The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1868-10-23
STUMP oRAroRY.
Howi Is Got Up---Tcm corwin and Judge
u .,,s,.s .,.s Chaiie.
rrom ana Oincinnnti Enouirer. sent. alst.

H4IH Z A..
From the Cincinnati Enquirer Sept. 2lst.
: This mode of poIiticalinstruction is of
late date, having grown up inthe South
west within the last half century. 1t 10
now spread overthe entire country, and
affords one Of the liveliest features of a
canvass.
A native-born American thinks aloud
tho moment he finds his legs and can
stand alone. Aiore's the pity. We run
to talk, and being without inspiration
and without study, talk 10 neither pleas
ant nor profound. The larger amount
Of stump oratory is made up of newspa-
per articles, and there is fearful same
ness in them. Since the general intro
duction of short hand reporting, we have
columns upon columns from the stump
that has already appeared in the journ-
ais. The editors, therefore, inspire the
orators, but it is poor sort of inspira-
ton at best. The American world lacks
time for thought. More's the pity.
The prince of stumpers was the late
Tom 'Corwin. Never profound, he was
always original persuasive. No man
probably ever lived who had such a
sympathetic control of his audience. A
superb actor, he never seemed to be act
ing, and carried his crowd from laugh
ter to tears, Or from tears to laughter,
with an ease really wonderful. His
pathos was genuine, and his humor real
humor. 1t was good humor there was
not a particle Of malice in it. His OPP
ponents laughed, and the victim himself
when held up to ridicule, was forced to
enjoy the fan.
Poor Corwin! To lived to learn that
the man who amuses is the man to be
sadly moderated. "Quit that he said
to a young friend once; ''you must not
make them laugh. Ifyou want to sue
coed, you must be as solemn as an ass.
The world confounds the satirists of
genius with the clown, and looks down
both alike. Be solemn-solemn as an
ass-and you'll be respected living, and
incurred when dead. All the great
monuments are erected to solemn asses. !"
It was a sad commentary on his own
/ fe. Corwin, as we have said, had no
bitterness in his nature. The nearest
approach to ugly sarcasm we ever knew
was in his retort to Salmon +. Chase
The contest for Governor in this State,
between Chase and Medill was exceed
ing close, and the southern counties
went largely for Medill. Mr.. Chase,
jumping to the conclusion that his oppo-
ncnt was elected, broke out in great Bit
terness on the old Wings for deserving
him. Mr.. 4. 2. Norton, always about
when eminent men appeared, was ex-
ceedingly shocked at this irreverent
treatment of Wings, and SO expressed
himself to Mr.. Corwin
ooh, never mind that, Norton" said
tho great humorist. "Chase was drunk
lie came round all right so soon as we
got his bottle from him."
Poor Norton, who never had a joke in
him, and could not get one in, save
through surgical operation, took this
as a fact, and so reported. In time. il
came to Governor Chase's ears, and talk
ing with Corwin, he said, laughingly-
Il didn't mind your telling poor Nor
ton of my inebriated condition, but you
did make a remark, about that time. that
in choosing between me and Medill, you
had to select between skunk and rat
tlesnake."
'.Ah! Chase" responded Corwin,
with humorous twinkle of his eye, ''the
first, to Norton, was the best excuse
could make for you, and the second was
the best / could make for myself"
But we are getting away from the
stump. The first preparation the young
beginner makes is to secure scrap-book
and paste in it certain articles from the
press. These are the documents that
are read, from time to time, with great
emphasis. He invariably begins his
speech by avowing that the election
then coming on is one of vital impor-
lance. In his estimation it is the most
important election ever held. Then he
eulogizes the ballot and the intelligence
and virtue of the American people. He
seeks to convey the impression that the
American people are the greatest, best
and bravest people in the world, and the
ballot is the sheet anchor. This intro
duces the Ship Of State. No stump
speech is perfect without the Ship Of
State and that statesman who at the
right moment takes the rudder. The
winds blow, the waves roll, and the
breakers are ahead Then at the right
moment the great man appears.
One accustomed to this sort of thing
can make affidavit that he can tell in adj
vance the line of argument, the il.ustra-
tons, quotations and anecdotes. How
o,,J;a1oae uoanaoa tn stand this sort of