FOR ORATORY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 610, 13 September 1909, Page 4

FOR ORATORY.

' f PLUNICET MEDAL CONTEST. . WON BV G. W. MORICE. Eight carcfully-prepared panegyrics' of eight similar characters jn history, ivoro delivered by members of the/Victoria Collego Debating Society ,in th's Municipal Couccrt Hall oii Saturday'night, in'the competition for thc'Jlunket-medal for oratory. Previous preparation, as- the'chairman,- -Mr.- -' J. -'It.' Mason.. explained, was essential .to Uiesc estimates' of character and greatness, and prabtiSally all the orations • wero unimpeded by nervousness, and exhibited literary skill— for ono could not biit-suppose that tliey'had first been written—and elocutionary iperit of a high'order.' .! A- majority of tho -"speakers, in sotting forth " tho claims to gratitude of their' heroes', might" '-easily have included their great value, as subjects for such oratorical contests, for it is noticeable that not more than about a dozen'men in history are ever accounted', .worthy of this, honour, and their praises aro.'so.'regularly repeated tliat they.. are 'incapable of. growing ■ 'stale. , Nolsoh,:.Gromwell, Napoleonj ; Lincoln, Gfofdon havo done.mucti for oratorical .competitions ; - -in fact, - they tend- to monopoliso tho' field., .It says much for their' inherent interest, and much also! for the student orators,, that the largo audience in tho Concert 'Hall followed all th'e,eulogies 'with ■ enthusiasm'. ' V.' ' - Mr. R.JGirling Butcher found nothing new., to say 'about'. Nelson, whose :pfaises ho'declaimed in a voice which was unfortunately low. :He:gavo.an unnecessarily long description sea' figlit.'in':his hero's ago to illustrate the obviius point that it fras 'no place for weakling's. He -stated that to Nelson it was due in no small'measure, that .tprday the. Union Jack,and not the ,tri-colour .floats , oyer our'heads, for it was'tho goniu's and skill ,of. Nolson : which made the British Navy what it it. .•. '' ■ .Mr: 'J. •M'Eldowhey: found "somethinjj topical in- the subject of "Oliver Cromwell," in view, of tho present"struggle "for; constitutional /'freedom" • against tho •'Houso. 'oi fiords.:- Ho,gave a: glowing 'account of; tho great Proteotor's character' and .' services; concluding', that, .-despite the reforms, which he initifitcdi; his':true and,.lasting .work was negaiivo.: ami 'destructive,-'sand': consisted in sweeping ' : away the ,growth that encumbered the already well-developed, liberties' of tho, people. He -found, England a chaos,' and left 'it a . great nation., / Mr. ' M'Eldowney was much mire, audible than-'his;' predeOeSsbr,' but •his enunciation -was':^not : perfect;.' : Mr. J., M. ; ; Hogben brought more; vigour, and: .freedom . to,; his' panegyric ,on Toussaint L'Ouverture than had been shown : by either 'of the / formed..speakers.'- .He reviowed the career and- described . the character;, of the Eaytiah : leader, fl-ith;- a .spirit- and';-.ardour which .impressed::-his 'hearers.; It was .im-' .possible,, he'- said,i: hot .to , bo struck by .the tributes 'of praise accorded 1 to Toussaint even, by his renemies,, who' had warmly', acknow-ledgcd-his niorits as;a_goneralj.a philosoplierj and .'an administrator" In'an ago of rigour, his humanity ptood apart, and almost alone. Mr.' ; Hogbeii.:concliided.[a worthy, eulogy of, Toussaint by :finely. declaiming' AVordsworth's noble sonnet to -that' hero: "■/ y'! »;' '', Mr. J. Ogg waS, much more fluent than convincing i or. irapressivo '.in; his treatment "of ,"Napoleon Buonaparte.".,,. His eloqufince was disturbed;by roferehces \to,.tho" "man .in, tho street,", and: other objects. 1 . Ho admitted that.' Napoleon "despised-those.,'ele-ments -in. man's nature that do" not produco tangible: results," and ..amused-.his audienco, by.: the . distinction 'that ' Napoleon' ,was ."riot blood-thirsty, but lie was not sparing of blood.""' /They, wero.-moro amused when h? . set: down; to ,the ' credit ■of tho '' 1 hst':;great' mari that the. world-has"produced,'' -that;li'o showed a; paternal fondness .for. his young ! son, arid',Vshortly before, ho' died,' "again o'm- , braced - Christianity.-M-Mr..,, Ogg. was' nonplussed for,, some moments whilo ho. Struggled 'witji-'hisinotes, ,but liq,mst : all -the':ruhsof.. Fortune ' smiling; face i, and. quenched spirit.v-' l ';', :: . Mr. M..-- 11. Oram bbldly claimed that his''' hero"j\';Abraharii". Linc'olri;'- :was'"' "gre'&tcr. : ttiaii ; ; all! .th'ei'i^t',"'and' thbu'fdund;a' surprising pafallql'Lbptweon .Liricoln's'fwojlj ahd.'tli'aJ'i'Qf 1 Moses? ' ilarrated, "the : chiqf\Linc»Sl9S ari,;:elbqu.ent; : tributo' to arid ■ character':',; though - his.'matter: was -liotyefy. nrbfourid or! original; ; Mr,- Oram's - eulogy. was expressed : in' liappy -'words, - arid■/ £iw faults couhl'.bo found with his delivery-,, " .■"'Mrs: J...W*. -H-oss brought, a very'.pleasing .-Style-.-to .the.; subjectof:, "General Gordon.''-, •i'lie distinguishing'characteristics';of.'Gordon,' ho found, were,his-thoroughness and;honesty.' : His'.-,genius": was 'hot 'the' flashings brilliance' iof-- the/'waiy.if'ard cbmetj'' but '-thb: clbar,' .calm ra3iaiicp. 'o,f ,some, bright star fixed.-.for.'ever ■in 'the lieavenSi'an'.'cmblem,.of ..steadfastness arid purity; "Great in his life, great in his death,." .was Mr.' Boss's < final '.-.-word on, Gordon. '-'-."i : ; Hegardless of the dignity of his hero, Mr.. It., Kennedy introduced- Francis Drake as/a "blue-eyed,, child,' scarcely out of.: babyhood," ' and' followed.: Mr. Oram , in 'discovering', an . analogy with- Moses., Ho brought a , good deal; of poetical. description into his account of the adventures-ou the Spanish. Main'; : but' his . effects.: wero;. marred ■occasionallyby • ail 'excessive rapidity .of'. ut-terance.',':-For tho most' part, liowovei', his speech' mairitained' a : high -:level. ' , I '" Mr. -G.' AV." ; Morico spoke, earnestly/and . thoughtfully: on: "David... Livingstone. 1 ' .. Ho' was more emotional .than • preceding speakers, ! but his,voice,was low,' arid,hisidelivery. lacked : vigoiir..; Apart .from'.: this,;.,his' matter, -wit's 'well ..chosen,-' arid expressed. ' . ' ; ■'.' : A ballot was: taken amongst jnoinbfirs ;ol -tho. society ; to detormino. thb allocation "of the medal, and resulted as: follows: —Mr. G. \W; Morice :("David- Livingstone"),-82 piints, '•first ;.!Mr.'.W: . J : .;'M'Eldowney ("Oliver Ci'rimwell"); 80, secondV Mr. M. H. Oram ("Abraham Lincoln"); t 52, third. .- - ThevHon. D, Buddo presented tho .medal ,tj! Mr.;;Morice, .and. congratulated thq• cpnlpetitors-; on -the. quality. r wbich . they ,:bad. j'Bhowhv ; : ; . , ''' ; .;';', - v! ;;;; '■■ "V-;. ( !.: :Tlib-Mayo'r.;(Dr., A. K.' Newman) -said 'that his fellow-Students :at.'Guy's.; Hospital could. ' not ;hav'e .expressed"' 'themselves' so clearly and ;distinctly. One of the -most striking features/had: been tho absence : -of.' stagefright. though .- some of: tho; speeches were exceedingly bookish, arid smelt of'the'-lairip:-Ho suggested ■ that somo of tho girl , students should join ,the society,- and enter, for the medal. ' '7. ' ' I'rofessor Adamson, President of tho •Society, said that, tho college, wanted a little mord' syriipathy than :it'received, not only from tho .people of Wellington, but of tho Urholo college.district.' .They sometimes felt that, they ,were 'a little poorer in that respect than the other colleges. Ho believed that the progress of every : country was'connected with its higher '.education. ■ Whilo-:the .ballot ; was..being. tak;eri several glees, and college, song's~,wc!;q sung;by the College,..Glee-,Clubj i which" should" bo-.a yery. popular institution, V ', . ' .'V ~ -' The previous- winners : of " the .'\'Eluriket. medal liavo-been: 1905, Mr.vE. J. Fitzgibbori; 1906.' Mr. H.-'-F/'O'Leary" j ; "1807, 'Mr; F. I'. Kelly;'and 1908,; Mr. I), S. Smith.