“Journal of Political Economy,” December, 1906.

  “Atlantic Monthly,” October, 1906.

  “North American Review,” Vol. 183, p. 602.

All of these contain material valuable for both sides, except those marked “N” and “A,” which are useful only for the negative and affirmative, respectively.

NOTE:—­Practise in debating is most helpful to the public speaker, but if possible each debate should be under the supervision of some person whose word will be respected, so that the debaters might show regard for courtesy, accuracy, effective reasoning, and the necessity for careful preparation.  The Appendix contains a list of questions for debate.

25.  Are the following points well considered?

THE INHERITANCE TAX IS NOT A GOOD SOCIAL REFORM MEASURE

A. Does not strike at the root of the evil

1. Fortunes not a menace in themselves A fortune of $500,000 may be a greater social evil than one of $500,000,000

  2. Danger of wealth depends on its wrong accumulation and use

3. Inheritance tax will not prevent rebates, monopoly, discrimination, bribery, etc.

4. Laws aimed at unjust accumulation and use of wealth furnish the true remedy.

B. It would be evaded

  1. Low rates are evaded

  2. Rate must be high to result in distribution of great fortunes.

26.  Class exercises:  Mock Trial for (a) some serious political offense; (b) a burlesque offense.

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote 25:  McCosh’s Logic is a helpful volume, and not too technical for the beginner.  A brief digest of logical principles as applied to public speaking is contained in How to Attract and Hold an Audience, by J. Berg Esenwein.]

[Footnote 26:  For those who would make a further study of the syllogism the following rules are given:  1.  In a syllogism there should be only three terms. 2.  Of these three only one can be the middle term. 3.  One premise must be affirmative. 4.  The conclusion must be negative if either premise is negative. 5.  To prove a negative, one of the premises must be negative.

Summary of Regulating Principles:  1.  Terms which agree with the same thing agree with each other; and when only one of two terms agrees with a third term, the two terms disagree with each other. 2.  “Whatever is affirmed of a class may be affirmed of all the members of that class,” and “Whatever is denied of a class may be denied of all the members of that class.”]

[Footnote 27:  All the speakers were from Brown University.  The affirmative briefs were used in debate with the Dartmouth College team, and the negative briefs were used in debate with the Williams College team.  From The Speaker, by permission.]