Make a list of the characteristics of the ones that you study.
| Florence Nightingale | Frances Willard | Bismarck |
| David Maydole | Ella Flagg Young | Gladstone |
| R. L. Stevenson | Helen Gould Shepard | Marshall Field |
| Booker T. Washington | Jane Addams | Carnegie |
| Captain Scott | Napoleon | J. Pierpont Morgan |
| Mary Antin | Franklin | Edison |
| Daniel Boone | Lincoln | Roosevelt |
| Mary Lyon | Nathan Hale | Goethals |
Exercise 148—Debating
A very great asset in business is the ability to see the truth or the falsity of a statement, and to advance proofs for or against it. This ability we shall try to acquire through the practice of debating; that is, through the making of speeches in which students take opposite sides of the same subject, trying by the presentation of facts and illustrations to prove that the side which they represent is the correct one. The statement that is thus argued is called a proposition.
Debating is excellent practice because it teaches not only clear-cut reasoning, but also forceful expression. If a debater fails to make any of his several arguments convincing, if he introduces irrelevant matter, or, though he has prepared strong proofs, if he expresses them in incorrect English, the result will be poor. In working out a debate, therefore, observe the following carefully:
1. Know your subject thoroughly. If you have insufficient knowledge, you cannot be convincing.
2. Understand your point of view exactly and explain it clearly. If you and your opponent have different ideas of the word trust, for example, you can never argue on a subject that concerns the trusts. Define your position first of all.
3. After you have gathered your facts, study them as a whole. What three arguments, let us say, stand out clearly in your mind as being irrefutable because of the strong proofs you have to back them? These are the ones that you should use; the rest will probably be of little value. Plan to give the weakest of the three first, so that your argument will gain force as you advance.
4. Work out the details of each argument. A mere statement of each is not enough. It must be supported by many facts and illustrations.
5. Prepare an outline. It will show you whether your arguments follow each other clearly, whether you have so arranged them as to secure climax. (See [Exercise 152].)