+ 124. Webster was justified in his attitude toward the Clay Compromise. 125. John Brown's raid did more harm than good. 126. The English parliamentary system should be applied to the government of the States. 127. The taxation of the English colonies in America, which led to the Revolution, was in accordance with the British constitution. 128. President Tyler's veto of the National Bank bill was in accordance with sound public policy. 129. President Jackson's theory, that the executive is constitutionally independent of the other two departments of government, is correct. 130. The administration of Andrew Jackson did more harm than good to this country. 131. Queen Elizabeth was a worse woman than Mary Queen of Scots. 132. Slavery caused the annexation of Texas to the United States. 133. Should Christian Scientists be licensed as medical practitioners? 134. In the first joint debate of the Lincoln-Douglas series, Lincoln had the better argument. 135. The methods used by Mrs. Carrie Nation, in her anti-saloon crusade in Kansas, were justified. 136. Mr. Bryan's idea, that the ownership of trunkline railways by the United States Government will ultimately prove desirable, is correct. 137. The school authorities of San Francisco were justified in segregating Japanese pupils. 138. The State of California is justified in her stand against land ownership by aliens. 139. The time has now arrived when the nations of the world should limit all types of armament and armed forces. 140. The growing indifference to church-going in the United States is a mark of social retrogression. 141. The advertisement of patent medicines should be prohibited by law. 142. In the great European war, the invasion of Belgium by Germany was justifiable. 143. In place of competitive armaments for national defense, the United States should stand for collective armaments for international defense against future wars. 144. The United States should refuse to go to war for any cause whatsoever without first referring disputes with foreign nations to some international tribunal. 145. Germany was most largely responsible for the great European war. 146. The United States Government should establish a monopoly in the manufacture and sale of firearms, ammunition and munitions of war. 147. A declaration of war should be made only by popular vote. 148. Organized labor should form a separate political party. 149. It was a mistake in policy for France to invade the Ruhr region. 150. A system of ship subsidies as urged by President Harding should be adopted. 151. Is the modern Ku Klux Klan justifiable? APPENDICES II RULES OF PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE FOREWORD Every American citizen should know at least the simpler rules of parliamentary law. It is sometimes said that a man who understands parliamentary procedure may get what he wants. At any rate, a person who does not know how to proceed before a deliberative assembly is very seriously handicapped. In the course of time a large number of rules have been formulated to govern the actions of assemblies. We shall make no attempt to go into the details and the finer points regarding such rules. The rules that follow are those which every citizen ought to know, and will usually be found sufficient for the conduct of a literary or debating society. It would be well for the members of a society, and particularly the president, to have at hand a standard treatise on parliamentary law such as Roberts' Rules of Order and to devote five or ten minutes occasionally at the meetings to drill in procedure. It should be borne in mind that parliamentary rules are for the purpose of assisting in despatching business, and not to prevent or hinder. True, one is wholly justified in raising questions of procedure relative to a motion which he is either favoring or opposing, but he who raises technical objections merely for the purpose of showing his knowledge of parliamentary law is a public nuisance. ORGANIZATION OF THE SOCIETY The ordinary procedure in presenting and deciding matters before a meeting can be illustrated by considering for a moment the organization of a literary or debating society. Suppose a few students are interested in public speaking and debating and wish to form an organization for the study and practice of these arts. They meet together informally and talk over the prospects for a successful society. If prospects seem encouraging, a notice is given of a time and place of meeting for the organization of such a society. Upon meeting, some one rises and says, for instance, "Gentlemen, since we have decided to form a literary society, I suggest that we proceed to business. I nominate Mr. Smith for temporary chairman of the meeting." Some one seconds the motion, and the member making the nomination puts the question. Mr. Smith is declared elected and takes the chair. The chairman then calls for nominations for a temporary secretary, and Mr. Jones rises and says, "Mr. Chairman." CHAIRMAN: "Mr. Jones." MR. JONES: "Mr. Chairman, I nominate Mr. Thompson." The chair then calls for other nominations, and if there are none he puts the question, and Mr. Thompson is declared elected. The meeting is then organized and can proceed to business, the temporary secretary keeping full minutes of what takes place. The next step would usually be to appoint a committee to draw up a constitution and by-laws for the organization, or, if it is desired to use the constitution in this bulletin, the meeting could at once take up the discussion of it, section by section, making any changes they desire. Whenever the constitution is adopted, the next thing is to elect the permanent officers. These officers may be installed at this or at a second meeting. As soon as the installation takes place the president should at once appoint any standing committees provided for in the constitution. A program should be arranged for the next meeting, and thereafter the meetings should be conducted in accordance with the "Order of Business" as specified in the by-laws. All business is introduced to the society in some form of a resolution or motion. The general form of presenting a motion has been shown above. In dealing with a motion, these four steps are always to be observed: (1) A member rises from the floor, and, after addressing the chair and securing recognition, he presents his motion. (2) After the motion has been seconded, the presiding officer states it. It is then before the assembly for such discussion as may be desired. (3) When the debate is closed on the motion, the question is put to vote by the chairman. (4) The result of the vote is announced by the presiding officer. GENERAL TERMS Quorum. The usual practice in any deliberative society is to require the presence of one-half of the active membership to transact any business, except to adjourn, which may be done by any number. If there is really no objection to the business to be transacted, the question of a quorum need not be raised. The by-laws of the society may prescribe a different number to constitute a quorum. |