Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-06
COL. INGERsoLL,s BIG SPEECH.
Only by an Accident Was It Preserved
for Posterity to Read.

Only by an Accident Was 1t Preserved
for Posterity to Read.
''The past rises before me like dream"
Such was the opening sentence of Col.
Robert G. Ingersoll's speech at indianapolis
in 1876 Prior to that time he had placed in
nomination Hon James G. Blaine at Cincin-
natl. He was then only a lawyer at Peoria
and did not possess a national reputation.
That speech made him famous Perhaps,
without exception, the tribute paid by lnger-
soil to the soldiers on that occasion Is the
most brilliant piece of word painting IN the
English language Some have claimed that
the words Of Webster in reply to Rayne, Of
South Carolina, have never been surpassed in
terseness and eloquence, but actually there is
hardly a comparison. The speech of Web
ster was carefully prepared. That of Inger-
soil was on the occasion of soldiers reunion
1t YVES delivered to soldiers from a little plat
form hastily constructed, on the eastern side
of the circle in that city. Just as he fairly
opened his mouth and before his audience
could hear a word band from somewhere
struck up directly in the rear Of the orator.
Laughingly he waited for the clangor to SUBJ
side He then began his famous speech, and
perhaps no man had ever had more complete
influence over his hearers than did Ingersoll
on that occasion. Men and women cried and
were not ashamed of what might sometimes
be called weakness There were signs of a
storm and pattering raindrops fell, but the
multitude stood entranced and spell bound
That speech has made the name of Robert
g. Ingersol imperishablt. Yet it was only
by an accident or an incident that it has
been handed down to posterity. At that
time John D. Nicholas was managing editor
of The Indianapolis Journal His shorthand
reporter was Charles w. Stagg, who then
happened TO be engaged in an important
case in the supreme court. As the next
best thing Nicholas took in long hand
the speech as nearly verbatim as possible,
but was so dissatisfied with the work that
he went to Col Ingersoll and asked his
aid in making perfect report. The colonel
said he did not have the scratch of a pencil
or the sign of a note; that every word he had
spoken was extempore, and while he could
recall the greater portion, he could not fur
nish it connectedly.
AS a dernier resort the newspaper man
then returned to his desk and attempted the
task of writing out that wonderful tribute to
the men who had done and. dared that this
might be a nation. In short time a Young
man shambled up beside him and asked if he
would like report of IngersolI's speech. In
his hand he held roll of paper, partially
brown, partially white, and all dirty He
said his name was Platt Lewis; that he was
first class stenographer; that he was in
hard luck and was Oh his way from Cincin-
natl to Chicago; that he had crawled under
the platform and taken down the speech with
the hope of selling his work Lewis was paid
literally, came to Chicago afterward, where
he became city editor Of The Evening News.
And it is to this somewhat strange combina-
ton of circumstances that the greatest effort
of the silver tongued orators life has been
preserved-New York Mail and Express.