Preface

Conceiving the necessity of such a work, the present volume has been carefully prepared and offered to the public. It contains a great variety of in formation not found in any other volume. It is designed especially for the use of schools, colleges and literary societies. It embodies the discussion, pro and con. of fifty questions, many of which are the most practical and important before the American people at the present time. The discussions are given in a condensed form, setting forth the principal and leading points of argument on a given question, in a brief and explicit manner, so as not to exhaust the subject, but merely to open it up; thus rendering the task less difficult for the young and inexperienced debater to participate in the discussion. The work includes a brief delineation of parliamentary rules, sufficient for the general purpose of all literary organizations, and in a form so condensed as not to fail in supplying the wants of societies in a convenient and useful manner. If would require a vast amount of reading from other authors to obtain the information contained in this volume. Besides, it gives a list of fifty practical questions which are not discussed, on which the debater can form his own ideas. The work is presented in the hope that it will be useful to those for whom it is designed