294
Kansas University Weekly.
KANSAS--NEBRASKA DEBATE.
Nebraska Wins but Kansas Easily Carries off First Place Again.
The long looked for debate between the Universities of Kansas and Nebraska took place last Friday evening in the Funk Opera House, Lincoln, Nebraska, before a crowded house of from twelve to fifteen hundred Nebraskans. The debates this year have been more closely contested in both Universities than the debate of last year, as about thirty of the best debaters of each school took part in the preliminary contests. While Kansas did not win the debate this year, she has every reason to be proud of her representatives Messrs. B. B. McCall, Arthur McMurray and U. S. Guyer. They had the weakest side of the question in debate, were debating in a city friendly to their opponents, were handicapped by having one of their number out of school during the preparation for the debate and were chosen only three weeks before the final debate, while the Nebraska debaters were chosen five months before this event.
The meeting was presided over by ex-congressman W. J. Bryan. Throughout the entire debate the audience gave the best of attention and each speaker was greeted with round after round of applause-the student body cheering mostly for Nebraska, while the towns people many of whom believed in the Initiative and Referendum, greeted our boys with deafening applause.
While the audience were awaiting the decision, the Nebraskans rent the air with their college yell, and yet above the dinn and occasional "Rock Chalk! Jay Hawk! K! U!" was heard. When Congressman Bryan stepped upon the platform to announce the decision, the usual death-like stillness prevailed until he annouced Nebraska as the winner of the debate. The applause was then so great that it seemed as if pandemonium again reigned supreme.
First place in the debate and for Kansas was won by Mr. B. B. McCall; and second place for Kansas was won by Mr. U. S. Guyer. This result awards a prize of $15 to Mr. McCall, and $10 to Mr. Guyer. First place for Nebraska but second in the debate was won
by H. W. Quaintance, and second place for Nebraska by A. J. Weaver.
After the announcement of the result, the crowd thronged upon the stage and tossed again and again with hearty good will both the Kansas and the Nebraska debaters. Our boys, as they were unaccustomed to this tossing process of the Nebraskans afforded much amusement to the spectators. Some of the girls said they guessed the Kansas boys had never been tossed before as they looked like rags flying through the air.
Although the debate was won by Nebraska by a slight margin, Kansas can congratulate herself upon the fact that her Irish oratory won first place for her again as B. B. McCall scored an easy victory over the indomitable Weaver and "Grandpa" Quaintance.
As the percentage markings could not be obtained the points scored against each debater are given instead:
Points Against.
B. B. McCall... 6
H. W. Quaintance... 8
U. S.' Guyer... 9
A. J. Weaver... 9
H. E. Newbranch...12
Arthur McMurray...17
NOTES.
The debate was in every way a brilliant success.
Some of the Nebraska professors said that Kansas won the debate.
If McMurray had devoted more time to his argument and less time to Weaver his rank would have been considerably higher.
A number of Nebraska instructors congratulated Mr. McCall upon his success while only one Kansas instructor did so. That instructor was Prof. Hopkins who has all along been interested in the debate.
The net proceeds of the debate were about six hundred dollars, while at the final trial debate here, taking into consideration the fact that the use of the chapel was given to the debaters, the net proceeds were seventy-five cents.
Our boys received many compliments from the Nebraska press and the Nebraska people.