The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-09-14

criticise while subject to the magic of his
voice. The senator is never familiar, plain,
| everyday. People call him cold; they stand
afar off and in awe. By not approaching
him they fail to find out that he is one of the
most approachable of men. He is student,
but does not understand men. He studies
men in the concrete and in books, rather than
face to face He knows men as they ought to
be, rather than as they are. The people al
ways listen attentively, but do not applaud
him as often or as heartily as inferior men.
A speech from him is almost always an in
telectual treat for if there is time at all he
makes the most elaborate preparation. After
he has carefully arranged his line of thought
and argument he laboriously writes and re-
writes his speech, so that his manuscript is
filled with many erasures and interpretations
of words and phrases. Hardly man in the
United States can make a speech or an Grafton
on any topic that will read SO well, but very
many make better impression on their audi
ence His speeches may be written
masterpieces, but not vocal ones. He
lacks fire and personal magnetism
***
Hon. John D. Long must be classed among
Boston orators, for though he does not pay
his taxes and vote in the Hub he is member
of the Suffolk bar and of a Boston law firm.
He is known very well and is exceedingly
popular with Boston audiences Ten or fif-
teen years ago he was comparatively uninter-
esting: but he is one of the growing kind,
and he has grown wonderfully In talking
he has an air of being ''all things to all men,"
having that seeming earnestness and sincerity
which makes the old farmers like him and
call him ''Honest john" while he has Just
enough of the art of smiling mot the ordinary
''smile," for he's temperance Republican,
to catch the professional politicians. He is
always interesting; not saying much that is
interesting and new, true, but possessing the
great secret of saying old things so well that
listeners forget to think or to care that it has
all been said many times before, though rarely
as well said. He always makes a political
speech; indeed it is almost a proverb among
politicians in Massachusetts, that if Governor
Long was led into meeting, the object of
which was unknown to him, it would not
interfere in the least with his making an
address to his Fellow Citizens" so polite
and artful that none would be offended
Undoubtedly he could say offensive things if
he tried, but he is one of those lucky beings
born with that happy disposition which finds
it better for all to say pleasant things and
scatter rays of sunshine about them. He has
not personal enemy anywhere His speeches
are pleasing. able and effective, and do great
party service on the stump
e..
Doubtless many other names of we'll
known public speakers will come to mind
but all cannot be mentioned in the space of
this letter. 1t must not be supposed that
these are all the passable takers we have
here Gen. Cogswell, every inch a soldier
always makes the eyes water as he expatiates
on the rights and the wrongs cf the poor
fishermen. Gen. Banks, iron-haired and
picturesque, always holds the respectful at
tention of Massachusetts, audience Ger.
John L. Swift can always catch and hold an
audience Those two editors. George x
Merrill and George A. Marden, can please a
Republican assembly or military reunis
as well as anybody can, and the list might
added to indefinitely.
Suffice it to say that the acquisition Of
really first-class public speaker is welcomed
by the managers of either of the great par
tics with arms wide open.
WILLIAM F. MURRAY.