The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-25
Bourke Cochran.


Thursday tho Hon. BouRKE COCHRAN arose
to address tho Chicago Convention.
The representatives Of tho Democracy
had been in session throughout the night.
They had been under ceaseless strain OF
contest for many hours and tho ordeal had
been the more cxhausting because of
an unrcstrained and bowling mob In
the galleries OF the vast barn in
which tho Convention met. Delibcr-
alton had been impossible in that
riotous assembly. Tho great heat OF the
night had been made sitting by the ab-
sence OF any means Of proper ventilation
in the huge structure. packed with nearly
twenty thousand excited people.
i, was time when the strongest physi-
cal endurance might well have snapped.
and when man would not have been
llamable IL no had sunk into moral and
intellectual apathy. from which by no
force OF will could he arouse himself in
that poisonous air. Delegates and audi
ence were worn out and burned out by tho
shouting and fevcrsh excitement which had
prevailed for twelve hours. They were i'm
patient to be over with their agony Of sus-
pcrse. They were crazy for q ballot. They
wanted no more talk. and least Of all from
any one Of those who steadily resisted the
purpose of the majority. The candidates
had all been proposed. and the crowd
wanted tho nomination Of CLEVELAND ut
once and finally.
Under circumstances so depressing and
so hostile. BoURKE COCHRAN began the
greatest speech which has ever been made
in Democrat. Convention. He spoke to
ears unwilling to listen to him and to
men who had already decided the case
against him; but so wonderful Is tho power
Of the divine gift OF eloquence, and so ire
sistible is it when charged with earnest
and sincere conviction, that the orator
stilled even that frenzied and hostile multi
tude. He compelled them to listen to him,
and by his glorious art he made tho listening
n delight. hateful as many Of his words
were to them. They were waiting to
nominate q candidate for President,
but they had before them an orator.
They might hate his cause. but they
could not resist the spell OF the genius
which is so beautiful and SO enthralling for
ali mon fortunate enough to hear such q
speech.
OF all the gifts bestowed on mankind the
choicest Is this gift OF eloQuence. 1t must
DO a gift. for it Is never acquir-
able. by his own power q man can no
more make Of himself an orator like
BoURKE COCHRAN than he can mould his
form into the shape Of an APOLLO. The
only Author OF the orator Is the Almighty.
by His election and fashoning he is
brought forth and commissioned. No
occasion could have tested more severely
the possession OF this divine gift than that
at Chicago on Thursday morning; and
BoURKE COCHRAN bore tho test as II it were
gracious stimulant for his powers fur
nished by an audience eager to render him
assistance in their exercise.
What he said was true, but it was not the
sort OF truth that tho crowd wanted to hear.
Yet they could only listen. and listening ap-
plaud the genius OF the orator. They we're
fascinated by his beautiful art. Nor was it q
wild and impassonod speech deceiving tho
intellect while it stirred tho emotions. 1t
was logical argument consecutive, order
ly. appealing to the judgment and the con-
victions and rooted In strong and everlast-
ing principles; the specific principles which
distinguish the Democracy. and the general
principles which are essential to all per-
manent political organization and pros
perity. 1t was strong meat and not milk
for babes. 1t was argument forged by the
intellect. and not sentimental syllabub
whipped up by moro emotion.
The great and inestlmable value of this
splendid speech was that with the vision
and the force OF genius it dlscerned and de-
scribed the destructive influences Of Mug
wumpery and warned the Democracy
against them. 1t showed the Democracy
that II they would 10 an aggressive
party. virilo. enduring. and worthy
OF popular respect. they must stamp
out those emasculating tendencies, the
symptoms and consequences OF exhaustion
and decay In manly vigor. Mugwumpery
is meretricicus morally and politically.
and BoURKE CocKRAN's warning to the
Democracy to avoid the tawdry crea-
ture will yet be remembered In sor-
row by the Democracy. II 1t Is not
needed. His speech ought to bs read by
l.,y.. d., 4