Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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22 I could probably teach the moderns a thing or two about make-up. Even slang was not without its value: it usually responded to th-e need to express some new idea; what was slang to-day would be accepted as good English to-morrow. However, the spirit of great grandmother Prim and great grand- father Proper descended upon the House to carry the Motion. Feb. 2. Debate on the Motion, ' That Public Opinion is a snare and a delusion. Proposer: — F. D. Duffoy. Opposer: — J, F. Motyer. Third: — H. A. Leseur. Fourth: — J. Adams. Public opinion wasi not always wrong, but it was • unpredictable, maintained the Proposer. Furthermore, mass opinion was often mis- leading; statesmen knew best because they had a more expert and in- formed view of public affairs; yet public opinion sometimes required that they should subordinate their own more enlightened convictions to a public opinion which might have been evoked by £iome unscrupul- ous politician or others using platform, Press, radio and the whisper- ing gallery to play cleverly on mass emotion from ulterior motives. The ordinary man usually took his opinions ready-made; ho had his own job to do, and hadn ' t the time to go fully into the whys and where- fores of the case; often when he felt most strongly, he was feeling through the mind of somebody else, though he might delude himself in believing that it wjas his own opinion. The Opposers viewed the Motion as an insidious attack upon rights and liberties which were enshrined in Magna Carta and in the hearts of all Englishmen. It concerned certain fun damentals upon which the whole structure of democratic government rested, upon the right of the people to govern themselves through their freely elected repre£)entatives. It was true that those representatives would do r ome of the people ' s thinking for them, but public opinion would ensure that in its broad outlines that thinking would follow the direction de- sired; public opinion was dynamic, and when the chosen representa- tive ceased to represent it, then public opinion would bring that fact home to him. If it was to be fair, government must be guided by public opinion; otherwise it might mean government by the few in the inter- est of the few. Under the opposiite form of government, the dictator-

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21 DEBATING SOCIETY. Interest in the activities of the Society has been maintained dur- ing the pasit season, and representatives of the younger generation continue to join our ranks as they become eligible. One condition of membership m the contribution during each season of at least one speech of merit; a few are content with this, but most members feel the urge more frequently; the stalwarts of the older generation con- tinue to give a good lead. The activities of the seasion have included: — Oct. 19. General meeting for the Election of Officers. Nov. 2. JDebate on the Motion, ' Tliis House deplores the vulgar ity of modern taste. ' Proposer: — P. D. Duffey. Opposer: — H. P. Malloy. Third: — H. C. Butterfiold. Fourth: — H. Zuill. While claiming to be one of the moderns, the Proposer expre Bed himself out of sympathy with modern stream-line tendencies in archi- tecture, — and in dress, especially women ' s dress. Modern styles were bare and cold; he preferred the warmer styles of earlier days, the substanti al architecture and the old oak panelling. (Crinolines and bustles were not mentioned.) There was too much siwing in modern music, and too much trash in modern output generally. Which did they prefer, asked the third speaker, the mellow architecture of the old English cathedral, or something in the modern style? As to iTiusic, he considered modern composition too prolific; that of other days took longer to compose, and so was better workmanship than the modern, which catered for a restless taste, and was in consequence largely superficial. Another speaker suggested that the people of earlier times relied more on natural beauty, whereas moderns relied more on the artificial and make-up; and the use of much slang tended to vitiate the beauty of modern language. The Qpposiition arraigned the Proposer of confusing vulgarity with utility. Anyway, there was too much uniformity in the world to- day; a flaming red tie helped to relieve the monotony, as the warmer music helped to relieve the feelings. As to the artificial, the excava- tions of archaeologists revealed that the painted Egyptian beauties

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23 ship, they saw public opinion suppressed; it might be efficient, but whither did it lead? The voice of the people was sacred, and should not be £)tifled: Vox populi vox Dei. Public Opinion then expressed itself in effecting the defeat of the Motion. Feb. 15. Hat Debate. Each member made one or more im- promptu speeches . Among the subjects were these: — Some people live on what others throw away. Is Co-education a good thing? Bermuda should have Votes for Women. Schoolboys talk too much. Would you like to be an Eskimo? Bermuda should eat more greens. Sal(tus should have a school parrot. Would you rather live now or in 2,040? OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR 1939 40. President: Mr. J. H. Kerry. Secretary: F. D. Duffey. Committee: J. F. Motyer, j. Adams, H. P. Malloy, T. N. Fall, and F. D. Duffey (ex-officio.)