New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-26
1ETEP-DIVNER ORATORY.

Oratory is "a good thing. but there can be 100
much of good thing. particularly after dinner.
At 10 o'clock in the evening a congehiai anu
well fed party can listen with pleasure, ana
oven with profit TO speeches that are wise, WITTY
and not too long but is hardly prepared TO give
itself I'D overwhelmingly to the infiichon Oh
nhillipics or to the study Of higher philosophlc
nroblems after / o'clock In the morning. a
roomful of people may sit quiet under such treat
ment out of politencss to invited guests. bur
the strain does not increase the good hllmor "i
the occasion nor the reputation of the speaker
On the contrary. the man who takes dinner
table to be a fitting place for the display OF MS
Websterlan qualities shows himself either uh-
mindful Of the feelings Of his hearers ana SELFISH
~ determined to force himself upon their atten-
ton, or ignorant Of the usage OF TINS dinner
giving community. Whatever be the reason Tor
his mistake. lie Injuries his own cause if he has
one to plead: INJURIES himself if he is using IAN
guage simply for It's own sake.
Most sneakers accustomed to the etiquette OF
New-York public dinners. whether their speech
be dull or brilliant, serious or merely mirth-
provoking, have learned the courteous art OF
brevity. Most strangers who come to our Doarus
instinctively take upon them the same good GUS
tom, realize that New-York is not assembled to
do them honor indefinitely nor TO learn from
them all the wisdom Of the ages at one fell
swoop. Several years ago the present Ambas-
sador at the Court Of St James came on from
Delaware 10 meet the Hollanders, who were
holding their annual dinner. He had not then
acquired that excellence in after-dinner speak
ing which makes him so welcome at English
dinner-t tables There were other speakers than
he on the programme, but when the Senator
from Delaware concluded a long and studied
Grafton the hour was late, the guests were flee
ing, and the toasts that were called were re-
sponded to with extreme brevity by weary speak
ers talking to nearly deserted tables The New
England Society on Monday night also had an
experience with a gentleman from the lana
where oratory still 1ourishes in tropical luxurl-
business Senator Morgan. Of Alabama. was not
the only nor the first speaker ut the Danquet,
but he was by all odds the longest one lie APP
reared to labor under the impression that ne
was to deliver a lecture or contribute to the
popes of THE Congressional Record" for when.
after Mr.. Root, Dr. van Dyke and DIR. Hi had
spoken, he obtained the floor he undertook the
delivery Of an deliberately prepared address
which occupied more than an hour. Then the
three remaining toasts were proposed but Mr..
Choate's wit and wisdom were largely lost, for
they were uttered at late hour Of the night and
newspapers go to press early In the forenoon so
as to be ready for breakfast, which is more than
most of the New-England guests were who sat
ND to the end Of the speaking.
The gentlemen who make long addresses on
such occasions do 1t doubtless with the best in
tentions, and rarely realize that they have tres
passed on the gOod-nature Of their fellow-diners
1t is not gracious to tell them they talk too much,
but it Is necessary to call attention TO this sub
iect If public dinners are not TO become bore
instead Of a pleasure We do not mean to say
that serious subjects are out Of place ut dinner.
On the contrary, politics, business religion, lit
erat,lre and art. as well as quips and anecdotes,
are welcome in any toast list. But dining
room is not lecturehall, and the treatment of
subjects appropriate TO one place IS inharmonl-
ous in the other Our dinner committees Will
make their feasts more popular if they can ar
range shorter programmes than is commonly
the CUSTOM and persuade their speakers that
sharp points well and quickly made Ere in bet
ter taste after the coffee than trcatises which
suggest sermons and soda water tomorrow