow thorough and candid study d In place of such sucha a a list Est being confusing Jing ing ng as as someone has said without a ate r it it 1 te would prove prove a a a convenient to those i responsible for I t This would be more jn with i the fast spreading elective system and would an often committee from the task of appointing members to fo discuss those questions for lor which they have the least interest and which are farthest from the theline theline line of their college work After adjusting our work to harmonize J with rational principles we Ie might introduce introduce intro intro- duce the elements of moderation n wand rand diversity to advantage and confess that we have been bored with set debate or 4 with that we we rea not live but to II and conclude de dispute that thi this privilege with with others does doesn imply constant exercise t to the point of 1 w We then ony might profit by the sugI suggestion suggestion sug sug- I that the method of advocating i thought thought-in in the form of lecture can can be adopted with quite quit as pleasing and elevating elevating elevating ele ele- results T I Indeed society of the better type will r rather ther expect of the graduate the trained ability to present his subject in an impartial and fully treated manner rather than thap to positively affirm or deny with the ar arguments ments only in his favor If there is such sucha a thing as personal responsibility bili ty it is ours to see to it that the bad elements are eliminated from 1 our college societies while we are here tomorrow our places will b be occupied by others the direction of whose development development development de de- will depend much on on the usages usages' we have supported or established established for with the common reverence j for the name University they apt to that here II whatever whatever- is is right r j V J 4 or r A Ar B 1 01 r l |