Part 14 (1/2)

B. Table board costs less.

C. Amus.e.m.e.nt places are less numerous.

Under the ”therefore” method, the proof precedes the statement being established; the connectives are _hence_ and _therefore_.

The previous argument arranged in this form would read as follows:--

A. Since room rent is cheaper at the country college than at the city college, and

B. Since table board costs less, and

C. Since amus.e.m.e.nt places are less numerous, _therefore_.

I. Expenses at a country college are less than at a city college.

The student should always use the ”because” method of arrangement. It is preferable to the ”therefore” method since it affords a much easier apprehension of the argument advanced. If the reader of the brief has the conclusion in his mind at the very start, he can test the strength and adequacy of the proof very quickly, and can, perhaps, the first time he reads the argument form an opinion as to its worth. But he will almost always have difficulty in grasping the significance of evidence and reasoning before he knows what the proof is expected to prove. The ”therefore” method usually obliges a careful reasoner, after finally reaching the conclusion, to go over the whole proof a second time.

To a.s.sist the student in carrying out the proper arrangement of his proof, two rules have been formulated. One rule deals with main headings, the headings marked with the Roman numerals; the other deals with subordinate headings.

Rule IX. _Phrase each princ.i.p.al statement in the discussion so that it will read as a reason for the truth or the falsity of the proposition_.

Rule X. _Phrase each subordinate statement in the discussion so that it will read as a reason for the truth of the statement to which it is subordinate. The connectives to be used are: as, because, for, and since_.

In connection with the first of these rules, notice that princ.i.p.al headings read as reasons for the truth or the falsity of the proposition. Obviously they read as reasons for the truth if the brief is on the affirmative side, and for the falsity if the brief is on the negative side. Headings and subheadings should always be supported, not demolished.

The error of making unsupported statements in a complete argument has already been discussed. a.s.sertion in a brief is equally faulty. To insure belief, all statements must rest ultimately either upon the testimony of witnesses or upon statements admitted to be true.

Notice how unconvincing is the following portion of a brief:--

Proposition--American cities should own and operate all street-car lines within their limits.

I. The present system of operating street-car lines is efficient, for

A. The street-car service in the United States is the best in the world.

B. Street-car fare in the United States is remarkably low.

The insertion of testimony, however, to substantiate A and B turns this bit of brief into excellent proof.

I. The present system of operating street-car lines is efficient, for

A. The street-car service in the United States is the best in the world, because

1. It is best in respect to extent, since

a. James W. Garner says that England has less than a quarter of the street-car facilities found in the United States. (Dial, Feb. 1908, p. 20.)

b. In 1902, two hundred and ninety-five communities in the United Kingdom of from 8,000 to 25,000 inhabitants were without street cars; while in the United States there were only twenty-one such communities.

(Munic.i.p.al and Private Operation of Public Utilities, W. J. Clark, Vol. I, p. 445.)