The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-31

Roscoe Conkiiug's sugxesiion- and Msshea
Take Care OF the yowels.


Roscoe Conkiiug's Suggestions and Mesheas
Take Care OF che vowels.
Roscoe Conkling gained fame a. an orator
when he was only % years Of age and he used
to advise lads and young men to give earnest
| attention to Presidential campaigns II they
desired to become influential and conspicuous
on account OF their abilities In public life He
believed that any young man OF fair ability.
good education, honorable and ambitious. could
become man OF influence. provided he would
cultivate tho art OF oratory necessarily and
wisely. He thought that It was no more DIM
cult to become pleasing speaker than to get
mastery over a musical instrument.
Conkling's power as orator was duo to
years OF patient toll In his youth and. in fact.
throughout his life. and he bestowed on evory
one Of the great orations which he delivered
much labor and great care. In his early days
he made 1t n habit to read at least an hour or
two every morning from one of the best writ
ers OF English prose. He read Milton that he
might gain a rythmcal and meodious flow Of
language He studied Macaulay. committing
many passages. and to that habit he at.
tributed whatever gift he afterward re.
vealed OF fascinating narration. An inci.
dent will illustrate this. When Mr.. Conk.
ling was serving his second term In Com
gross he was one OF the youngest mem.
bers OF the House. The war had Just
begun. At Balls Bluff. on the Potomac, the
Union soldiers had fallen into trap and the
slaughter had almost annihiated several reg
iments. Congress resolved to take official no.
tice Of the battle 30 that 1t might AZ RESPONSE
bility for tho defoat. Mr.. Conkling then only
33 years Of age. delivered speech In which
he described tho battles OF Balls Blur with
such brilliancy OF narration. with such power
OF vivid description. and withal with suoh
clearness OF statement, that 1t seemed to those
who heard the speech as though they could
see the battle progressing on that bloody held
and could almost witness the struggles Of the
soldiers who fol- down the bluffs t. meet death
rave Mr., Conkling national fame. and from
that day ne was spoken OF as one OF the great
4 friend, speaking to him Of this speech.
aS h MN now 1t was p possible for him. man
with such accuracy of detail and with such =
woTd pde tSs as he made Of It Mr.
variations, especially OF, Lord Give 8 contest
in India. The power which he had was 40
Macsuiay IN his youth had enabled him , When n
the opportunity came to gain such fame as
President Harrison. and other. distineushed
copious and rich diction. and his astonishing H
command of the English language. MI.
that he s re sstss saiS
poems. The Book 81 job some Of shakesPeare's
plays Miltons Comus. and had made IL q
facility he h had IN ths sn ns. u
sas Jest ssee R pSe with treas
stand before glass that he might observe SS tho
H Mss ds sa e., 5
art, and that the most successful orator must
n the n orator LII ns
s sanss he r. n az that must
this appearances necessitated as much drill %
se Ha tsneds &
to address an audience with such perfect re.
hs Rs o2aons %ess
All e 81 how
MI. Conkline believed that many orators. %.
Defisl{ failed because they
YET without apparent ,effort Before hs MADE sds
painful eor @ats ths words az.
stsnasass = xsieh &c nesssg e.
hiHmselff is Illustrated BY one Or two sneodctsa
q the % Snsn.ss
ieT years before his death thsss hs
s hyc~as abe 70 IN eres hs %
ssa!1s$ satI s$
t .ss IT, .$$s5s
GnA than nh %
rey upon dstnct 81
II II every word Il YOU take care Of The yoXeis
tts Of ESs
ocean, roll on IN all thy grandeur AID speak
YIN have r. doubt about what yon have said
sss =
address. ,et it be your own thou ght and moi
TSo
how how, pleasing speaker {ou may be- you are:
heard and It wiz not be-, be heard .h 9nIess you
be Individual. Don't initiate any one else and
that is a habit acquired only by discipline"
was delivered in the Republican Convention q
1880, when Gen Grant Gran q, was before that COP
Presidency. The remote gallery was so far
away from tho spsakers' stand that only indis:
be dlscernei 1t seemed impossible that the
human voice could convey Ineligible utter
Rpco that distance.
Mr. Conking. when no arose to speak, did
not mount the platform. but stood on a report
ers table, 1t WAS some moments after his
imposing figure was seen TINT the great Assem-.
blage became quiet enough for him to pro.
coed. He did not seem to be straining him,
self Apparently he was sneaking in oonysr.
face. no strainlng OF tho chest such as are
sometimes seen when orators arc striving y
make themselves heard. ConklinG spoke for,
about fifteen minutes
After the Convention had adjourned that
evening ,gentleman who sat In the remote
heard every word Of your speech as distinctly
as though had sat directly in front OF you.
VIII you tell me tho secret OF that extraor-
binary distinctness of utterance?"
Why. Sir. II was because | took good care
OF my yowels.' Senator ConklIng replied.
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