Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-23


graduating speeches from the same
platform on the same day ana
| stood UP together before Presi-
| dent Samson to receive our dipio-
mas. Ties between Mr.. Wilson and my
| self were increased and strengthened by
| his marriage. When the bridai hour
| came the woman of his choice was resid-
| ing temporarl with her grandmother
| the yenerated widow of that sanity min
| ister Rev. II. u. Christian. at Hewicn
| Niddlesex county, Va. | was the pastor
| of the Christians at the time ana per-
| formed the ceremony. joining MN 10
| wife as pure and true as any man ever
had the happiness to wed. she Is the
| daughter of Professor A. j. huntington
| my scholarly and skilled teacher at CO.
| lumbar University. IA man that mas
| always been n friend 10 me, and was a
| friend of my father and mother. There
| has been as much correspondence ana VS.
| ting between Mr.. Wilson and myscii as
| could have been expected between men
| that have been as busy as he and nave
been Thus II appears there are some
reasons why should take special interest
| in the West Virginia congressman
| MODEST AND SHRINKING.
| Perhaps some one asks, How far did
| college life give promise OF whal mas
| followed" Wilson came TO college very
| vounc. He was only Il, and was not
| large for that age He was modest,
| shrinking boy His whole appearance
! was rather suggestive OF tutoring AT
| mothers knee. But in what ne kne"
| and in what he could do he was more
| than prepared to enter college. he soon
| began to show capacity ana an appIlca-
| ton that put him and kept h'n among
| the first young men in the institution.
| He never neglected his regular studies
for unprescribed work; and yet ne WAS
| very fond of general reading, ana wrote
| remarkably well. He had keen sense
| of the ludicrous, and enjoyed very much
| a good Joke Sometimes he highly amused
| us with his pencil sketchines. Our pro-
| lessor of ethics had been under DR.. Way
| land. at Brown University, and used
| Wavland's Moral Science" as his text
| hook. and was very fond Of telling us
| how. In settling great ethical problems.
| the great and venerable Doctor would SIT
| and think it out. Wilson had heard 1t so
| many times that he thought he could re-
| proluce the picture; so one day in class
| he put his pencil to the task. The result
was presently passing around. 1t was
| Browns distinguished president almost
| exactly He was seated in his study
| chair; his head, with his spectacles lifted
TO It. was thrown slightly back; his eyes
were shut. his brow was knit. deep
thought depicted everywhere. ana under
ing II out" Student Wilson's moral cha
| racter was the very best. He hadn't
| vice: he was upright kind-hearted. and
| pure. lie would have blushed almost as
soon as a girl. at what was unclean IN
| speech or deed.
GAVE PROMISE.
Perhaps. then. It is already inferred that
Wilson's early days gave prophecy OF the
eminence he has since attained. That is
a right conclusion. with single marked
| exception. Mr.. Wilson has become one
of the most effective speakers In the coun-
! try. OF this high achievement his college
life did not give the slightest intimation.
| He would never through choice appear
before an audience, and when he did so
II was with painful embarras sment. In
; declarations required by college ruies
he never madas a gesture. and rarely
lifted his eyes from the floor. though an
excellent memory enabled him TO give ms
l piece without hitch or inaccuracy. Inc
. complete mastery Wilson has won over
{ this early difdence reminds us or the
: triumph the great Athenian orator Is
, said TO have gained over his natural dls-
{ | advantages. If. then, we leave out the
fact that his college days gave no promise
; whatever Of his ever becoming an orator
! | we may regard him as announcer hiustra-
ton of Millions saying:
I 1.-THE boyhood shows the man
. AS morning shows the day..
$ But let us not suppose for moment
r | that Wilson the man Is but sponta-
. | neous and necessary development of Will
, son the boy No such fame as that en-
!. | ioved by the great leader In tariff reform
e is ever secured without tolls the most ar
I duous and unceasing. Mr. Wilson has
II been a laborious student. OF great public
= questions He has not been like most
n congressman, who study but one question
G at Washington and at home-viz how
S they can be elected next time, and regard
e that as the supreme issue. On the con-
trary. he has devoted his energies to
e studying the vital matters Of manufac-
/. lures, commerce, finance. taxation. the
l. rights OF the people. and the Constitution
d of his country. and in serving his con-
= stituents has been guided by the sound
. principles thus learned.
E. | AS to the question of his reelection he
l. has left that to the calm judgment OF
,e his people after he has returned to them
h and given an account Of his stewardship
lie PUBLIC SPEECH.
It He has labored to acquire the art OF
y, public speech. His composition Is excel
L lent 1t obeys the laws Of rhetoric. Wher
| say rhetoric / do not mean that mere
Juggling with words which shallow minds
10 confound with 1t; neither do I mean tina
- superficial conception recently expressed
y in a Life Of Spurgeon" There are truly
n great orators whose language Is unrhe
m torical" By rhetoric i mean the science
20 | of effective discourse; l mean the art o.
reaching and changing the human mins
- | in accordance with laws adduced from
" the nature of the mind itself; l meal
~ a conception that will not only exclude
" the statement that there are truly grea
.s orators that are unrhetorical." but com
y, pei the admission that there never ha
a. been and never can be truly great ora
=. tor who is not rhetorical. So much
10 10 mean when / say Mr.. Wilson's compost
~ ton obeys the laws OF rhetoric. Hi
~. speech on taking the chair to preside owe
e, the last great Democratic convention II
~ Chicago, and also his speech on the coca
-. - sion OF formally notifying Mr.. CLEVELAND
of his nomination. would stand all tn
chief rhetorical tests that could be ap
piled TO them His words are not fire
crackers shot off into the air. but well
shaped bullets, aimed at a mark. whicl
OF they rarely fail to hit. His sentences ar
not lengthy and tortuous labyrinths, from
which before you have emerged You hav
forgotten where you entered, but straight
at open paths that conduct you to the destI
We nation. His metaphors are not mongrt
an beasts. half of ono species and half o
er another. but steeds Of full blood. we
r. proportioned. and sure Of foot.
tn What OF Mr. Wilson's future? II canno
An add much to the extent Of his fame. HI
ny reputation Is already national and inter
y, national. 1t can hardly be supposed tha
w his district will fall to return him to tn
tn House Of Representatives. The relatio
to between him and his constituents has no'
Of become such that they will very natl
1g J rally think they cannot honor him with