Intercollegiate Debating Union.

The quickening interest in public debates which has made itself manifest of late throughout the country has suggested the idea of a league between all the college debating societies. This idea bids fair to be realized by a project in which the New Harvard Union is now engaged. A circular has been sent by this society to the debating organizations in Yale, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, and other institutions. This circular invites these other debating societies to elect delegates for the purpose of forming a union which then would rapidly be enlarged so as to include more and more of the colleges.

The objects of this union would be, in the main, two:- first, that it should ensure more frequent intercollegiate debates; and, second, that a uniform programme for the year should be carried out by all societies. The first of these would be accomplished by having practice debates, without decisions by judges, between very many of the colleges. Harvard, for example, would have practice debates with Brown, Dartmouth, Williams, Amherst, and so on, and then besides would have the decisive debates with Yale and Princeton. This would do much to quicken the interest in speaking both by enlarging the circle of rivalry and by giving a much larger number of men an opportunity to represent the University. Such an arrangement would also, probably, be acceptable from the standpoint of the smaller colleges. Such practice also would undoubtedly raise the standard of speaking in all the colleges, and since no man would take part in more than one practice and one decisive debate, an undue amount of time would not be absorbed.

Secondly, the union would agree on a set of questions to be discussed by all debating societies. One question would be discussed each month, the remaining meetings of the different societies being disposed of as they should severally see fit. By such a simultaneous discussion a great demand for information would be created, and, if the topics were of questions of the day, wide-spread public interest would be aroused. This fact, leading publications in the country fully realize. The North American Review stands ready to give space for an article on both sides of the questions each month. The Arena and Public Opinion are also ready to take hold of the matter.

The success of the project seems assured. Yale has pronounced herself in favor of the plan and has elected W. H. Leete and U. E. Thoms, delegates. U. of P. has also elected delegates, and Princeton will elect delegates during the week. The other universities will undoubtedly join the plan. A conference is likely to be held at the Harvard-Princeton debate in Princeton. Harvard's delegates are C. Vrooman and H. C. Metcalf.