Mohave County miner., 1891-02-28
pEpEw ON oRAToRY.
Change from the spreAd.Rasie styis u
Pii.in Talk.


II Is my experience that the metro
politan audience wants TO be talked to,
wants to be partly amused, wants to
know what you know that comes 10
your mind on the spur OF the moment,
rather than to have you make studied
effort TO force recognition OF some
thing you want 10 say, says Chauncey
Depew. The ola-time lecture is no
longer adequate TO draw an audience In
New York. Even Beecher, greatest OF
lecturers and pulpit orators, could not
fill hall in New York In his latter
years. The people had passed on to
other things.
There Is a vast difference in the pub
lie view and appreciation OF oratory,
from what 1t was when first made my
first maiden effort at speaking. had
studied with much deep thought and
considerable comprehension the essen
tial elements OF the spread eagle oratory
that was common to that period. i had
secured some exclusive rights 10 the
great American eagle, had grasped him
by the tail feathers, held a firm grip on
his anatomy and had discovered his
weakest points, so that every time /
squeezed him properly he would emit a
mighty screech. When went on the
platform TO speak carried the Ameri:
can eagle with me and proceeded to
make him raise his piercing voice until
the heavens echoed the sound. The
audiences OF that day expected you 10
bring the stars down from the skies,
the wild winds from the four points OF
the compass, the very bowels from the
depths OF the earth and strew every
thing In whirlwind about your feet on
the rostrum, The orator OF the day
was considered crude and awkward who
could not punctuate every sentence with
a sky scraping, distant pointing or earth
searching gesture. Indeed, the more
gestures one could make 10 each sen-
tence the higher his popular standing
as On orator. Well, as say, captured
the American eagle in those days and
was successful in keeping tan hold or
him, which made me reputation as ar
| orator,
II was when this style OF oratory wal
at the height Of It's popularity that
first heard Wendell Phillips who alon,
at that period disdained the arts BY
which the orators OF the day were won
to seek to influence the minds Of theil
hearers. 1t was q revelation 10 mt
and a wonder. Phillips made 30 res
lures Of any kind. He would stan(
before his audiences absolutely impas
sive. He never raised his srnss Or hi
hands. He sPelft only in Saxon word
and his voice never SCARED mountain
high nor descended 10 low planes. HI
simply talked TO the brains Of the pe0
pie in front OF him. Il was marvellous
what he could do with an audience.
was the triumph Of intellect. The effec
Of Mr.. Phillips oratory on me wa
to. make doubt II spread eagie orator,
was, after all, the great thing it wa
cracked up TO be. Later i heard Henr,
Winter Davis, who next to Wendell
Phillips, was a representative type o
the intellectual domination OF an orato
over his audience. These two mel
stood alone in their day at perio'
later than when first heard Phillips
They are pattern of what men Of to-da:
who are gifted with oratorical power
would like to accomplish. You see tn
people get tired of the coruscating
gyrating, scintillatinQ orstory after
time, but never OF the plain, direct
homely. sensible talk" between ma
| and man.