The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-09-02
FIRST STEPS N PUBLIC SPEAKING.

Numerically opposite conditions:
/ L That the ability to speak is an en-
dowment, gift of nature, and therefore
not to be acquired, hence the property Of
the select few aud no others.
q That this ability comes By absorb
ii on, may be picked up by any body, anc
anywhere, in the streets, in the court
room, on the stump-anywhere where
men speak or spout"
These beliefs are quite common and
alike, fundamental and fatal. The first
cuts off all effort; the second all persistent,
systematic effort The first being kind of
| oratoric predestinarianism, ssleaves the
man where nature puts him-'what IS to
be will be, if it never comes to pass, and so
nothing comes and nothing passes. The
second leads to crude. unscientific efforts,
and consequently and inevetibly save in the
gifted few, to uncertain irregular results,
sometimes sad and ridiculous failures.
On the other hand, the true doctrine,
consequently true belief, is that public
speaking, like all other human efforts, is
| to be learned. This in no sense means that
endowment, i. e, native ability, has moth
ing to do in this learning, training, devel-
opment. BY no means. Native ability
! counts everywhere, whether man builds
barn or cathedral; whether he writes a
lampoon or an epic So here the meaning
is that no one is born with SO much ability
as to be exempt from labor; and one with
so little (if not imbecile) that labor will
not advance him. 1t means, further, that
this labor is TO be in accord with definite
principles called the laws of speech, or or
atory, resting back, in the last analysis,
upon the laws of mind. Hence, from this
comes, as a consequence, both a science
and an art of public speaking. Here we
reach solid ground, for by the very mean
! ing of the terms, science and
art, we are warranted in saying
the one can be learned, and tine other ap-
piled. This, we trust goes on statement;
but, il any one doubts, let him remember
that science is classified knowledge, hence,
learned by somebody before classified; and
that art is applied science, and hence not
art unless susceptible OF application.
Hence we think fairly aud incontroverti-
bly,, we reach the position that pubic
speaking is learnable, /. e., capable OF
being learned. If capable, therefore, of
being learned, it would seem to follow
without argument that it should be
studied by him who would reach eminence
in one of the most dlmcuIt, delicate, ana
honorable of all arts
That tits difficult and delicate needs no
argument to him who has tried, and that
tits honorable only needs glance at
history to prove History says in all ages,
the orator has stood king among men. A
nation has often divided its honors be-
tween its orator and its sovereign. Who
Philip, his kingly rivali Cicero
above Pompey? and who would
think of belittling Clay or Webster
by comparing him with President Pierce,
Polk or ''Jeemes" Buchanan? SO, the
president the monarch, must decrease,
and the orator increase
AS the years, the centuries roll on, the
orator will grow greater, even as the
mountain shadows lengthen with the reced-
ing sun. So history avouches that the
orator has stood king among men, and so
history and observation alike avouch that
he is not born, but made, i. e., not super
naturally endowed, but developed as other
men in other fields of usefulness and
eminence The proof of this last state
ment could be furnished by abundant ex-
amples if needed We cite briefly two or
three. Most know the story of Demos
thenes-his remarkable defects, his hercu-
lean labors, and his triumphant success.
His defects as stated by certain authors
were. door health "weak lungs" SIAM
mering voice" and Struggling should
ers" These were to be over
come. as they say, "by shifting
himself up in a cave declaiming with
pebbles in his mouth" and "while
running up hill by the seashOre, and with
a sword suspended over his shoulder TO
prevent an ungainly Struggling of same. "
"He studied oratory under Isarus, and
philosophy under Plato" His Iabors
were herculean, almost unparalleled, and
his success equal"
A celebrated barister of England was
when young, called ''Stutterin- Jack
Curran" Added TO this, his figure was
short and his gait uncomely, his voice bad,
his gesture constrained and meaningless,
but ''all these faults he overcame by severe
and patient labor"
After the eloquent Sheridan had made
his first speech IN parliament, he returned
to ask the opinion OF his friend Woodfall,
who is reported to have said: Sheridan,
7 don't think this is your line, you had
better have stuck to your former pursuit.
Sheridan standing speechless and almost
breathless for moment, exclaimed with
vehemence-"Its in me and it shall come
out" And it did come out and III such
a way as TO place him among the first
orators of his day. OF his celebrated
speech in the trial of Warren Hastings,
said Pitt: AN ADLER speech was perhaps
never delivered" This result was not
ACCOMPLISHED by endowment, but by work,
SO says history. After WoOdfalfs discourage
ing answer, He devoted himself with the
utmost assiduity, quickened by sense or
shame, to the cultivation of his powers as
a sneaker" Even the great Pitt, though
highly gifted by nature thought it well TO
supplement these gifts by labor. Among
his labors as a student, were the following:
"A severe course in rhetorical training,
which in after years, he said, had formed
a large part of his early discipline. u He
went twice through Bailsy's dictionary,
examining each word attentlVely,
dwelling upon it's peculiar import
and meaning, thus bringing the whole
range of our language completely under
his controln "a large and rich
vocabulary IS an indispensable acquisition
in public spesking).
AT the same time that he was engaged
in this work be began those exercises in
elocutiou by which he Is known 20 have
obtained his extraordinary powers II de-
lively"
These and kindred examples, we think.
clearly prove two distinct propositions.
namely:
First-Tbat great endowments are never
so great as to give success in public speak
ing without labor.
Second-That smaller endowments are
never so small as to defeat success under
earnest and properly directed labor.
This article having brought US up 70 the
fact that efficiency in public speaking g an
acquiraole power. we may IN a subsequent
article try TO point out soma Of the means
BY which this power may be acquired and
used GEORGE W. HCsS
School of Oratory, Wichita, Kan.
THE COU RTS.