Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-05-16
1903 lngersOlI

q reasonably successful lawyer Of Peoria,
Ill. He was one of the republican del
cgatcs to the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF
1876. aud n strong Blaine man. He ar
rived in Cincinnati with several otlSor
Illinois delegates several days before
the convention assembled. The city
was full Of people, and they were hay
ing n high old time. The Blaine men
had meetings every day, and did every
thing in hcirpower TO boom their
candidate. 1t was finally decided to
have the nominating speech made by
some Illinois man, and the Illinois dele
CATION settled upon lngcrsoll
There was present in the city Bob's
favorile brother, who died few years
later. and ut whose grave the great
atheist delivered his world renowned
grafton He Immediately told his
brother of his selection, and that he
had promised TO deliver the speech.
The brother, who was somewhat ncr-
vous, tried to persuade him not to try
it. A.|' '.
"YOu are not famous enough, he
persuaded. 'You are getting along and
making u reputation, but this is too big
II thing for you. ! fear you will make
a dead failure of IT, y
But Bob had promised and would not
back out
"Wcl, if you arc determined TO do
this. you must do your best You must
make success. 10 DO this you must
get at it Immediately. Don't wait 4
minute Go into that room and lock
the door and begin the speech
ooh, tomorrow will do, urged Bob,
land besides, have promised to go
with the boys tonight. y
Aud away he went. The next day
passed, and although his brother spoke
about the speech several times, Robert
did not touch it. Aud so the time
passed till the night before the conven-
lion. The brother, meanwhile, had got
nearly frantic, Robert came in late
that night, and in answer, to his broth
cr'S solicitation, SAID;
"Oh, bother; let's get good nights
Sleep
And so they retired. lngcrsoll says
he never slept so sonndly in his life as
he did that night Finally he woke up
suddenly, and felt perfectly refreshed
He got up hastily and looked at his
watch, II was three O'Clock Il. m. He
went to the adjoining room very quietly
and closed the door, 50 rs not to disturb
his brother He turned the light down,
and, closing his eyes, imagined the con-
ycntion hall, and his audience before
him. Then he began to think of Blaine
Finally he began TO say his speech over
to himself When he had finished he
took pen and paper and wrote ii out
carefully as he had said it, He laid il
away in the drawer to the bureau, and
went back quietly to bed, He very
soon was fast asleep again, and did not
wake uphill past eight. wacn his brother
was standing over him, vigorously
shaking him,
"Rob, get up, get up! It's $3.50, and
the convention assemblies at 1880, |
thought you were going TO get up early
and oct your speech ready, 1t will be
dead foi$lre, and we shall be disgrace
ed Blaine will not be nominated, 1t
is too bad, too bad, y
Bob slowly walked up, and rubbing
his eyes, urged that it would be best
first to get their breakfast But the
brother insisted that he should not
leave his room until he got down to
business on the speech BY this time
Bob had donncd his paataloons, and re-
marked
"Wcll, you be the audience and sit
over there, and will see what can
do .." .1f
1t is, perhaps, needless to say that the
brother was completely captured.
When Bob had finished he rushed to
him, and putting both arms around
him, embraced him in the most en-
lhusiastic way.
''It is simply sublime" he cried,
"but when did you prepare it?' ll
ooh, scratched it of last night
when you were asleep. Go to the
drawer there and you will find the
manuscript While | dress please read
il over and see ii | delivered it cor
rectly.'
The great point with Ingersoll is
that he is always self possessed. He
never gets ratified. Some of the great
est orators in this country have trem-
blcd before so great IN occasion as this
Bob Ingersoll never said anything that
gave him so much reputation as that
hit about the ''pltmed knight, ~ 1t has
been quoted ever since, both by Blaine's
friends and enemies, The convention
went wild over it. But it could not
make Blaine president. EGchd@ge.