APPENDICES
APPENDIX AQUESTIONS FOR DEBATE
The following questions are given as suggestions for your work in debate. Many of them are purposely left loose in their statement in order that the club may adapt the subject to local conditions. For example, a question is given: “Resolved: That the State should prohibit the employment in factories of all children under sixteen years of age.” Obviously the word “factories” does not include all the places where the labor of children is harmful and should be prohibited. If the question sought to name all such places, however, it would be cumbersome. I suggest, therefore, that if you should desire to discuss the question of child labor, you should substitute for “factories” the particular industry you are interested in; like, for instance, cotton mills, oyster canneries, button factories.
Make your questions, when you can, local in their interest. You will be more interested in the affairs of Fairfield than in those of a city in Patagonia. Your school will interest you more than the schools of the other States. Besides, as I tried to show you all the way through the book, theapplicationof your work in debating is what really counts and using local questions freely will help tie up debate with life. Study your local problems and debate them. Formulate your own questions; mine are only suggestive.
Resolved:
That the State should prohibit the employment in factories of all children under sixteen years of age.
That the abolition of child labor would be beneficial to manufacturers.
That child labor is a menace to future prosperity.
That child labor tends to lower adult wages.
That eight hours should be a day’s work for minors under eighteen employed in factories.
That factory efficiency is not conducive to the best interests of the working class.
That coöperation in trading offers relief to the high cost of living.
That labor organizations promote the best interests of workingmen.
That an eight-hour working day should be adopted within the United States by law.
That the contract system of employing convict labor ought to be abolished.
That in times of depression municipalities should provide work for the unemployed.
That the provisions of State child labor laws should be extended to canneries.
That wages of women should not be lower than those of men performing the same service in the same occupation.
That governments should grant old age pensions.
That the increase of machinery is disadvantageous to the working classes.
That the factory system has been a benefit to the working classes.
That the boycott is a legitimate weapon of labor.
That trade unions are justified in restricting the number of persons allowed to learn a trade.
That members of trade unions are justified in refusing to work with non-union men.
That no girl under twenty-one should be allowed to engage in any street trade or occupation.
That no boy under sixteen should be allowed to engage in any street trade or occupation.
That no boy under twenty-one should be allowed to engage in any street trade or occupation between the hours of sevenP. M.and sevenA. M.
That strikes are never justifiable.
That compulsory arbitration is wise and feasible.
That free public employment agencies should be established by the State.
That the State should allow no employer to pay a wage lower than the minimum required to maintain the employé in decent living.
That the State should establish chattel loan institutions in every city of over ten thousand population.
That the increase of wages to employés of the Ford Automobile Company was premature and unjust to other manufacturing concerns.
That the increase of wages to employés of the Ford Automobile Company was injurious to the employés themselves.
That compulsory arbitration will solve difficulties between employer and employés.
That the miners were justified in their 1913-1914 strike at the Calumet-Hecla mines.
That the public school course should include trade education.
That cultural education is of more value to the average individual than industrial education.
That the regulation of conduct in high schools should rest in the hands of the students.
That coöperation between the public schools and factories affords the best means of imparting industrial education.
That any city in the United States having over two million inhabitants should be organized as a State.
That the moving picture theater offers wholesome amusement to the people.
That the moving picture theater offers valuable educational possibilities.
That coeducation in colleges is desirable.
That inter-collegiate football promotes the best interests of colleges.
That college athletics, as now conducted, are not beneficial to the majority of the students.
That the State should provide for education for all vocations.
That college degrees should be required for entrance to professional schools.
That students should have a part in college government.
That college education unfits a man for business life.
That small colleges are preferable to large ones.
That the teaching of Latin and Greek in our public schools is not justifiable.
That the function of education is to prepare the student for life and not primarily to prepare him to make a living.
That the novel dealing with current events has more educational value than the historical novel.
That school boards should furnish students lunches at cost.
That school boards should furnish lunches free to pupils unable to pay.
That one daily school session is preferable to two.
That high schools should be in session six days a week and eleven months a year, with the entire course thereby shortened to three years.
That the elementary school should teach each pupil the technique of a trade.
That the elementary school should teach each pupil who wishes such instruction the technique of a trade.
That the secondary school should teach each pupil the technique of a trade.
That the secondary school should teach each pupil who wishes such instruction the technique of a trade.
That socialism is more of a promise than a menace to society.
That the doctrines of syndicalism and of the I. W. W. are identical.
That the doctrines of the I. W. W. are sound and justifiable in practice.
That the efforts of the Russian nihilists are entitled to the sympathy of a free people.
That socialism is the best solution of American labor problems.
That the doctrines of socialism are inconsistent with those of Christianity.
That socialism contains within its doctrines all the essential elements of a sufficient religion.
That the present social unrest is due to removable causes.
That socialism is the latest development of coöperation and brotherhood.
That a belief in socialism is inconsistent with a belief in organized religion.
That the principles of anarchism are hostile to real progress.
That deeds of violence amounting to the taking of life are a necessary corollary to the teachings of anarchism.
That socialism is a logical deduction from the doctrines of anarchism.
That the trust is a legitimate development of industrial coöperation and contains within itself the roots of the doctrines of socialism.
That the retention of Alsace-Lorraine by Germany is justifiable.
That colonies are serviceable to the mother country.
That public hospitals should introduce home treatment of their discharged patients to prevent the return of disease.
That interlocking directorates of corporations are inimical to the best interests of the United States.
That the position of the English Government with reference to Ulster in 1914 was justifiable.
That Zionism will restore to the Jews a national life in Palestine.
That public opinion is the controlling factor in life.
That the moral character of the American people is deteriorating.
That home rule should be granted to Ireland.
That the victory of Japan over Russia in 1904-05 was for the interest of civilization.
That heredity has more influence upon character than environment.
That the Massachusetts Bay Colony was justified in banishing Anne Hutchinson.
That climate has an influence on national character.
That vegetarianism is conducive to health, strength and longevity.
That poverty rather than riches tends to develop character.
That the parcels post system should be more extensively adopted in the United States.
That as women are largely the buyers for the family they are largely responsible for the misleading advertisements so common in the public press.
That vivisection should be prohibited by law.
That the mind of the Caucasian race is naturally superior to that of the African.
That social progress has been greater abroad than in the United States.
That poverty is more of an opportunity than an obstacle in the development of character.
That the element of personal sympathy is of greater value in charitable work than organization or system.
That no one can do effective work in administering charitable relief who has not been trained in the approved and scientific methods of such work.
That Shakespeare’s representations of common people were unjust to the England of his day.
That aeroplanes are more practical both in commerce and in war than dirigible balloons.
That boys’ clubs organized in connection with rural life are of greater value to society than city boys’ clubs.
That credit unions are essential to the development of rural life.
That the Balkan states were justified in demanding in 1913 the withdrawal of Turkey from Europe.
That the great powers were justified in depriving the Balkan states of some of the fruits of their victories in the war in 1913.
That art galleries and museums are not essential to civic development.
That concrete will supersede all other building materials.
That the rural social center is an effective method of promoting rural development.
That the Raiffeisen system should be introduced into the United States.
That the rural telephone has injured rural social life.
That it was the duty of United States to intervene in the internal affairs of Mexico in 1914 and restore peace.
That President Wilson was justified in not recognizing Huerta.
That President Wilson was justified in seizing Vera Cruz in 1914.
That Canada should be annexed to the United States.
That further annexation of territory is not for the best interests of the American people.
That the United States should annex Cuba.
That the United States should annex Mexico.
That the United States should permanently retain the Philippines.
That the United States should ultimately grant the Philippines independence.
That the Monroe doctrine should be abandoned by the United States.
That the Panama Canal should be fortified.
That the immigration of Hindus into the United States should not be allowed.
That immigration into the United States should be further restricted.
That the character of the American people has been improved by the immigration it has received from Europe.
That a property qualification should be a requirement for the admission of immigrants.
That the Chinese Exclusion Act is just.
That the Chinese Exclusion Act should include the Japanese.
That the Federal government owes both a moral and a legal duty to protect any alien in this country.
That the Federal government should demand from eachState full protection in all their treaty rights of aliens within such States.
That the State should teach the immigrant the English language at the very earliest opportunity.
That the Federal government ought to control national elections.
That the United States government ought to interfere to protect the southern negro in the exercise of his suffrage.
That the suffrage should be taken from the negroes in the southern States.
That woman suffrage is desirable.
That a property qualification for suffrage would be desirable.
That voting should be made compulsory.
That the standing army of the United States should be increased.
That there should be an educational test as a qualification of voting.
That the adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States has been justified.
That party allegiance is preferable to independent action in politics.
That moral questions have no place in party politics.
That all nominations for office should be made by direct primaries.
That election of members of Congress from a State at large is preferable to election from districts within such State.
That the cabinet system of government as practiced in England is preferable to the Congressional system as practiced in the United States.
That the members of the President’s cabinet should have seats and the right to speak in Congress.
That the present tendency in the United States toward centralization in government should be resisted.
That States should be represented in the Senate in proportion to their population.
That the electoral system of presidential elections should be abolished.
That the president should be elected for a period of seven years and be ineligible to reëlection.
That a representative should vote according to the wishes of his constituency.
That the initiative and referendum should be adopted in the United States.
That the recall should be adopted in the United States.
That a decision of any judge on the constitutionality of any civil question should be subject to revision by a popular vote, when properly safeguarded.
That the amount of wealth transferable by inheritance should be limited by law.
That corporal punishment is not justifiable.
That capital punishment should be abolished.
That no conviction for crime should be based upon circumstantial evidence alone.
That Switzerland has a better form of government than the United States.
That no alien should be allowed to own real estate in this country.
That the length of imprisonment as a punishment for crime should be determined by a special commission and not by the sentencing judge or jury.
That all corporations should operate under Federal charter and control.
That the community and not the individuals are responsible if many boys “go wrong.”
That large department stores are beneficial to the people.
That city mail order houses are beneficial to the villages from which their goods are purchased.
That judges should be appointed and not elected by popular vote.
That the legislature of Pennsylvania should erect a statue to Robert E. Lee upon the battlefield of Gettysburg.
That State financial aid should be extended to workmen desiring homes of their own.
That increase in the average size of American farms is for the best interests of the nation.
That the decrease of population living upon the land is for the best interests of agriculture and of the nation.
That State or government aid, in the form of direct loan or guarantee of bonds should be extended to aid the drainage of land which thereby will be made suitable for agriculture.
That hard roads should be built at county expense.
That the United States government and the government of each State should bear equally the cost of improvement of trunk highways, provided the work be done under Federal direction.
That for this community, main county roads should be paved with gravel instead of brick.
That for this community, main county roads should be macadamized instead of surfaced with the “sand-clay” process.
That the jury system should be abolished.
That no immigrant should be admitted to the United States unless he can read and write his own language to an extent equivalent to the standards maintained in the average sixth grade of schools in the United States.
That the building and maintenance of a large navy is necessary to the safety of the United States.
That the time is now ripe for the disarmament of all nations.
That the time has now come when the policy of protection should be abandoned by the United States.
That a high protective tariff raises wages.
That the United States should establish a system of shipping subsidies.
That a protective tariff benefits farmers.
That trusts are the result of a protective tariff.
That combinations among railroads cheapen rates.
That the trust is a legitimate development of industrial coöperation and should be encouraged.
That an income tax is desirable.
That a single tax based upon land values would be preferable to the present system.
That church property should be taxed.
That the entire cost of public improvements should be assessed against the property benefited.
That one-half of the cost of public improvements should be assessed against the property benefited.
That cities should be permitted the use of the principle of excess condemnation.
That cities should grant new industries five years’ freedom from taxation.
That the railroads of the United States should be owned and operated by the Federal government.
That all telegraph lines in the United States should be owned and controlled by the Federal government.
That all public utilities should be owned and operated by the municipalities wherein they are located.
That State prohibition is preferable to high license as a method of dealing with intemperance.
That local option is preferable to State prohibition as a method of dealing with intemperance.
That the prohibition, by amendment to the Federal constitution, of the manufacture, sale, importation, exportation, transportation of intoxicating liquors presents the most effective solution of the liquor question.
That “treating” is a great source of intemperance and should be prohibited.
That it is a more efficient method to remove the temptation to drink intoxicating liquors than to teach the individual to fight and overcome the appetite for such drink.
That alcohol is a legitimate article of diet and its use should, properly safeguarded, be allowed.
That municipal misrule in American cities is due to the indifference of the so-called better classes.
That municipal misrule in American cities is due to foreign immigration.
That the commission plan of city government should be generally adopted in the United States.
That the commission plan of government should be adopted by States.
That the growth of cities should be governed by some well organized plan.
That the commission form of city government is more advantageous than the city manager plan.
That the city needs for its service and life stronger and more intelligent men than does the country.
That school houses should be utilized at least sixteen hours out of every twenty-four in civic functions when not required for school purposes.
That a detached house is more conducive to proper family life than a suite in an apartment building.
That organized play is essential to a proper development of boy life.
That a city should provide municipal dance halls and similar opportunities for recreation.
That congested cities should furnish the capital for model garden suburbs.
That, to relieve urban congestion, model garden suburbs are preferable to model tenements.
That the church should provide amusements.
That charity organization societies are effective.
That the church has not performed its full duty toward the laboring man.
That church unity would develop a higher type of Christianity.
That the conservation of the church as the form of organized religion is essential to real progress.
That secret fraternities in high schools should not be permitted.
That the Federal control of natural resources should be further strengthened and extended.
That the control of natural resources within States should be left to States and not assumed by the Federal government.