The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-11-17
HARD WORK ON THE STUMP.
Open-Air Speaking Used to Weary Lin
coin More Than splitting Rails

vast deal of stump-speaking during the
last thirty years. and who will prob
ably do more of it this season, relates
several interesting experiences which
he had while in the service.
Travelling and addressing public
meetings" said he, lis about as hard,
wearing business as man can engage
in. Public speaking under the most
favorable circumstances is very exhaust
ing. / mean speaking, not reading. 1t
is one thing to go on platform and
simply read to the audience a lecture,
speech or essay that has been plainly
written out in full. That requires little
mental effort; it is a mere physical task,
and not a hard task, either, if a man
has fairly good voice and reasonable
supply of lung power 1t is quite an
other thing, however, for a man to
stand before an audience and speak ex-
temporaneously for an hour or more,
all the while thinking on his feet, as
we term it, and throwing his whole
soul into his subject 1t involves a
great mental strain while it lasts, and
when it is over with the reaction is cor
respondngly marked.
THE speaker sees before him hun
dreds, perhaps thousands, who are list
ening to every word, watching his
every gesture and measuring his ability,
and they may criticise him unmerciful-
ly. Should he break down or fail to
meet reasonable expectations he will
feel disgraced. Besides his anxiety to
satisfy his audience there is the addi-
tional strain of his intense interest in
the subject he is discussing. His MEM
DRY must be in active play, marshaling
facts and perhaps statistics, while his
command of language should be equal
to the task of clothing his ideas in APP
propriate words without stumbling or
hesitation. Meanwhile he watches his
audience, notes the varying expressions
on the faces of individuals and instinct
lively knows how those persons are be-
ing affected by what he says--thus
keeping up an undercurrent of thought
that is distinct from the argument he is
making
zone hour of earnest cxtemporaneous
speaking in a large room is long enough,
though it is quite common for public
speakers to exceed that limit. Of course
speakers ability to endure long speak
ing depends on his general physical
strength, but more on his lung-power
and the manner in which he uses his
voice. A large, powerful man is not
necessarily the one who can best endure
the fatigue of long speech. The
speaker with great powers of endur-
ance in that respect is just rs likely to
be a physical lightwe light. BY careful
training of his vocal organs and the
skillful control of his voice when ad-
dressing an audience he is able to speak
distinctly heard by thousands of people.
Il once heard Owen Lovejoy tho
noted abolition rator talk for two and
a half hours at an outdoor meeting of
probably five thousand hearers, and he
held the attention of every one to the
last word. Lovejoy was of powerful
physique, and he also knew how to use
his voice to the best possible advantage
and without exhaustion. heard Abra-
ham Lincoln address an open-air meet
ing for two hours. 1t was a grand
speech, and so long as he was on his
feet the orator manifested not the
slightest sign of WEAKNESS, but after
he sat down Old Abe declared he was
more wcaried than he would have been
after splitting rails half a day. once
talked two and half hours to hall
full of people, but the circumstances
were peculiar. Another speaker was
4 FL L
TO appear, the audience insisted on my
speaking twice as long as otherwise
would. 1t was terrible strain, but |
did not experience any really bad
effects from it, although there is rea-
son to expect that the audience did.
"No man in a red-hot campaign should
speak often than once day during
whole week. In one campaign per-
mitted the committee in n northern Hi
nois county to book me for two speeches
a day for six consecutive days. Be-
tween Monday noon and Saturday
night visited twelve towns and made
twelve speeches, speaking every after
noon and evening, and win ding up
with the largest meeting and the long
est speech of the series Having noted
the length of each speech ] figured up
the time at the close of the week, and
found that during those six days ! had
spoken to public audiences in all just
eighteen and one-half hours, or an
average of more than three hours a day.
After good nights rest arose Sunday
morning refreshed, feeling quite well
and not at all hoarse But no speaker
should ever tax his powers to such an
extent as that. Chicago News Record
FIRST UNBEND YOURSELF.