The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-10-23
4 CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY.

AS he comes upon the stage and as the
applause breaks forth he smiles. II
is pleased smile-properly speaking. Il
grin. The grin of one to whom the
yells of Murray fur Bill' and the ap-
plause of a gallery is food and drink
and raiment. Applause, of what kind
1t does not matter, is what the ma
ture of the man thrives upon. The rec
ognition of him as a great man, hero,
a deliverer cannot but make him smile.
lie appreciates the joke.
He composes his features as he re-
members what is expected of him. His
attitude at once suggests the hero of
the melOdrama-the tank show" He
looks this way, then that, and then to-
ward the part of his audience from
which comes the most hilarious demon
stration. He grins again. as he thinks
of his side of it. If the noise continues.
he turns to those about him and smiles
naively. But he is not afraid of it,
The eyes glow and qualification shows
in every movement, glance and action.
He is introduced and stands erect and
again grins. 1t is not the pleasing, dig
nified acknowledgment in keeping with
the honor to which the man aspires. but
the smile of the magician to the audience
that cheers because it is mystified He
raises a restraining hand to hush the
demonstration. The movement is grace
full, nothing more. Like every gesture
he makes. it lacks strength. The hands
are weak. hopelessly so. If the applause
continues, he waits, posing as if for the
camera. He is patient. A dignitied
statesmans verv presence would COM
mand silence after the first burst of ap-
plause. 1t would not be necessary for
the great man TO wait until every I'M
couth wit had made his joke, but this
man lacks the dignity of the position.
He plays for the gallery. and the gallery
very own.
He begins his address with a wpi-
turned sentence. which he knows will
please his audience. In fact, from first
to last. it is his effort by skillfnl re-
treats never to offend. He is capable of
fair flight in words, but at no time is
he an orator. At no time does he bring
known fact to the notice of his hear
ers; then an argument, then one cOndi-
ton. and still another. and then. as
climax, as one indsputable. unanswera-
BILE declaration. rounded and full. guard
ed and protected by logic. launch it forth
at his listeners. His flight of words
alleged to be OratOry-are made to divert
the mind from questioning his asser-
TONS He scars in an outburst. the
ground work of which is as old as the
human voice. to please the ear of his
listeners and keep their thoughts on the
wing. These flights appeal to all that
is emotional. They are seldom original:
they express no new thoughts. and they
bear his trade mark. He makes asser-
tons while the audience is under the in
f1uence of his heroics. He pours forth
what he thinks. and declares it to he
true. but when the time arrives in the
course of his remarks when the facts to !
back his assertions should he heard.
behold another flight in Fourth of July
fireworks.
Labor applaud itself. and this man
knows it. He recognizes that sacrifice"
'crucifed." ''down-trodden.' THE peo-
ple.' sweat of the face" and similar
words and phrases arouse in the ordinary
audience an imperative desire to appla,ld.
For logic he Uses heroics. for argument
words used by truly great men, but
to the cructixion
He compares himself to the Man of
Galliee without a blush.
He defies facts as Ajax did the light
ming.
He declares that something can be got |
,ut of nothing: that a miner will be able |
% get o3 cents worth of metal coined in
o III and IN the same breath insists that |
he miner will sell that metal to anyone
who will buy it for 53 cents and give the
)uyer the chance to make that profit
instead of himself. Why the miner will
ell ct o3 cents and lose the coined profit.
he explains by a highly colored account
# crime" which has nailed labor TO
cross of gold''
He refuses to believe that captital is of
my use except to starve and grind down
lnslnuations. that every man sbould
ave more than enough in spite of his
ibits, his drunkenness or his improvi-
ence, he lavishes upon his hearers
Declarations, that country is all
rrong which gives every man who will
york with head and hands a chance to
e above those who will not, he belcbes
orth in torrents.
"My friends" he says, and advises
hose to whom he applies the term as
ane man would hesitate to advise his
-orst enemy.
He distributes chaff, coolly predicts a
anic, quotes the words of Christ &c
libby as the rowdy uses his name. and
aving directed the eyes of his hearers
pom bubble which floats pleasinsly
bout, he says: Il thank you"
Paul Armstrong.