Tonight brings one of those unfortunate clashes which sometimes occur in our University interests when so many things claim a man's attention that he hardly knows what to do. Each of the events which occur this evening has its own particular interest and value and of course the students will be drawn to one or to another, according to individual temperament.

The competitive debate for choosing the men who shall represent Harvard against Yale has first claim on the attention of the debaters in the University. It is all-important that this intercollegiate debate should be made as fine as possible, especially at a time when athletic competition is rather running away with us and when a good many people, absurd as it may seem, are actually judging institutions by their ability to play football. Something must be done, and done soon, to turn some of the enthusiasm which now holds almost exclusively to athletic contests. Though oratory and argument cannot be practiced on an open field every afternoon before grand stands full of enthusiastic students, they are yet, in their quiet way, quite as important as football; and the sooner people see their importance, the sooner the false impression which follows this athletic craze will be dispelled. At tonight's debate every man who cares to compete will be given a chance, and the best interests of the University demand that the best men be chosen; they cannot be chosen unless all the good debaters in the University are heard.

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