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

The first National Convention OF Teachers
OF Elocution met In this city last week. and
tho large attendance showed how great Is
the present Interest In the art represented.
We are often told that In these later days
oratory as q fine art has passed out OF date.
1t Is not exhibited In the court room, as
1t was formerly. unless In remote rural re-
gions. the contemporary forensic speaker
avoiding tho flights Of eloquence In which
advocates OF an earlier period INDUCED.
lest he exotic ridioulc instead OF stirring
the hearts OF his hearers. He has become
more restrained. moro sevoro In his taste.
and more careful to concoal his art. Ar
Ruments are generally made In CONVEX
sational tone and in buslnesslike way. In
pulpit and platform aud stump speaking
also the eagle Is not made to soar so high
rs formerly.
Yet all the Same. there is as much study
ing OF oratorical cffeot as ever. Tho only
difference Is that the effects arc made moro
simply, simplicity In all things being de-
manded by tho taste OF this timo. Apparent
naturalness and tho eschewing OF every
thing savoring OF mere arti0ciality. eItrav-
axance. and pretence are the present re-
OF art is the highest art. The picture Is
more truly representative Of nature. and
hence never was eminence as an orator SO
difficult OF attainment as now. 1t must
satisfy more severely critical standard.
Whether the professional teachers Of elo-
cution In schools and colleges are coutrib-
uting much valuable aid to the acquire
ment OF the beautiful art is very doubt
full. Generally they simply distort nature
by q purely arbitrary. mechanical. and
unartistic method. None Of the great
orators OF tho present or the past,
so far rs We know. has owed any
thing to their tuition. They have been SELF
taught. or rather natural gift in Thorn has
had o natural development. BoURKE
COCHRAN Is not . pupil Of professor Of
elocutlen. Col. INaERsoLI never went
through that mechanical training. we i'm
aglne. DIR. DHPRw did not acquire his pro-
hciency as an after-dinner speaker at such
school. During this present campaign
multitudes In every State will be captured
and enraptured by eloquence which had no
cultivation according to the cut-and-dried
methods OF teacher Of elocution. It will
come forth spontaneously: for the number
OF natural orators is great in this country.
and they need only the inspiration Of strong
conviction to reveal themselves. When
thus they succeed in forgetting themselves.
and without self-consciousness can exercise
freely and fully the gift with which they
are endowed. they show for what they
are made. Every campaign for President
brings out some such true orator. We
knew here In New York that BoURKE
COCHRAN had the glorious endowment. but
he needed to display it at Chicago 80 splen-
didly to make his oratorical fame CO.
extensive with the Union.
The teachers OF olocution. however. have
an important function to perform. though
the orators OF nature may owe nothing to
them. 1t Is to teach the great mass Of
children to use their voices fifty aud effect
lively. The art Of speech Is an art which
needs to be cultivated, 80 that the organs
OF speech may be used as an instru-
ment to produce clear. melodious. distinct.
and well-modulated sounds. not in singing
merely, but in ordinary conversation. No
instruction Is more necessary than that for
the enjoyment OF life. Mono Is more useful.
A delightful manner OF speech is an acQuisi-
ton OF peculiar and practical value.
Here in this country feminine beauty is at
higher standard and more frequent than
anywhere else In the world: but alasl its
effect Is too often marred by discordant
feminine speech. Voices are unframed.
They are like musical instruments out Of
tune and without the capacity Of producing
melodious sounds.
This is the field for the teachers Of elocu-
ton to cultivate. This Is the function to
which their National Convention should
direct their efforts. It Is not to make
orators. 1t is to teach children how to use
their voices In clear. distinct. sweet, and
melodious speech.