Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-07-26
SAMOAN ORATORS.
Important Personages Who Stand Yer,
Close to the High Muck-a- Mucks.

Important Personages Who Stand Very
Close to the High Muck-a-Mucks.
The Samoan orator is a parsonage
Tor. whom no exact parallel is to be
found, SO far as | know, anywhere else
In the world. True, we who consider
ourselves to be in the front rank of
civilization retain in a fragmentary
condition the custom of appointing
these people to do our talking for us.
There Is among us a privileged class
whose members are alone permitted to
speak for others in a court of law. But
so long as we can steer clear Of litiga-
lions we have no use for the barrister,
and are not called upon to contribute
to the cost of his maintenance. There
Is another class, too, not much priv
LEGGED in these free American COM
munities, 1t is true, although largely
so in other lands, who, in sense, are
our orators, since it is our custom to
let them, for the most part, do our
praying for us. In a certain sense we
can, If SO disposed, dispense with
the services of this class also,
though If we entirely escape
contributions toward their mainte.
nance we are either very lucky or
very clever, and in either case very
hard-hearted, and necessarily abstinent
in regard to the witcheries of church
fairs. In Samoa, however, life can
not in any way be got along with with
out the interference of the orator. At
every turn he not only dces the think
ing and the talking for his people, but
il any other man takes the trouble to
have thoughts of his own it is still the
orator who gives voice to them.
The great chief wishes to make
known his intention or desire to his
people, he instructs one or more of his
orators to speak for him. The popu-
lace have complaint to make, or a
wish to express, or compliment to
pay it is the hereditary orators of the
village or of the district who speak for
them and put plant, prayer or praise,
criticism or courtesy, into its proper
set phase. When chiefs and heads OF
families assemble together to discuss
the common veal on any project that
may be in hand, from marriage to a
war, it is still the orators, and the
orators alone, who do the talking. II
is beneath the dignity of chief
to use his tongue either to
advise or pursuade or command. For
common man to speak would be an
impertinence, whatever weight his age
or experience or his personal character
might attach to his opinion. His wis
dom, If he have any, is not on that ac-
count lost to his neighbors. What the
orator has to say is not his mere indi-
vidual opinion. He is vertically a
''mouth-piece. His speech is all ar
ranged beforehand in private and less
formal combinations, where every
man who has any thing to say uses his
tongue as he lists.
The custom probably leads to the
saving of much time and is merciful
towards the ears and senses of those
assembled to listen. A fono, or council
is got through in much less than hall
the time that would otherwise be con.
sumed. This is one of the institutions
peculiar to himself which makes the
Samoan claim that all other Polynes-
ians are but degenerate children of the
deified forefathers of the race In New
Zealand, at tangi, it is the chiefs who
do the talking, and of these generally
only the older ones. Marked is the
difference between the rant and stormy
vehemence of Maori orator wher
something that touches nearly the in
terests of his tribe is under discussion
and the staid, orderly deliberate utter
ance of the professional talking-man Of
Samoa.
In Hawaii, in old days, before a
spurious civilization had replaced the
native manners, it was much the same
as in Maoridom. When. the great
chiefs or local kings condescended sc
far as to take counsel with those who
might not with impunity walk upon
their shadows, the method of conduct
ing this counsel was almost identica
with that of the tangi. The Samoan
stands alone amid his far-scattered
race in retaining this custom o.
hereditary talking men, which is sure
ly very ancient, and which might will
advantage be taken as IA pattern or d
least as a germinal hint in the re-
modelling of the talking customs o
some more modern scions of the Aryar
race.-San Francisco Chronicle.