Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1893-12-12
JOHN TEMRE RAVES
lectures at the Merrill Institute Last
 Evening.

John Temple Grayesi A second Henry Grady. It is impossible to give anything like criticism of his lecture last night without giving his exact words. A very large audience had assembled at the Merrill Insti- ute last night to hear this renowned poet, orator and philosopher The flower and the fashion of Pine Bluff was there, and to the credit of his audience we must say that a more| courteous. polite and enthusiastic audience had never before assembled in the auditorium of the Merrill h. stitute. The occasion was especially interesting. MT. Graves had left an impression through newspaper com ments that he was the greatest lee turer from the grand and glorious South now on the platform. To say that he sustained the laudable repu- tation last night will simply be an appeal to his cultured audience. We shrink from the undertaking that is before us--a criticism upon his lee ture
 After the introduction by Secretary Locher, which introduction had been preceded by an instrumental selec- tion by Miss Nodie Andrews, the speaker took the platform, and for one hour and fifty-fve minutes he held his audience spell bound Never before in the history Of this Institute has such an orator oc- cupied the platform of the Merrill In- stitute. His grace, his manner, his very actions elicited the greatest ap- plause He discussed the reign of the demagogue from Alpha to Omego He stated that dema- goguery was praetieed ill the home of the peasant and in the palace of the king He referred to dema- goguery in church, in school, in society, in politics and in religion. His definition of a demagogue was nothing more nor less than a ,'wof in sheep's clothing,n whitened sepulcher filled with dead men's bones. ; He said that the problem of the South was not the negro, but the solution of the power of the bal lot and in that solution the negro played a most prominent part. He 1 referred to the power of the press in it's mission to mould public opinion, and stated ill his discourse that .sone drop of ink makes millions think. He referred to demagoguery in ancient as well as modern times. He unearthed the demagogaefy Of Julius Caesar, Of Napoleon Bona parte, of all the characters in history from the exodus of the children ef Israel to the Chinese immigration l into America. In all of this history he developed the part played by the demagogue He said he was to be found in home, in church, in school and in politics. In his concluding remarks his eloquenee grew to such a pitch that in the very midst of his most eloquent appeals bursts of ap- plause filled the auditorium from center to circumfrence and the speaker was compelled in submissive obedience to await the death of the encores that greeted his utterances.
 The Merrill Institute has had it's | h has it had man whose very words, as they fell from his eloquent lips, lifted his audience to such pitch of rapture and delight as was the case last night. We cannot say that John Temple Graves is a second Henry W. Grady. He is simply John l Temple Graves He can have no imitators; he can have no equals and no superiors in the subject he handles, "The Reign Of the Dema- gogue."
 Mr. Graves tribute to the memory of Robert E. Lee we reserve to the last. In that tribute he said: His life was a benediction, his death a sunset. y
 After the lecture we had the pleas ure of a conversation with MT Graves. He said that in all his travels he had never seen an enter prise of literary character that could compete with the Merrill h. stitute. He said he would leave Arkansas and especially Pine Bluff with words of praise upon his lips.
 Mr. C. F. Hudson, who has been i'll the brokerage business in Fort Worth, Texas. for the past two years has returned to Pine Bluff and will make this city his home. We are glad to make this smention. Pine Bluff needs more such young men.
 Get the best for the. same money. Hotel Trulock bar and Billiard Hall,