Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-03-12
BiSmarck's Size and Voice.
London News.

Every pOiltlcai gOurmant must enjoy
hearing Prince Bismarck. speak. He
is no elegant orator, rather the con-
trary. but he can lead debate like no
one else. A few days ago he spoke
seven times in one afternoon, each
time with more energy and spirit,
proving that his health is indeed re-
stored. Suddenly soft bells are heard
IN all parts of the house. The electric
bells IN the reading room, In the
committee rooms, the journalists
room are sounded to announce the
arrival OF the chancellor, who has
shown that he viii speak presently,
Tor with one of his pencils, more than
loot long, he has noted down some
thing on the loose quarto sheets be-
fore him, with letters not less than an
inch deep, ana this is safe sign that
he intends speaking The president
bows TO him, and Prince Bismarck
rises to take the word He is GER
tainly more than six feet high; over
his powerful chest and broad should
ers rises a strangely rounded, we'll
shaped head of enormous dimensions,
and with no hair upan it, SO that il
looks like dome Of polished ivory.
Thick white brows hang over his ewes
like two icicles. These brows give his
face dark and frowning expression.
and the look which glistens in his
eyes is cold and somewhat cruel-at
least IN parliament. His mustache is
also thick and gray, and conceals his
mouth entirely. The face is covered
with folds and wrinkles, broad rings
surround his eyes, and even his tenn
piles are covered with small wrinkles.
When he begins to speak the color of
his face changes from pale to red, and
gradually ASSUMES light bronze
shade, which gives his powerful skull
the appearance of highly polished
metal.
1t is a surprise TO hear Bismarck
speak for the first time. The soft. al
most weak voice is out of all proper
ton with bis gigantic frame. 1t some
times becomes so soft that we fear 1t
will die out altogether, and when he
has spoken for a while it grows hoarse.
The chancellor sometimes SPEAKS very
fast, sometimes very slowly, but never
in loud tone. He has 10 pathos
whatever. Some Of his naost remark
able works, which IN print look as if
they had been spoken with full force.
as If they must have had the effect of
a sudden thunderbolt on the audience.
are IN reality emitted ia an ordinary
tone of well-bred conversation. Per
sonal attacks upon his enemies are
spoken by Bismarck with ironical
pollteness, and in such an obliging
tone as if they concealed the kindest
sentiments. But if his anger can not
be heard it can be seen; his face
gradually grows red, and the veins on
his neck swell in an alarming man
ner, When angry he usually grasps
the collar Of his uniform, and seems to
catch for breath. His brows are
lowered still more, so that his eyes
are almost invisible. His voice grows
a shade louder, and has slight me-
tallic ring in it. The sentences drop
from his lips IN rapid succession. He
throws back his head and gives his
face hard, stony expression. But it
is difficult to discern when his anger
Is real and when it is artificial The
chancellor has been seen trembling
with rage, and more like the elements
let loose than anything else. Once
when he thought that the word 'Fie"
had been said by one of the opposition
party, he had one of his attacks,
which would have silenced the house
had everyone been speaking at once.
With trembling nostrils, with his
teeth firmly set, with eyes that emitted
fire, and clinched hands, he jumped
from his place to the side where the
word sounded. IF ample apologies
and explanations had not been offer
ed, who knows how this scene might
have ended? But upon such rare oc-
casions Bismarck, the olat3r, is al
ways a well bred man. He does not
bawl or shout any of his speeches, but
while giving them their full share of
pointed sarcasm, he always maintains
the form of a political conversation
between gentlemen. He has a method
of his own for waging war against his
opponents. He regards his opponents
speech as ball of wool, the last sen
tence spoken being the end which he
takes In hand first, and with which
he begins to unwind the whole speech
as he would the ball of wool But it
is easy to see that while his tongue is
speaking his spirit is far in advance