The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-12

tied was due TO his humor having created
the impression in the minds of his coun-
trymen that he was not serious person"
What did the career of Lincoln dis
closer"
Lincoln reversed completely the tradi-
tons and teachings of his fathers, but the
steady borer who measures ability by the
diameter of the bit and the slowness of
revolution, by the size of the cavity Gre
ated oy the mental organ, asserts that
while the broadcast humor brought Lin
coin. the president, into the closest touch
and sympathy with his fellow citizens as
one of themselves. if his remarkable facul-
ties in this direction had been thoroughly
understood before he was nominated tor
president, he would never have been
thought of in that connection"
What of the humorists of the present
day."
"The most brilliant wit of our time is
William NJ. Evarts. His position as the
leader of the American bar has saved him
from the dangerous effects which tradition
and prejudice attach to wit and humoT.
With him il is regarded as happy attach
ment to his eminent ability and rare ac-
quirements. With the thoroughly edu-
Gated audience of today. trained by the
newspapers TO know as much as the
speaker, no orator can successfully hold 1t
and leave pleasant and lasting impress
sion unless he possesses and uses
the faculty of humor. A witty
illustration or an apt story Will
accomplish more than columns of ar.
gument. The old-time audience demanded
a speech of not less than two hours dura-
ton and expected three. The audience of
today grows FESTIVE after the first hour.
and Is better pleased with forty-fve min
utes. 1t prefers epigrams TO arguments
and humor to rhetoric. 1t is still true,
however, that the press presents to read
ers speaker who INDUCES in humor so
much only of this part of his effort tina. he
is IN serious danger of receiving no credit
for ability in the discussion of great ques-
tions. no matter how conspicuous that
ability may be. The question IS always
presented to frequent speaker, whether
he shall gain the applause of his audience
and lose the hattering opinions of his crit
les in the press, or shall bore his audience
and be complimented for wisdom"
(which do you consider the best course
to pursue?"
Fortunately we are passing the period
when platitudes and stupidity pass for sig
nal ability. The best rule is for q man to
be perfectly natural and succeed or fail by
what he is"
do not different nations have different
notions of humor?"
Americans are crazy about wit and hu-
NOR. The speaker who gives free rein to
his fun often finds that elaborate effort in
other respects has done him no good be-
yOnd the walls where he spoke, because
the reporter took down and printed only
his wit, humoT and stories. Campaign
committees find that heavy speakers will
not be taken by city or village the
second time, but the whole state
will demand a humorous speaker over
and over again. 1t goes without saying
that the man who has only humor has no
place upon the platform when serious
questions are before the audience. But no
matter how serious an audience is. how
wrought up and intense, flash of wit in
the midst of the closest logic is hailed al
ways with wild delight. An American
who has spoken before English audiences
has been amazed to find the light
touch and suggestive humor which are so
peculiarly American-the process by which
the speaker presses the button and the
audience does the rest-wholly unappre-
ciated and cannot be understood by our
transatlantic cousins.
"They have a humor Of their own, as
the readers of Punch and Dickens know !;
but American humor when attempted by
an American speaker before British audi
ence has generally brought the speaker to
grief for that night, though his mots nave
given him quite reputation some months
afterward. In this way 1T sometimes hap
pens that the orator who goes over every
year has a very good time in ENJOYING
with his audiences what he said the year
before"
"What is the marked feature of Ameri-
can humor?"
There is popularity about American
humor in conversation in social gather
ings which differs entirely from the humor
one meets with in the old world. The
current good things at London dinner
are largely the sharp sayings or successful
repartees in parliament or by men eminent
in public life or literature, and which are
repeated over and over again. While with
US the constant exaggeration of common
and current events, of the peculiarities of
our public men or of our friends, the
Yankee twist to the ordinary happenin gs
of the day, and the mistakes, surprises
and adventures of people thrown into
novel and original conditions in the new
relations of ranch life or mining
camps or prospecting parties or
hunters nights furnish an exhaust
less entertainment of Kaleidoscope
son, of Buffalo. n. Y, was a very able
lawyer and war Democrat. As Demo-
cratic member of congress he supported
Llncoln's war measures. His head and
face were as free from hair as a billiard
ball. In the darkest hours of the Virginia
campaigns he called on President Lincoln
one day and, after stating that he had
support of the administration, claimed
that he was entitled to the confidence of
the president, and demanded to know
what the real condition of affairs was at
the front. In making this demand he
spoke for the war Democrats in congress.
The military situation was so critical,
however, that it was impossible for
the president to reveal it. He looked
at the congressman intently and solemnly
for several minutes. and then said: Can
son, how clean YOU shave When the ex-
ecutive committee of the temperance
ladies of the United States called on Mr..
Evarts for suggestion in regard to por-
trait of Mrs. Hayes which they proposed
to have painted and hung in the White
House, he told them that it ought, to be
appropriate. to be painted in water colors.
In commenting to friends across the sea
on some racing stables which | had seen
where the horses in each stable were all OF
one color and asking if that was common.
| was asked in return what the favorite
color was for racing horses in America.
l replied that Americans preferred dark
horses. to which the respone was: How
odd The best specimens of American
humor come in political canvass in the
quick response to an ejaculation from the
crowd at a speaker. | have seen orators
many times completely upset for the day
by well-directed shot from a man in the
crowd
Don't you find that the man who in
dulges in humor gets through life easier
than the serious manP'
ANY man who possesses humor secs
the fun there is in everything. and has an
eye for the ludicrous, easily bullets the
waves of care which overWhelm serious
people. enjoys sunshine in life. has a good
digestion. and adding to the gayety OF ma
tions, is a genuine beneiactor of his time
The struggle of life in our hot COMPETE