The first of the competitive debates to choose a team from the Freshman Debating Club to speak against the Sophomore Club was held last evening in Harvard 1. The question debated was: "Resolved, That Cabinet members should be allowed to speak in Congress." Speeches were limited to five minutes each.

Twenty-nine speakers was a disappointingly small number from so large and prosperous a club, considering that last year's Freshman club, though much smaller, produced fifty two speakers at its first trial. The speaking on the whole, however, was good, though there were no especially strong speeches. Most of the men treated the subject very intelligently, though seldom strikingly. The tendency to attempt to cover too much ground was not as noticeable as at most Freshman trials, perhaps by reason of the limitations of the question. Most of the men showed excellent command of language.

Lack of form was naturally the chief fault, most of the speakers being either lifeless or afflicted with bad manneriems. Furthermore they failed to get into close sympathy with their audience, by addressing them directly and forceably.

The judges, S. R. Wrightington 1L., and C. Grilk '98, chose the following men to speak at the second trial: A. G. Allen, Jr., H. W. Bowker, Arnold Cook, E. E. Coolidge, L. M. Dougan, R. A. Feiss, S. H. E. Freund, M. T. Hall, J. W. Scott, and M. E. Stillwell.

The other men who spoke were: W. T. Foster, J. G. Pierce, D. J. Murphy, V. Custis, E. Schlesinger, D. Daly, C. D. Daly, A. P. Young, S. Stickney, A. Walter, J. L. O'Gorman, D. C. Hirsch, A. Turner, M. W. Randall, H. H. Murdock, T. H. Reed, M. A. Sullivan, J. Regan, and O. W. Branch.

The team of three speakers and an alternate will be chesen from these ten men at the next trial, which will be held on December 13. The question for debate will be: "Resolved, That United States Senators should be elected by popular vote." The debate with the Sophomore Club will come on January 10, and will be on the same question.