New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-28
THE ,SOCR4JIC METHOD.

1t was after the Athenian Sage, acting upon
the information conveyed by the Delphian
Oracle that no man was wiser than himself,
had put his wisdom to the test by fruit
less labOrs to bring other men to his views.
and had discovered that his wisdom
consisted after all in the conscious
meas of his own ignorance, that he
adopted the cross-questioning method which
In later ages has Como by his name Whether
or not The World newspaper has visited Del
phi, and, passing through similar experiences,
has reached by original processes the same con-
clusion with Socrates, we cannot say; but
either for that OF some other good reason it
has adopted and Ia pursuing his method
with uncommon zeal. The force and en-
pbasis with which upon "A recent occasion it
doubled itself up into vast mlrsupial interro-
cation point from the belly of which pro-
ceeded swarms of smaller inteIrogations and
hurled itself down upon Senators Voorhees,
and Beck, has been already remarked. Tho
effect upon voorhees,, SO far as can now be as
certained, has been to stun him into q
silence as blssful as it is unusual. Upon
Beck it was Less effective, but it was noticed
during his late great speech upon finance that
his discourse was ragged and incOherent. bis
logic groggy, the line Of his argument tipsy
and staggering and that he frequently lodged
as though avoiding conundrums, like the con-
cicnce-strickcn sinner who invOluutarly dipped
his head behind the pew when the clergyman
read, "Strike the resembling Tyre When he
had concluded The Worlds wild interoga-
tory, " How that could DO constitutional in
1850 which was unconstitutional in 1869 !"
remained unanswered TO this extent the
method was indicated voorhees, was silenced
and Beck was stumped.
Our contemporary is still pursuing the method.
It's latest application was to the Democratic
State Committee which met at Albany last
night. We do not learn that its advice TO
that noble band was acted upon we suspect
that it was net but this we can say, that if
it had been, the deliberations of that
body would have been worth going
thousands of miles to witness. As n
startng-point for the introduction of the
Socratic method, 1t was proposed that
the exercises should he opened with the read
ing of Mr. Charles O'COnors remarkable letter.
recently published. in which that gentleman
gave at great length his reasons for regarding
it as absolutely impossible that any one
"called Democrat should prevail in tins
"cOnhlct "-meanng thereby the Pres
idental election of the present wear.
This having been read-and we can
imagine the eloquent Lester B. Faulkner roll
ing out its rotnnd periods with tlat marvel
lous elocution which has hushed So many con-
ventions into rapt silence with its silvery
"Mr Chairman, | now move that committee
" of one delegate from each judicial district
"be appointed on credentials ln-Tho World
suggested that it should be followed by fif-
-" teen minutes at least of silent and motoness
" meditation thereon" Possibly the thoughtless
rabble may burst into ribald and unseemly
laughter at the thought of Democratic State
Committee spending fifteen minutes in silent
and mOtionless meditation" Perhaps some
frivolous person may say that would be some
thing worth going thousand miles to see.