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

He is certainly gifted with very high order
of that imagination which, when subOrdi-
mated to good Judgment, as in his case, lends
its kindly aid in choosing the fittest argu-
ments for each time, place and opportunity,
and clothing them in charming, yet simple
language He is never verbose; illustrating
well the truth that "verbosity is cured by
wide vocabulary"
Not only is he splendid campaign orator,
but considerable of wit. He is popular in
all company, and deservedly. At Washing
ton he is always welcome and sought-after
guest at the Gridiron clubs reunions, and
invariably dispenses unheard-of facts and
fancies. have heard as many kinds words
said of him by Republican opponents as by
co-laborers in the Democratic vineyard.
***
During the campaign Of 1884, when men
were saying very few kind words and all the
mean things they could think of political OPP
ponents, remember W. w. Rice of Worces-
ter, a hard political fighter, surprised
me by saying if he lived in the
Fourth congressional district he would vote
for Collins. 81 believe in party fealty,"
said he "as much as any man, but if lived
in Collins district I would vote for him. He
is splendid fellow, good orator, hard
worker, and an able man.
Collins can say mean things, but he won't
He thinks life too short for chickering's. He
has great powers of epigran. and can
compress good deal of thought into very
short sentence. His declaration at Albany in
1884, where he fired the opening oratorical
gun of that campaign, that the Sudden love
of the Republican party for certain voters
was like a limited railway trip-good for this
trip only" was perhaps more quoted than
anything said in that memorable contest 1t
would fill good-sized and interesting book if
one undertook to tell half the bright and
witty things he has said in divers times and
places And they never leave sting behind.
Happy faculty, that, of never carrying
heart stain away on ones blade. "Hes a first
rate fellow if he'd let rum alone, twas the jocose
reference Collins made to one of our leading
Prohibitionists, who enjoyed the sally heart
ily. HE could get mad, suppose if he
tried but not enthusiastically mad" was his
terse characterization of cold-blooded friend
who never boils over, or even bubbles.
*~*
Gen. BENJAMIN F. Butler is still on deck,
and as was demonstrated recently, no man in
Massachusetts, can draw a larger crowd to
listen to what he has to say. He is not an
orator, if the word be defined in a booksh
sense. But he always has something to
say" and says it interestingly, for he has
peculiarly epigramatic style, sharp wit,
and, above all, that most ''taking" of
characteristics with the great masses, the
courage to say just what he wants to say.
The generals health is rugged, his spirits I'M
daunted, his good nature as superabundant as
ever, and it seems as if his almost three score
years and ten did not bring him any nearer a
physical collapse than thirty years ago 1t
seems impossible to down" the doughty old
warrior Like Banquo's ghost "he will not
down. though l do not think of any other
point of resemblance between him and Ban
quo's or anybody else's ghost He always
likes to make the fur fly. It matters COM
paratively little to him, so long as there's
row in progress. The generals style of
speaking is decidedly colloquial, never rapid
in delivery; quite often his voice is low to in
distinctness, and when he is about to shoot
off particularly sharp or bright thing his
eyes light up and his countenance hoists
signal which puts those who know him on
their guard to be watchful, for good thing is
not far off.
Hon. George d. Robinson was compare
atively unknown when his party, then down
in the Dumps" called him from his congress
sional seat to lead them in the colossal task Of
defeating Governor Ben Butler. He re-
sponded promptly to the call to duty, and in
series of campaign speeches of matches vigor,
traverse1 the state from north to south, from
east to west-in the beautiful hilltowns of