A Joint Debate

About two hundred people hstened to the joint debate between Webster and Jeffersonian societies Tuesday evening, in the law lecture room. This debate was the first of a series of three joint debates by the same societies. The remaining debates will be held in the course of a few weeks. The question under discussion was, "Resolved, That the South Presents a Better Field for Development than the West." Mr. D. A. Edwards, of the Webster society, was the first speakon the affirmative. Mr. Edwards clearly showed the great advance which the South had made since the late war, and inferred that this was good proof of its future prosperity Mr. A. L. Curtis represented thf Jeffersonian as the first speaker on the negative. Mr. Curtis said that the West was destined to be the great agricultura!, mineral and stock land of tli is country. N'r. Curtis was followed by Mr. I'. G. Jones, Webster's second speaker. Mr. Jones shcwed his ability in destroying the arguments of the opposite side. He illustrated his arguments with a large map of the United States, comparing the productiveness of the South with that of the West. Mr. Jones strengthened his side very -Mr. Y. O. Coltrane closed for the Jetïersonians and made a strong plea for the West, not denying the progress of the South, but attributing it to a tardy endeavor to catch up with the rest of the nation. The judges, Rev. Gelston, Mrs. . T. Sunderland and Prof. E. F. Johnson, by a close vote rendered their decisión in favor of the affirmative, thus bestowing upon the Webster the first victory of this series of debates. Dean Knowlton presided and favored the audience with a number of well chosen remarks.