The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-09-07
JONES AND IRELAND.
Their OratOry Criticized by the Houston
Post.
OfCol. tones the Houston Post says:

OfCol. Jones the Houston Post says:
Hepossesses the natural art of the stump or
platform speaker-he pitches his voice to the
note of the room and puts himself, after few
sentences, zen rapport" with his audience.
With we'll stored memory of facts, logical
continuity Of thought and happy terSeness of
expression, Col Jones makes point, disarms
prejudice and enlists those who indulge in the
luxury of thinking on his side. But he is too
wary speaker to fatigue his audience by
straining their attention to close argument for
any length of time. He lets down the severity
of the discussion with quaint allusion,
pregnant query or racy and rollicking ance-
dote. In this regard, Col. Jones is one of the
most successful speakers we have ever heard.
He seems deliberately to ignore the loftier
graces and more ambitious strains Of eloquence
to get into stabbing distance Of his audience
with his button-hole arguments and apt and
telling illustrations. Here he is rare man,
one out of a million; and we are told by those
who have known and heard the two men that
he is wonderfully like Abraham Lincoln-awk-
ward, earnest, shrewd, supple, full of kindly
sentiment and running over with illustrative
humor. We suspect the truth of the similar
ity. There is a touch of quaintness of origin
atty about Colonel Wash Jones that
strongly reminds one of that strange blending
of power-simplicity and humor-that made
up the character of Lincoln. Col. Jones is a
keen and collected debater; his mind is clear,
and, therefore, his language is plain and to
the point. He seems to despise rhetoric and
ornament The only swell to be discovered
in his speeches is when he warns up in ear
nest advocacy of the right and glory of indie
pendent manhood, then his voice sounds like
trumpet, his form grows erect, his eye
kindles and his becomes instinct with native
dignity. Then he is eloquent, but generally
he is a conversational speaker and makes his
impression by appeals to the judgment and
reason.
JUDGE IRELAND.
Judge Ireland is entirely of different type
There is certain sluggishness about Col.
Jones which degenerates almost into a draw
at times. II is never so with Judge Ireland;
he is always brisk: he seems full Of his subjec,
and instantly pours out, with volubility and
fire, that which seems to consume him. The
vital organs are, of course, largely developed
in his organization, and though not dehcien,
in the purely intellectual, still all faculties
seem to be overlaid by and and are subordina-
ted by an intense vitality. This gives a rest
less and ceaseless action, but no repose. The
stream that rushes over the fall in restless and
pauseless cadence becomes monotonous in
time, in suite of the glitter Of light and tn.
evident flow of living waters. The parad i!
caused, therefore, by such speaker, of drow
siness in action and faintness of impression b,
the successive multitude Of impressions
Hence, in his set speech, Judge Ireland faileo
to come up to the level of expectation.
William Deyer. of Council Bluffs, has JUS
taken out his seventh marriage license. II
buried each OF his six previous wives. He
a us,rs of aae an his new wife Is 20.