Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 131, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 June 1914 — WABASH YOUTH WON . HIGH SCHOOL CONTEST [ARTICLE]

WABASH YOUTH WON . HIGH SCHOOL CONTEST

Rensselaer Lad Younger Than His Opponents But Made a Good Showing at Bloomington.

Donald B. Snyder, 17 years of age, of Wabash high school, where he is a junior, won the state high school discussion at Bloomington Wednesday night. Kenneth Hogate, of Danville, was second, and George Mcßeynolds, of Kokomo, third. DWight Curniek, of this city/ who represented the tenth congresslona 1 district, will not be fifteen years of age until next November, and the other contestants, it is understood, were all older by two to four years. Dwight made an excellent speech, supporting the affirmative side of the subject “A New Constitution for Indiana.” He discussed the subject from the viewpoint of a constitution providing for the initiative and referendum, which was the issue supported by most of the affirmative speakers. The contestants tore free to speak either for or against the new constitution. Dwight will visit friends and old acquaintances at Terre Haute and Crawfordsville for a few days before returning home. . Prof. Ross Lockridge, who had arranged the contest, presented the winner with a gold medal bearing the seal of the university. The judges were Prof. C. H. Woolert, of the University of Illinois; Prof. A L. Gates, of Miami University, and Leon P. Lewis, of Louisville, Ky. President William Lowe Bryan, of Indiana University, presided. The visitors filled the auditorium of the men’s gymnasium and were seated by districts. The affirmative orators asked tor a convention in 1915 to draft a new state constitution that would provide for the initiative and referendum, shoft ballot, woman’s suffrage, new tax system and other reforms. The negative speakers held such a convention would cost the state $500,000 and would be useless and dangerous. The value of these discussions in the development of the young can not be measured. The debating societies' of old were instrumental in the education and training of many for the important duties of stantesmanship, but for some years there has been little done in the public schools to inspire ■discussions. It is gratifying to know that the plan has been revived and ft is hoped Rensselaer enters enthusiastically into the preliminaries for next year’s competition. Those who took part in the discussion were given the best authorities in order to familiarize themselves with the plan for a new constitution and there will be a lot of people able to intelligently discuss this important subject and to be factors In .bringing it about that otherwise would have known little about it