Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-02-16
BLAINE AND CONKLING.
The Two Maa Compared by ''Mack."--3onA-
ling's Great Speech in 1880.

Mack" in the st. Louis Globe
Democat: 1.-The standpoint alters the
view" as the German proverb says,
and so in attempting to estimate the
intellectual qualities of Blaine and
Conkling the difficulty is % find a COM
mon standpoint from which to take
the view. 1t is like trying to make an
equation with Rembrandt and Micheal
Angelo in art or between Gibbon and
Macauiey in history. Each vas SUI
preme in his sphere, but neither could
have succeeded in an encroachnlent
upon the sphere OF the other. If the
measure OF success in the highest form
oil oratory be the test OF intellectual
greatness, CouklIng was vastly the
superior OF Blaine; if, however, we &C
cept the lower form OF test, which may
he denominated tine art OF speaking to
the unthinking multitude, Blaine was
the superior of Conkling. Blaine WAS
AN admirable deUater; Conkling could
debate only with ashowe r OF epigrams
III the tbiloIIuGIipu VI NhlCn llilIt anu
decentralization were essential elements.
Conkl NJ could not have made the ad
mirable series OF short speeches with
which Blaine adorned thecampaign OF
1851.
Blaine could have prepared, but
never could have prepared and deliv.
cred rs Conkling prepared and deliv-
erred, the speech nominating General
&c.. - TIT... -, 1890 IL that
delivery Conkling showed the grace OF
Booth IN Hamlet, combined with the
elouucure OF Wallack in Mark An
thony. As he sJoodupona reporters
table upon 4 level with the heads o
his hearers, Il sculptor could not have
improved the symmetry OF his form
and the measured words rs they fell
from his lips, seemed TO have beer
ma ie Tor each other as well as for thu
occasion. Altogether the speech was
II thing to he seen rather than to be-
heard. have often thought that u
blind man who could hear and II deal
man who could see had been sitting
side 10y side in front OF the orator that
evening the deaf man would have re-
ceived more enjoyment through his
eyes than the blind man through hi-
. i wv VI Nv NlNNN'
in recent [ mes in which 80 much Is ah
sent to him who reads that was pres
ent to him who heard. lngersolIS
,'plumed knight" speech at Cincinnati
loses nothing by transfer to type; hui
CoukilnE's when asked what state he
halls from" is reduced by the art o.
printing to the dizziness OF champagne
that has stood in IA glass over night.
compared with the bubbling e~fferves
with which it fell upon the I'M
Incuse audience 10 which it WAS ad-
dressed.
AN orator TO be really great must
thoroughly dtsp!se his audience We
:rre sometimes told. Conkling believed
this. lie WAS the C1riolanus OF the
forum. He started out III IA speech to
vxturi unwilling admiration and he
generally succeeded. Mr.. Blaine spoke
with the intention OF winning the al
lection OF his hearers and he never
failed. Conkling could not have writ
ten n book like Blaine's Twenty
leurs in Congress-" He might have
written IA greater book, with a higher
aim and n loftier purpose, but he
never could lave called into service
tn, qualities OF observer, philosopher,
reporter and narrator as they are dis
played in Blaine's great work.