The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-13

chance to throw in query, speaking II.
congress is a mucs more dangerous and
difficult task than speaking in court or on
the stump. In the house men naturally
become timid, and this explains why so
| many representatives who come here with
regulations as. orators fail to make any
mark in congress. They are afraid to
launch out
Another young man who is thought to
be coming orator is the baby of the house,
Mr.. Bailey, of Texas. He is also born
orator They tell me that he discovered
years ago, while in college, that he pos
sesseG this noble gift, and he determined,
like wise man, to make the most of it.
So he set out upon deliberate campaign
of cultivation of his oratorical ability. He
read all the great orations of the world
He studied style. He crammed himself
full of the classics and committed to mem
DRY hundred pat illustrations drawn from
the ancient or from modern wits. He made
speeches at all opportunities-at county
fairs, at weddings, at political meetings,
celebrations, and even initiated Cicero by
going out on the broad prairies of Texas to
make speeches to himself for the cultiva-
ton of his voice. At twenty-six he talked
his way into congress, and though he has
made but one speech in the house great
things are expected of him.
A story about Bailey's propensity to
make speeches, and showing how he learn
ed to take himself in hand and avoid soar
ing too high-the common fault of south
ern orators-was told me the other day.
Six or eight years ago Bailey, even then
ambitious, was at state convention IN
Texas. He did not get the chance to make
a speech in the hail. which he had craved,
and so he stood on the staircase of the
hotel, where the crowd was thick, and be-
gan to talk At first his discourse was in
conversational style, but as the crowd in
creased and cheered he let himself out.
For half an hour he scared in the blue en-
pyrean of eloquence, and had all his listen
ers standing with open mouths. Finally
he reached climax.
''My friends" he exclaimed, "eloquence
is the flower Of human effort. If the great
Henry Clay, or the majestic Daniel Web
ster, was alive to-day, or could reappear
here in the flesh, they could stand on any
street corner in this city, and with their
flutelike eloquence hold the passers by
spellbound, and sway their Judgment,
their passions and their reason as a pass
ing breeze sways the tops of the growing
corn"
At this burst the crowd cheered again,
and the young orator was about to resume
when tall, awkward Texan sang out:
''That may be all right, but if had two
beer saloons on opposite corners from where
Clay and Webster were holding forth /
could tap fresh key, and by making it
free draw the crowds out of the street so
quick that Clay and Webster wouldn't
know what they were there for"
This sudden descent from the sublime
to the ridiculous broke up the young ora
tor, who felt very much hurt, and for
a long time regarded the tall Texan who
had interrupted him as his mortal en-
envy. But now they are good friends, and
Bailey says he has lived to thank the inter-
rupter for teaching him how to draw the
line. "When am tempted to SOAR" he
says, 81 think Of the manner in which
was drawn down to earth by the two beer
saloons and the fresh keg, and pull up"
Most of cur southern public orators are
ford. Senator Daniel, of Virginia, bril-
liant public speaker, is poem. He floats
with the clouds. Perhaps better oppor-
tunity to contrast southern with northern !
was never utu UUdu dU tDe Q6QlCd-
ton of the Washington monument. Daniel |
the south, eX-Speaker Win |
throp the north. One was full of flowers,
the other of thought. Even in the senate |
the gifted Virginian finds it difficult to |
keep near earth, and scars in the discus |
sion of tariff bills, appropriations and post
offices. Yet his soaring is a source of con-
tinual delight to his colleagues.
Senator Carlisle is a great speaker, |
though not an orator. He wins his way |
with pure intellectual force. Mr.. Mills is |
not an orator, either, but he always COM |
mands attention because he goes at his |
subject with the grim determination of a |
fighter, with earnestness and sincerity in |
every word he utters. A natural orator
q man who cannot say anything in a COM
nonplace way-is Fellows, of New York. |
The most remarkable though not the
greatest orator in the house is Breckin- |
ridge of kentucky-''the silver tongued.'
He uses no gestures and always speaks IN |
-he same tone of voice, but when he opens |
MS mouth there rolls forth in a steady, |
pure stream a current of sweet tones and |
choice words, SO smooth that it scarcely |
rpples. When Breckenridge gets up to
speak his colleagues have way of saying
ahe to another, 'Lister--the lute'
ROBERT GRAVES.