Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-02
GEN. HARRIsoN.s TRIP.
Marvel 1t the Number and Variety of
Speeches He Mak~s.

Speeches He Makes.
DRESIDENT HARRISoNs WHEEL ABOUT
the circle which is now in progress has
given the people who live in states at Q dis
lance from the seat Of government an oppor-
'unity to see the man that they have all heard
and read about so much But. more than this.
It gives them . chance 10 listen TO what 10
probably the most difficult kind OF impromptu
speech making. Just stop and think about IL .
moment
The magnificent train Of Pullman cars
which bears the President stops at some town.
Before il has reached its destination il has
paused long enough to be boarded by a recep-
,ion committee. This committee takes the
nonored guest in charge and each member
thinks II incumbent upon him to talk to the
resident and 10 point out TO him every point
OF local interest that may be near. He has not
information until the the depot Of the town is
reached.
MASS OF SHOUTING HUMANITY.
This depot is Q mass Of shouting humanity.
A local brass band is believing forth the time
honored melody, Hail to the Chief" What
may be wanting in melody is made up in noise
steam whistles are screeching and cannons are
booming. Through this din and tumult the Pres
ioent 10 led captive to Q carriage. still Eccom-
panied by the garrulous committee. He 10
driven in triumph through the streets to .
grand stand which has been erected for the
occasion. There the mayor or governor, as
,ne case may be sometimes both Of them), de-
MYERS carefully prepared address OF welcome.
Then II is the Presidents turn. He has not
mad second in which to prepare his speech;
ne has had no time to study the local peculiari-
tes OF the place, yet the audience expects great
things OF him. for the local pride of small places
IL always colossal.
THE COUNTRY SITS IN JUDGMENT.
Not only must the local expectations be satis-
ned, but the whole United States sits in judg-
ment on the speech. The reporters are there
and the Presidents words are autographed to
every newspaper OF consequence and read by
nearly everybody, often on the very day on
which they were uttered, or at any rate the ne 1t
morning. Now, all this is hard enough to do,
but 1t Is not all that travelling President must
do in the way of speech making; for, in addition
10 the more important speeches made from q
grand stand, he must make two. three-yes
oiten half dozen-speeches from the platform
OF MS car-speeches that must be shouted be-
tween the puffs Of the locomotive az it were.
NO MAN OUTSIDE AMERICA COULD DO 1T.
Is there any man outside Of America who
could do this? The ordinary English states
man under similar circumstances would go
about repeating the same speech at every
Stopping place. A German statesman would
take so long to get started that the train yould
bring his sentence to an abrupt period before
the verb had been reached, for while Mr.
Evarts sentences are long they are not q cir
cumstance to the average German sentences
The writer once heard Mr.. Evarts make plat
form speech in Dakota, but the glory of his YER
blage had to be shorn and his sentences like
Simpsons locks. produced a weakening effect
when they werecut short A Frenchman speaking
under the conditions which attend a travelling
President would probably lose his temper be-
cause of the noise that is always going on and
would be sure 10 get into hot water before he
had been on the road a week. There can be
no doubt, therefore. that the "Pullman plat
form oratory" Is distinctively American and
can only be successfully accomplished by
americans me
that n.ar,v 60 p va n,"m foM .h ole
with in the course of his term Of of,;ce for II
has long since been a custom for the chief
magistrate to go about the country and let the
people become familiar with his personality.
PRESIDENT H.RR1soS's nrr.pK.pIp sprrcurs
A, c. p-oa;,e-. u.-:-,- -. >.
AZ, nor Jaun' " +" re-
markable among presidential tours-remarka-
BILE not only because of its unusual breadth Of
scope. but also because all neonle ubetbar
they are followers of tie President in politics
or not. seem to arree in liking his speecbes
He takes his Mace in tba front ran[ 90 On,
"PulImon nI,tform orators ~ '1'
In many resnects Ren;am;n u,-r;so,,. .r;.
ia like that 81 LANES Tonroe n,ade nasripf
tbree-ouarters Of q centnry 60 49,
however wont in coocbas o,5 On bora.hal
and Inv boat ON the r;ysrs wh.raas p'',,;a,',;,.
U,rr;son trav.is IN botoI on ,rhaais 81 ...n
fiftv or s;rtv m;les o., bour 49, rnn, .ui,s
most extracr5;narr ara.;an IT, ,ae,.ia 80
cnnfron,aJ as -. h;S,nr;.,s Peopte we're
x,b an nn,ssnr,;,,s. 49,. ,,,., @',., US
anu hoiiois anu CdiI. iilS int 1lStiHClon Ol nlh