1895 - A Rambuntious Debate at the Arcade Hall

 

As described by a Times reporter who was present for the big debate.

From the Hamilton Times.    February 27, 1895.Image 393

“There is not a hat in the city that Prof. Williams, barber, preacher, and debater, can get his head into today. The professor is a probationary minister, and it must not be inferred that the cause of his big head is that which is usually assigned for a cranium being in a swelled condition. The reason of it that he was gloriously victorious in the debate on ‘Women and Money,’ last night with the heretofore invincible debater, ‘Prof.’ Grant.

“The victorious professor, it is said, spent the greater part of last night and this morning shaking hands with himself, his friends, his enemies and the clock – but chiefly with himself.

“And the victorious debater is now waiting for telegrams from some of his illustrious brothers in the south, and cablegrams from crowned heads of Europe, congratulating him upon his success. While there can be no doubt about the victory being a popular and a moral one, it cannot be said to be a complete one, as it has not been announced what percentage of the gate receipts goes to the winner. His chief opponent was on the side of money, and there is no telling what arrangements he made with regard to the division of the legal tender.

“But to come to the story of the victory. The debate took place last night in the Arcade Hall within sight and hearing of about eight hundred persons, nearly all of whom have wonderful lung powers, and sufficient disregard for the officers of the law, to make noise enough to wake the dead.

“One of the saddest features of the affair was the manner in which ‘Prof.’ g]Gant arranged the preliminaries of a battle in which he was to be mowed down as by a Gaitling gun. He requested Ald. Martin to take the chair, and called upon Dr. McGillivray and ex-Ald. Ferres to act as timekeepers. The judges appointed were Ald. Brown, Ald. Witton, Mr. Thomas Baylis, Mr. W. Irwin and Mr. W.R. Birwick. While these appointments were being made, the noise was deafening. Fish horns were blown, cow bells were rung, and every mother’s son in the crowd attempted to make more noise than his neighbor. And a lot of them succeeded pretty well, for it was impossible to hear a person speak ten feet away. The police present were powerless to stop the noise.

“After the Chairman had pleaded in vain for about ten minutes for order, he announced that the subject for debate was “Resolved, that the love of a woman will prompt a man to greater exertion than the love of money,” and that the affirmative speakers were ‘Prof.’ Williams and Mr. J. Atkins, and that negative side would be held up by ‘Prof.’ Gant and Mr. Chas. Davis.

“Each speaker was allowed five minutes in the first round and twenty minutes in the second. Davis and Atkins were mere figureheads, as the crowd would not give them a hearing, and in the second round Davis gave up the fight in disgust, after he had spoken about five minutes, Gant occupied the remainder of his time though.

“There were lots of good, funny cracks made in the course of the speeches. “Prof.’ Williams said that men will work and strive for ten and fifteen years to get a wife, but who would work that long without getting his wages? Men would throw up their job in a few weeks if they did not get their money. (Yells of ‘point! point!, catcalls and the blowing of fish horns.) He spoke on and on notwithstanding frequent interruptions and very racy interrogations which were fired at him from every quarter. The speaker worked himself to a fever heat, and the perspiration on his shiny head was very perceptible and he was speaking very seriously about the ‘brotherings of his with wives,’ when a young man with a voice like a fog horn, told him to ‘wipe dat dew off his head.’ The professor obeyed the command, and was just starting to tell that the ‘Curfew Shall Not Ring Tonight’ when a large cow bell was rung in the rear of the room. (Yells, and loud laughter.) Just then the timekeeper held a copy of the Times in front of the speaker, but he did understand that ‘time’s up,’ for a few seconds. He then sat down.

“ ‘Prof.’ Gant then took the floor, and was tendered an ovation. In fact, the cheering lasted until he finished his speech. On account of not being able to make the judges hear some of his best points, he probably lost the debate. He told of a man who refused to tie his wife’s show strings, but he readily shouldered a musket and went to fight for $3,000. Before he sat down he was handed a pair of crutches. From that on the feelings of the audience grew higher and higher, and chorus after chorus was sung. ‘We’ll Hang Gant on the Sour Apple Tree,’ and ‘We Won’t Go Home Till Morning’ were sung with much feeling. The crowd then started for the doors and by the time the verdict of the judges was given, the big hall was almost empty. The Chairman of the ‘Supreme Court’ announced that Williams won, and the victor then started in on his self-imposed ‘hand-shaking’ task, which may yet bring on the palsy.”