The Sophomore debating team defeated the Seniors in the finals of the interclass debate last night in the New Lecture Hall. The Sophomores upheld the affirmative of the question "Resolved: That capital punishment should be abolished in the United States," while the Seniors defended the negative.
G. W. Wasser, E. C. Davison and A. E. Whittemore, composed the Sophomore team. The Senior team was made up of F. T. Smith, R. J. White and B. Woronoff.
The Seniors claimed that capital punishment is better fitted for protecting society from the criminal than life imprisonment because of the fact that a man's life is his dearest possession, and that he would consider well before jeopardizing it. The Sophomores based their argument on the statement that capital punishment does not protect society, for a jury naturally hesitates to condemn a man to death, so that a very small percentage of those actually guilty of murder ever receive the death sentence.
Dean H. A. Yeomans '00, Professor I. L. Winter '86 and Judge A. P. Stone '93 were the judges of the debate. Their decision was unanimously in favor of the affirmative
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