The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-17

win. His speeches were full of humorous
illustration. His wit was caustic and yet
delightful, and for some ten years no
stump speaker could draw larger throngs.
especially In the more rural districts, than
Senator Nye. His brilliant intellect was
ohscured. however, and he died utterly
unconscious of who he was, or what his
victories had been.
Henry Ward Beecher used to regard the
victories of Carl Schurz upon the stump as
in some respects the most marvellous
achievements of the platform No stump
command of the English nguage and this
Is all the more extraordinary when it is re-
membered that Mr.. Schurz could not speak
word of English until he was p years
of age. Many of the best judges agree
with Mr.. Beecher's opinion that Schurz is
the most polished, graceful, intellectually
impressive and seductive of all the stump
speakers Of this generation. His capacity.
while It served his party well, served Mr..
Schurz even better. President Lincoln in
recognizing it made him both minister to
Spain and major general of volunteers
The state of Missouri in acknowledgment
of it sent him to the Senate and President
Hayes called him to the cabinet for the
same reason. General Schurz seems to
have abandoned. however, the platform.
although several years ago he made
stump speech of extraordinary power and
brilliancy in Brooklyn and another in
Boston.
The undoubtsd sentiment of the party
with which Blaine and Conkling have
been identified is that since the DAYS of
the war the ablest stump speakers tina.
party has produced are these two men,
Mr.. Conkling has made three speeches
upon the stump which are historic. One
was in the Academy of Music in New
York at the opening of the national cam
Of 20
years of age. He spoke for nearly four
hours, and probably the speech Is to be
accepted as his finest achievement upon
the stump. Notwithstanding the great
length of the speech the vast and
brilliant audience seemed unaware OF the
lapse of time. The speech was after
wards printed in pamphlet form and circu-
lated by hundreds of thousands as a cam
paign document Afterwards Mr. Conk-
ling made another notable sueech in
Philadelphia, regarded by many as even
ADLER than the New York address. In the
fall of 1850 he made three speeches IN Ohio
under such extraordinary circumstances
that the events have become traditional.
General Garfield himself has expressed the
opinion that these addresses, together
with that one delivered by General Grant
at the same time, were the turning point
in his campaign for the presidency.
Mr.. Blaine as stump speaker has sug-
EeSteU DlUCl OF the career OF Henry CAV
He attracted. especially in the campaign
of 1854. hundreds of thousands of citizens
who seemed impelled by the same desire
which was so noticeable on the part of
those who came to hear Clay. The crowds
wanted 10 see Blaine. They wanted 10 get
near him. 1t was the peculiar personal
influence rather than the superb power of
oratory that influenced these throngs.
Blaine'S style of stump speaking is
entirely different from that which charae-
terized Conkiing. Blaine va. earnest. i'm
FASHIONED, enthusiastic. incisive; Conk-
ling was impressive, magnificent. bril-
lisntly rhetorical, sarcastic, and words
came from his lips in superb RHYTHM and
delicious melody. Conkling inspired re-
spect. admiration and intellectual ap-
prevail; Blaine commanded affection and
that quality which when displayed in 4
soldier would lead an army TO follow into
forlorn hope. The only comparison be-
tween the two men that can be made ia a
comparison Of differences, On. each will be
esteemed as, perhaps, in his own way,
the greatest OF the ante-bellum stump
speakers
Ii is rather curious fact TO note that.
notwithstanding the political influence
which capacity upon the stump gives 10
him who possesses il only three of the
presidents elected since the formation of
the government had any gift of this sort.
Lincoln, Garfield and General Harrison.
4. J. EDWARDS