The New York herald., 1879-12-09
ENGLAND'S GREAT TAKERS.

CURIOUS STATISTICS OF SPEECHES AND WORDS
DELIVERED ny ENGLISH STATESMEN AND
THEIR COST OF rELEaRAPHINc.
curious tabular arrangement Of the quantity Of
words uttered by distinguished statesmen has been
published by of the London press agencies. says
the London Daily Necs Statistics may be made to
prove anything. among other things that Mr.. Glad
stone is the most popular public speaker present
living in England. Perhaps we do not need to go to
statistics to demonstrate that but the arithmetcal
argument is popular Just now. and why should not
we apply it to Mr. Gladstone il Professor Geddes ap
Plies it to Homer? The learned have taken OF Late
to counting the words. and even the metrica feet.
in the plays Of Shakespeare aud the poems Of Ho-
mer II the word "dog." for example. occurs sixty
times in the ''Iliad" and only thirty times
in the Odyssey" it Is two to one. we told.
that the same poet did not write both OF
these epics. And II Mr. Gladstone speaks 900
words in seven years oratory. which words have
been elegraphed to the papers at tho cost Of f724
while Lord Beaconsfeld has only uttered fl6s
worth. or 0.3O0 words, Mr.. Gladstone. it may be
said. is nearly twice much of speaker as the
Prime Minister. But this is the "quantitative esi-
mate which philosophy aud common sense assure
is the easiest. 1t not the man who talks long
that is the most effective speaker but again. the
man whose words are thought best worth reporting
is certainly the most popular orator. There can be
The statistics contain facts enough for working pur
poses. The tables cover the time from January 1.
1872, to October J. 1879. and thus neither Lord
Beaconshelds Mansion House speech nor the results
OF Mr.. Gadstone's innings i'll Midlothian, can be
when we cstimate the Quantity of talk which each
orator has uttered. that the opposition are COM
pelled TO talk much more than the Ministry. The
opposition have weapons but their tongues; ora
tory is the only instrument by which they can IN
fuence events aud public opinion. Minister'S ON
other hand in possession of real power. and
need not reply than they please to their
ponents.
CAPABILITIES OF sPEAxKRs
Out of the thirty-iv most copious English speak
three hardly be reckoned ut present ns party
Lord Derby was tho conservative side
during most OF the period examined. So was Lord
Carnarvon, while Mr.. Roebuck's exact shade OF
political prejudice would be indicated rather by j.
Nor Jingo) tnan Dy eaner A. , OF =, tns ms leaves ave-,
twenty-on nearly two-thirds. are liberals. We
shall not alege that the conservative party almost
entirely consists OF persons like Lord Dakeith, who
unrivalled in getting some else to speak for
him. The tact Is. we have said, that opposition
must be comparatively active or 1t will exercise
influence at ALI Easily at tho head OF the score.
az has been observed. comes Mr.. Gladstone, with
thirty speeches. 2l50Oo words and ielegrapbic
expenses to tho amount OF fs2t. 1t may surprise
soine readers to ind that Mr.. Bright, who tor
three four years was unable to take very active
part In politics, second the list. His
speeches twenty-four. his words $500 and 10
telegraph his remarks cost f5l. 1t must be kept in
length, while thoro may bc more copous speakers
of both political parties on whose lips reporters
do not hang with such anxious care. Thus there
Is some indication of quality well AS of guam
tity in these statistics. IL may be taken proved
that an orator whom ono reports is, however
excellent, not yet possessed OF much influence.
very fair third, after MIR. Bright, comes Lord
Bcaconshold. lie has made many speeches
tho distinguished member from Birmingham. but
then he has not uttered many words by nearly
10000. Yet silence IN so far from being golden
to telegraph companies. that Lord Bcaconsneid's
speeches cost ito report) only n little moro
than fioo less than those of Mr.. bright. Lord
Harrington runs into the fourth place. as TAR
as expenses. go, but ho has made one more speech
than Mr. Bright, and has uttered 23, 900 words
than Lord Beaconsheld. Very close Lord Hart
ington comes Sir Stafford Northcote. followed by
Mr.. Forster. who has made thirty-two speeches.
nearly many as Mr.. Gladstone. but who has never
put on" many words in any one innings. MIR.
Cross. Lord salisbury, Lord Derby Lord Cranbrook
aud Sir William Harcourt come next. in the order OF
their names; but it must be remembered that they
classified by expense of telegraphy, not by ex-
tent of oratory. Sir William Harcourt has spoken
nearly twice much as Lord Cranbrook, but he has
cost 81 less to report These differences not due
to any peculiar value attached to tory uttcrances.
Cranbrovks may rather heavy to carry, but TO
local arrangements. IL Lord Cranbrook were thun-
dering at T0bermory Saline the local supply of
material and OF clerks might not be equal to the
casion. And we presume that Lord Crsnbrook must
have narangued to some benighted yokels some
where, while Sir William Harcourt has been speak
ing at places like Liverpool and Oxford Among
other facts of interest II may be noted that hvc
speeches of Mr.. Lowe nearly rs long as eight OF
Lord Cranbrook. Among minor curiosties Of
silence rather than speech, it may noted that
Lord sandon has brought the telegraph companies but
ES. while MIR. w. IL. Smith has only fl2 worth of re-
porting. II would be quite In the style of Shakes
pearian and Homoric word-countng critics to argue
Sandon IL and ninety times popular. But We
leave such irivolitics 10 the lcaruCd.