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

Berkshire, In the Old Colony and along Cape
Cod, along the granite-bound coast Of Essex,
through historic Middlesex. and nearly every
village-defeating the ''chief executive magts.
rate" winning for himself the guberl
aatorial chair leading back the Re-
publican hosts to power, and making
himself almost the best known man In
Massachusetts,, excepting perhaps Gen. But
Ter. To say that he stands well In the affec'
tions of his party Is not sufficient; he holds
high place In the esteem Of all, irrespective OF
politics His chief characteristic rs a speaker
Is power. He is a forcible speaker, with
copious flow of "Engish undefiled." He is
full of apt illusions inclining to bitter sar-
casms, which he uses with great effect. His
speeches are always punctuated profusely
with applause and laughter" and the printed
report viii give the reader the impression
that he Is humorous, but he is not. Governor
Robinson always smiles while speaking and
his kind heart no doubt makes him desire to
be pleasant, but he is likely to cut deep ana
draw the blood when he turns joke on OPP
ponents Unlike his fellow townsman,
George M. Stearns of Chicopee, his joke is
apt to leave ranking wounds in the hearts
and minds of the people 1t strikes.
-.
Hon. George M. Stearns is the party wit.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that
he is the wittiest man in New England.
Stearns can make an audience laugh oftener
and heartier than any one man in million.
As funny speaker he is far funnier than
Mark Twain His funny things have none
of the harlequin about them. On the con-
trary, every sentence is a clear cut diamond,
brilliant enough in itself to illuminate the
whole address of an inferior speaker. Stearns
cannot be anything but sensible in what he
says. It is Just as impossible for him to be
stupid as to be serious He is also very in
dependent and talks right out for himself.
True Democrat though he is, loyal and low
ing the party with all a patriots devotion, he
could not suppress the humorous in his ma
ture even when addessing the reunion of the
few, very few Democrats in that hide-bound
Republican stronghold, Vermont. He seri-
ously invited the Democracy of the Green
Mountain state to hold it's next reunion in his
backyard, as there would be room enough,
and plenty to spare" OF a certain candidate
he said, ''He blows the bugle of his own vir-
tues and calls it the rams horn of Holy
Writ
He inclines much to scriptural illustrations,
doubtless because in his early training, Stearns,
like that other eminent lawyer and orator,
Col. Robert G.. Ingersoll, is the son Of q
clergyman, though in his case the saying about
minister's sons has not held good, for he is
Universalist in religion, as well as univer-
salist in wit.
Senator George Frisbie Hoar is, unques-
the most polished politician in
Massachusetts,. As public speaker he is al
ways instructive and interesting, but cannot
be classed among popular orators. 1t is
quite likely that his name alone would attract
a large audience who would listen to all he
had to say, for audiences in the Bay State
like to be instructed, as well as amused But
he is not popular orator; he never YVES,
and. probably, never could be- He has .