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THE FORTNIGHT.
delivery. Most of the writers seem to have contented themselves with a reasonably effective opening and closing, and were then satisfied if the body of the speech fell into something like logical order. The old definition should be remembered: "It is the object of the orator to convince and persuade." The body of the speech should be so arranged that the audience can readily hold the leading points in their minds. This requisite is not very well observed in this present set of orations. Doubtless it arises from the fact that the authors have had more practice in writing for readers than for hearers. They should remember that the reader can at any time refer back, but the hearer has only his memory to depend upon.
The Emporia Republican is somewhat previous. In the issue of April 20, not contented with the brilliant achievement of publishing in full the oration written, or stolen, by Mr. Mays, it must also fling its little pailful of mud against this University and the other colleges of the Association. The charge of plagiarism was not only made, but proved to the satisfaction of the investigating committee, and their report was unanimously adopted by the Association. Yet the Republican has the bare-faced impudence to assert: "Disappointment and jealousy appears to be at the bottom of the scheme to reopen the contest, and rule Mr. Mays out." If this had been true, would not Messrs. Wright and Miller, the Normal delegates, have lifted their voices in protest? But with proofs of the charge before them, they frankly admitted its truth, though with sorrow and regret that their man should have acted so dishonestly and dishonorably. For those gentlemen we have the highest respect, and we would like to see either of them state over his own signature, that Mays received anything but the fairest treatment from the Association and the students of K. S. U.
As to the holding of another contest, that was only agreed to by our delegates out of courtesy to Emporia. Mr. Leach fairly won on the first contest, and could go to Iowa City and compete without entering into the new contest at Baldwin. But from a desire to see the Association prosper he consents to this second trial. The students of this University from the first considered it enough that we had secured a chance of justice for Mr. Leach, and did not intend pursuing the subject any farther. We thought it better not to hit a man when he was down. If the Emporia papers had kept still, very little would have been said about this unpleasant matter by us. We think it would have been much better for them to have refrained from saying any more about it than absolutely necessary; to have cast over the whole affair the pall of a decent silence. The above are the facts in the case. If this is not entirely satisfactory to the Emporia papers, the Courier can, and will publish the two orations in parallel columns.
At last the horrible nightmare of the Soph has vanished. The class has finished the text in Zoology, and after two weeks of industrious cramming, otherwise known as "review," has been examined. Well, it is over. But we hope before we stand among the classes that were, that Zoology will be made an optional; or that the present hybrid system of studying it, this hodge-podge of semi-scientific knowledge and popular information, will disappear, to give place to a series of general lectures, and an optional course in scientific Zoology. But meanwhile the remembrance of injuries past rankles in the breast of the Soph, and he meditates direful deeds,