Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-12-31
His Ability as an Orator

have just been preparing q speech
for tomorrow evening ut our conven-
I on. 1t is good speech and will take
well. 1t is also SINCERE.
will give the outlines of the speech
here. SO that in ease / should die or
slip up on stenographer the basis of
my remarks may not perish:
Fellow-citzens You have seen fit to
re-nominatc me for the office which |
have held one term already, viz mem
Der of congress from this district.
As YOU are aware. | am self-made
man. i have carved out my own career
from the ground up. as | may say, till
to-day / am your nominee for the
second time
What we want these days is not so
much men Of marked ability as candi-
dates, but ava liable, careful and Judi
cous men. We are too apt to strive
for the nomination of brilliant men of
pronounced opinions when we most
need men who can be easily elected.
OF what avail is man OF genius and
education and robust brains and earn
est convictions. II we cannot elect him?
lie Is simply II sounding brass and a
tlnkllng cymbal.
Therefore, would say to the youth
Of Amer. ca-could they stand before
me to-day do not strive too hard, or
strain yourselves by endeayoring to at
tain some object after you are elected
TO Office. Let your earnest convictions
remain dormant. Should a man have
i. IL. l.
them for use in his own family. They
are not nee .ssary in politics If a mem
Der OF congress must have Il conviction,
and earnestly feels rs though he could
not get along another day without it.
let HIM 20 10 the grand jury and make
Il clean breast of II.
may say. felow-c,tizens without
cgotism, that have been judcious
both in the heat of the campaign and
the hall, of the legislature. / have
done nothing that could disrupt the
party or weaken our vote i'm this dis
II ct. 1t is better to do nothing than
To do things that will be injurious to
the interests of the majority.
What do you care, gentlemen. for
what | said or did in our great session
of last winter, 50 long as came home
10 YOU with a solidlied vote for tins
fall; so long a, | have not trodden on
the toes OF the Irish. the German. the
scandinavian. the Prohibitionist. the fe-
male ufragst, the anti Mormon, or
the international copyright crank?
Let us be frank with each other, fell
low citizens. Do YOU ask me on my
return u YOU. how many speeches my
private secretary and the public printer
attaclcd 10 ny name or how many
p,rSag' p, OF hy-blown turnip seed /
sent to YOU last ycar?
NJ,
Iou a,k yourselves how is the vote
olir party tais ful - compared with
two .yc n, ago. and | answer not vote
has cen m,,lad or ballot erased
HAY done nothing and said nothing
that Il carp NJ constituency could get
aOIi OF. Though | was never in con-
.,resS beiorc, old members cnvicd me
the long. blank, eyasivc and irreproach-
able record have made.
No man can say that. even under the
stimulating influence of the wine cup.
| have given uttcrance, in the last two
years, to anything that could be distort-
80 '''D ~ 'P'"''H' -AHu 30 Io-uaF 4
come pack to YOU ana find my party
harmohou'' while others return to
their homes to be greeted by Il DISRUPT
eI constituents, over whose ruins the
o'er-aIcrt adversary chambers to sue
cess.
- sai to yo,i. tonight Mr. Presi-
,eAt' ahd gentlemen OF the convention.
iel u cave 10 inc newspapers the eX-
PRECISION oi what we ca'l earnest con-
N'',oh 'ohFIrt oh- That arise up IN
after .'a.' - II rs across the face
aal eN'-. let nJutciouN Young men
t.uN about ina hInd Of groceries. but
ih' war Ne'i-inadn polite an who sue
c'cJS Co.'s not dp ihat way.
IL seems odd To me- that young men
VIII u" year after year trying to attain
81 sJnrtIol by EWpg uttoranca 10 opln-
.oh~ wen theN can sc Tor themselves
tnat We dO not want such men for any
place "l1tever, from Juryman to con-
gresham.
II You examine my record for the
last Session. Tor instance, YOU VIII not