"The arguments of our distinguished Representative are well worthy of your consideration，"he began，quietly."It is only by understanding fully both sides of an argument that you can hope to arrive at a just and impartiala decision.Mr.Hopkins has advocated advertising signs on the ground thatyour financial gain warrants permitting them to be placed upon your premises.I will not deny his statement that three thousand，seven hundred and eighty—three dollars have been paid the farmers of this district by advertisers in the last five years.It is quite likely to be true.I have here the report ofthe Department of Agriculture showing that the total amount paid to farmers of the eighth district in the last five years，for produce of all kinds，is eleven millions，five—hundred thousand dollars."A murmur of amazement rose from the audience.Kenneth waited until it had subsided.
"This seems surprising，at first，"he said，"and proveshow startling aggregate ？gures are.You must remember I have covered five years in this estimate，as did Mr.Hopkins in his，and if you will figure it out you will see that the yearly average of earnings is about six hundred dollars to each farmer.That is a good showing，for we have a wealthy district；but it is not surprising when reduced to that basis.Mr.Hopkins slates that the farmers of this district received three thousand，seven hundred and eighty—three dollars during the last ？ve years for advertising signs.Let us examine these ？gures.One—？fth of that sum is seven hundred and ？fty—six dollars and sixty cents as the income to you per year.We have，in this district，twenty—？ve hundred farmers according to the latest reports of the Bureau of Statistics，and dividing seven hundred and ？fty—six dollars and sixty cents by twenty—？ve hundred，we ？nd that each farmer receives an average of thirty and one—quarter cents per year for allowing his fences and buildings to be smothereda in luridb advertising signs.So we find that the money received by the farmers from the advertising amounts to about one—quarter of one per cent of their income，a matter so insigni？cant that it cannot affect them materially，one way or another.""But，Mr.Hopkins states that you give nothing in returnfor this one—quarter of one per cent，while I claim you pay tremendously for it.For you sacrifice the privacy of your homes and lands，and lend yourselves to the sel？sh desire of advertisers to use your property to promote their sales.Youhave been given an example of clean barns and fences，and I cannot tell you how proud I am of this district when I ride through it and see neatly painted barns and fences replacing the ？aring and obtrusivea advertising signs that formerly dis？gured the highways.Why should you paint advertising signs uponyour barns any more than upon your houses？Carry the thinga step farther，and you may as well paint signs upon your children's dresses，in the manner you see illustrated before you."At this，Louise made a signal and the fifty children sogrotesquelyb covered with signs rose and stepped forward upon the stage.The orchestra struck up an air and the little girls sang the following ditty：
"Teas and soaps，
Pills and dopes，
We all must advertise.Copper cents，
Not common sense.
Are the things we prize.We confess
Such a dress
Isn't quite becoming，But we suppose Hopkins knowsThis keeps business humming."As the girls ceased singing，Kenneth said：
"To the encroaching advertiser these signs of the times are considered legitimate.There is no respect for personal privacy on the advertiser's part，once they used only the newspapers，the legitimate channels for advertising.Then they began painting their advertising on your fences.When the farmers protested against this the advertisers gave them a few pennies as a sopa to quiet them.After this they gave you small sums to paint the broad sides of your barns，your board fences，and to place signs in your ？eld.If you allowed them to do so they would paint signs on the dresses of your children and wives，so callousb are they to all decency and so regardless of private rights.Look on this picture，my friends，and tell me，would you prefer to see this—or this？"At the word each child pulled away the sign—painted slip and stood arrayed in a pretty gown of spotless white.
The surprise was so complete that the audience cheered，shouted and laughed for several minutes before silence was restored.Then the children sang another verse，as follows：
"Now it is clear That we appear
Just as we should be；
We are seen Sweet and clean
From corruption free：
We're the signs Of the times—
Fair as heaven's orbs.If we look good，Then all men shouldVote for Kenneth Forbes！"The cheering was renewed at this，and Mr.Hopkins became angry.He tried to make himself heard，but the popular fancy had been caught by the object lesson so cleverly placed before them，and they shouted："Forbes！Forbes！Forbes！"until the Honorable Erastus became so furious that he left the meeting in disgust.
This was the most impolite thing he could have done，but he vowed that the meeting had been "packed"with Forbes partisans and that he was wasting his time in addressing them.
After he was gone Kenneth resumed his speech and created more enthusiasm.The victory was certainly with the Republican candidate，and the Elmhurst people returned home thoroughly satis？ed with the result of the "joint debate."