The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1874-04-09
WHOLE NO. 14O3.
From the chronological JournaI.l
Oratory-Faults of Public Speakers.
BY E. P. THWING.


The Duchess of Marlboro boasted that
she was born before nerves were invented.
We should be willing, at times, to lose
a portion, at least of nervous sensibility
while listening to what John Ruskins
calls "infernaI elocution. At the recent
meetings of the Worlds Alliance, we
were tortured by men on the platform
and in the pulpit who murdered their
mother-tongue most ruthlessly. We ask
with DR.. Kirk, "Why is it we are COM
PEELED to witness the bodily distortions,
the croakings and jerkings and scream
| ings, the false emphasis and unmeaning
modulations which are now, to some ex-
tent, eclipsing the brightest lights of the
American pulpit p When DR.. South
once broke down in a pulpit effort, he
sank back with the sad ejaculation,
Lord, be merciful to our infrmities y
But not a few of the most wretched
speakers now seen on rostrum or in pull
pit seem unconscious of their faults.
They seem, even, to fancy that they are
effective, while the fact is, they are only
tolerated because of the useful thought
they communicate.
Excessive vehemence is one noticeable
error of some speakers. DR.. Chalmers
was sometimes so far carried away with
excitement that his face was flushed, his
veins swelled like cords, his fists were
doubled, his heavy frame was convulsed,
and foam in flakes few from his lips.
At one time Whitfield vomited blood
after a similar exhibition of nervous ex-
element. Another, well known to the
writer. has for years been out of the
ministerial work because he burst his
boiler" under too great pressure-that
is, ruptured blood-vessels of his throat
Ill 1t1f n q
special occasion No wonder a child
going home from a similar exhibition of
pugilistic oratory ventured her innocent
criticism, Mother, the minister shook
his fist at the folks but nobody dared to
go up and fight him"
Contrast this wrathful frenzy with the
calm self possession of Fox, who, while
speaking, heard the whispered criticism
of member near him, "vec-tigal." The
orator recognized the error of making
penult short, as he had done in the Latin
sentence he had quoted. Not the least
embarrassed, he paused, and remarked
that an honorable member corrected his
quotation. He thanked him for it, and
thus turned in his favor circumstance
which would have been to one less self
possessed most untoward.
English comedy pictures "ForcIble
Feeble" The name belongs to not few
of the roaring, Kissing, signing, puthng,
and stamping speakers of our day. Forcl-
BILE thev think they are, but theirs is the
feeblest of the feeble kinds of speech.
Thunder does not kill. Noise is not
argument Sound doctrine issues not
from the lungs alone.
Power, indeed, is needed in the utter
ances of truth, but good sense must dl1
rect its exercise Cicero, after several
wears of public speaking, found himself
so injured by undue vehemence that ne
was advised by physicians to abandon
the practice of oratory. He would not
listen to them, but put himself under
training in Greece with Atticus and De-
metrius the Syrian. After two years OF
study and travel he came home with q
smooth, well-modulated voice. the use OF
which was as healthful to himself as 1T
was pleasant to those who listened.
Common, however, as is the fault already
noticed, its opposite is still more COM
mon Feebieness of utterance and SLOW
enliness of style spoil the effect of half
the efforts of public speakers, not in the
pulpit, alone, but at the bar, the lyceum,
or debating society. 1t is what Sidney
Smith called decent debility" A rhet-
orician in 1858 satirlcally describes the
preachers of his day as follows: One rs
so hoarse in his throat that a man would
think he came lately from securing
harness; another speaks as if he had
plums in his mouth one rattles his
words, another chops them; one speaks
as though his words should be weighed
in a balance, and another gapes as if to
catch wind at every third word" Now,
truth is gem that deserves a good set
ting. While, with Cowper, we 'leathe
all affection" we do admire clean, shin
ing phrases, unobscured by indistinct
enunciation, languid drawls, and other
repulsive mannerisms, How to secure
for "arples of gold,' the baskets of sill
ver," will be the theme of second paper.
-FOUR correspondent hits off the faults
of public speakers, who evidently have
not studied the manuel entitled 0ratory,
Sacred and Secular, published at this
Office To become good speakers or mu-
sicians, men must be trained. One has
no right to inflict barbarous or ridicu-
lous manner upon an audience, nor is 1t
necessary.