The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-12-30
Mixing Metaphors.

of speech. To the average orator it has
the same attraction that edged tools have
for children. and its use is as frequently
followed by la uentable results. 1t is the
earliest language of mankind, and is one
which the average modern man least sue
cessfully manages. When, at the earli-
est epoch of our development, metaphor
was the ordinary form of speech, this
maladroitness was not observable. In
the Bible, for example, where metaphor
is constantly employed, it invariably
adorns speech and often lifts it to the
loftiest heights poss; ble for prose. 1t is
lost art and not new accomplishment
we grapple with in these degenerate
days when we venture on metaphor.
The class of people who most fire.
quently use it claim kinship to past mas
tiers in art, inasmuch as they are lacking
in what we call education. The negre,
and above all the negro preacher, wal
lows in metaphor, invariably more or less
mixed. 1t was one of these who, con-
Tossing his faults before his congrega-
CATION, cried aloud: Brethren, the
muddy pool of politics was the rock on
which split" 1t was another who fer
vently exclaimed. ave thank Thee
for this spark of grace; water it, good
Lord" Another prayed for ''graCe that
we might grid up the loins of our minds,
so that we shall receive the latter rain"
Mixed metaphors grow luXurlantly on
the fertile soil of the United States.
Ireland has so long been looked upon
as the home of mixed metaphor, that
good deal of the fun has been rubbed out
by the suspicion that specimens are
made TO order. OF this class is doubt
less The peroration attributed to an Irish
barrister, "GentIemcn of the jury" he
is reported to have said, sit will be for
yoa to say whether this defendant should
be allowed to come into court with I'M
blushing footstep, with the cloak of hy-
pocrisy in his mouth, and draw three
bullocks out of my clients pocket with
impunity." la this connection | will
quote single illustration, which has at
least the advantage of being authentic.
Early in last year, before the general
election, Mr.. Shaw, member for the
County Cork, and at that time leader of
the Home-rule party, was addressing a
meeting held one Sunday at Cork, with
the object of discussing the land ques-
Il IL.
who, on ordinary occasions, finds plain
speech serve his purpose. At this time,
however, the spirit of metaphor came
upon him, and this is what it made him
say: E'They tell us that we violate the
Sabbath by being here to-day. Yet, if
the ass or the OK fall into the pit, we can
take him out on the Sabbath. Our
brother is in the pit to-day-the farmer
ard the landlord are both in it-and we
are here to try if we can lift them out
This similtude of an Irish landlord TO
an animal predcstined to slaughter was
bold but timely. The other half of the
analogy seemed calculated to get Mr.
Shaw into trouble with his constituency
In Germany metaphors are evolved
from the inner conscience with great
success, There are one or two famous
i'm the literary history of the country.
Everyone has heard of the speech of
Justice Minister Hye, who, addressing
the Vienna students in the troublesome
times of 1913, declared: "The chariot
of the revolution is rolling along, and
crashing its teeth as it rolls" On the
other side a Democrat came very near
to this success by announcing that: 1--WE
will burn all our ships, and with every
sail unfurled, steer boldly out into the
ocean of freedom" Less known is the
address by the Mayor of a Rhineland
cornoration, spoken to the Emperor
William, shortly after he was crowned
at Versailles. ''No Austria, no Prussia
said the inspired Mayor; "only one
Germany! Such were the words the
mouth of your Imperial Majesty had al
ways in its eye" Essentially German
is a sentence from the learned criticism
on Il book of lyrics which carries the
signature of Prof. Johannes Sheer
''Out of the dark regions of philosophi-
cal problems" says the Professor, 1.-THE
poet suddenly lets Swarms of songs dive
up, carrying far-seeing pearls of thought
in their beaks." A song with pearl
in its beak would be great attraction
IN the programme of a popular concert.
We need not 90 far abroad in search
of mixed metaphors. This is SUI
premacy in which the House of Com
mons holds its own as it claims to do in
every other contest of life. 1t has been
my lot to hear good many speeches in
the House of Commons, and have from
liille 10 tiine JoCted down Few OF the
gems of metaphor strewed on this his
toric floor Mr.. Shaw's chef-dguure
will find a fitting parallel in the remark
made by Mr.. 0'Coaor Power, another
able speaker, who caught Sir Stafford
Northcotc, the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, tripping in the matter of his
resolutions in respect to the business of
the House. In his generous manner
the honorable Baronet had too plainly
disclosed the fact that the resolutions,
while protesting to deal with the gen
eral conduct of business, were aimed
directly at obstruction. Whereupon
up jumped Mr.. o. Conor Power, and with
triumphant manner exclaimed: "Mr.
Speaker, Sir since the Government has
let the cat ont of the bag, there is
nothing to be done but to take the bull
by the horns" which he forthwith did.
debating the matter as especially deal
ing with obstructionists. 1t was in
similar access of passionate emotion that,
during the debate of the foreign policy
OF Lord Baconslicld's Government. Mr..
Alderman Cotton solemnly declared
that lat one stage of the negotiations a
great European struggle was so immi-
nCnt that it only REQUIRED A shark TO LET