The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-17
GREAT STUMP SPEAKERS.
i1PREssIvF, INTELLECTUAL, WITTY.
AND HUMOROUS.
Tho Giants OF . Former Generstion-Men
Who Have B-en Forgotten = Popular
Idols OF the Days before the war-Ora-
tory of n Very IIirh Order of Morls-

tory Of Very High Order OF MORT.
Nothing can take the place OF the spoken
word. the personal impression. tho personal
argument" was an opinion expressed by
Chauncey NJ. Dcpow while discussing the in
fuence OF tho press In representing and
moulding public opinion. No man ever spoke
moro approximately Of the mighty influence OF
the press of to-day. and OF its tremendous
force in modern civilization than Mr. Depew
did in his address 1t was his boieL how
ever. that the press could not sup
plant tho platform. tho pulpit and tho
stump. and that these influences, must
continue doing their work. each to n certain
extcnt experimenting the other Mr.. Depew
has the conviction that tho stump will never
be suppantcd as factor In American politics.
and he believes that to 1t is duo In grent
measure tho healthy agitation. tho political
virlity. and the sturdy common sense in ro-
gard to political affairs which characterize
the American people.
WEBSTER AND CLAY.
The greatest Of the stump orators have
lived and been conspicuous within Mr..
Depew's recollection and that OF most OF
tho men with whom he has been politically
associated. comparatively small number
Of men who are Mr.. Depews political COM
panions to-day were born too late to hear
the giant stump orators Of tho earlier genera
ton. Webster and Clay were. perhaps. tho
greatest OF the stump speakers Of the genera
ton that ended its career during President
Fillmore's Administration. The triumphs Of
Webster on the stump have never boon sx-
ceoded. although they have been approached
closely by others who followed him in political
life. When he was to speak no hall was big
enough to contain those who desired to hear
him. Hehad only to open his window and step
Co n thn ho1N ~ 10 al L., Dali 81
more or Washington to find n vast throng.
stretching out as far rs the eye could reach.
waiting patiently to llston to the man who was
called the godlike Daniel
Clay was. perhaps. moro popular orator
than Webster. He was loved. while Webster
was feared. In some OF Clay's political cir
cults. extending frequently through dozen
States. enormous throngs gathered. impelled
not SO much by the desire to DO impressed
with Clays argument as with the feeling
which led so many OF them to seek to touch
his hand and to receive the kindly glance OF
his eye. No political orator OF his generation.
perhaps none since. has swayed great masses
with charming personality and with affection
as Clay did during his political tours.
THE FREE SOIL CAMPAIGN.
With tho advent OF the FREQ Soil party in
1918 a new race Of political orators was de-
veloped many OF whom maintained splendid
prestige until the close OF the civil war. and
then another generation took their places
In New York State" said Gen. Thomas I.
James, "the finest stump speaker that the
young Free Sellers listened to was Prince
John Van Buren,. Unlike his father. Martin
Van Buren,. Prince John was OF splendid phys
ical proportions. Like Conking. he was q
man whom 1t did the eye good to look upon
when he appeared in public: but unlike
H. AA.,I-
popularity. which is illustrated nowadays By
The sobriapet Of Prince. nrst applied to him BY
fnonn Hs fp not os s f s to Ss
called Prince John. He had achieved u fine
reputation as a lawyer before he took very
sessed Of that ambition which mastered his
father he might have gained as many sue
eyer. was a hail elbow we'll; met yet always
dignided fond o. the good things Of life. pos
sense o, humoT and renusnance Tor some ee Of
the responsibilities and trials Of office holding.
The, young men OF the present generation can
how great his fame was. The older generation
alone remembers him., and 1t does seem
dna s' whG
should now owl be sa almost torgottrn." ,o,, r,
Country: In Utica in is4s when David e Dud'
u
had brought about the nomination of Martin
Van Buren, for President on the Free Soil plat
National Convention at Buiraiol. Prince John
was asked to speak ut mass meeting in sup
% tho nsT i've TRe ca1Jasts dss
own father. who had served rs President. Ten
thousand persons were gathered to hear him.
men Of, physical manhood. wit bout revealing
his embarrassment, but seeming, o be at per
n W
for most men would have been undignifled. but
which In Prince Johns case gave n? ~, offence
found argame1t, It was published widely.
,olidation Of various elements which cree re-
ated the Free Soil party in Buffalo, thereby
6ptnS the part and
was 50 Great tSst spEeals were made made t 70 him
euil Hall. Boston. on the closing night Of the
G nsh 81 tos ss the s The Snesa
Prince John than to that OF ebster. -
was Dsnle s. dickinson. i He was What Would
be called magnetic man on the stump. His
raj. but popular. Hs was an enemy Of Van Ba-
ssa * SeRsssa Ssnsa ssss
repute that wherever he was announced to
speak the day OF his appearance wac Holiday.
He established himself with his party 80 firmly
that he was a leading candidate for the Vice;
Presidential nomination at least twice. and
him rs an. available candidate for tho Presi-
doncy: William n. Evarts gained his first re-
pute rs q powerful speaker on tho stump carly
In the ffties and Roscoe Conkling, then a lad
barely past his majority. appeared on the
stump for tho first time during the Wing cam
pa,igp In the early Mites; and made speech
which reveals much OF that characteristic rhet-
oric and diction which afterward made him
fa:oous among the orators OF the land.
CoRwIN. DOUGLAS CoNKLING.
Another speaker who gained great fame dur
Ing these exciting times was Caleb Is. smith.
He was esteemed one Of tho greatest stump
speakers Of the West, The tributes that the,
exceeded: and yet. although NJ, smith be-
ward he seems to have been forgotten. The
two great stump speakers Of the West then.
and for many years afterward. were Tom Cor
win Of Ohio and Stephen A. Douglas OF Hi
nois- They owed much of the political sue
cesses which they gained to their marvellous
power on the stump. while the respective par
ties y, which they, represented on the STUMP
achieved largely through their efforts. Yet
they were unlike on the stump. Douglas WAS
u very short man. although of stout build