The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-15
| FUN ON THE STUMP.
1T is AS POPULAR NOW AS 1T WAS IN
THE COONSKlN CAMPAIGNS.
Numerous Stories Always Amuso tho Un-
decided voter-Biliy Mason Tolls OF an
Experience Ho Had When He Was Now
TO the Campaign Platform.


Experience Ho Had When He Was Now
TO the Campaign Platform.
Stump orators of today aro as popular as
they ever were. The wit of tho speaker of
today may DO shade sharper and finer
than in tho robustuous days of old, but
tho happy allusion and tho we'll pointed
Anecdoto still catch tho crowd. Tho boy
and tho blind puppy story, the woodchuck
and circuit rider fable, make as big hits
now as they did before tho hero of Tippe-
canoe had grandson.
Perhaps William K. Mason Is tho most
successful Illinois campaign speaker of to-
day. He is naturally u story teller, mag
netic and of as great u drawing power rs
n circus His anecdotes nro told with tho
ease and naturalness of an actor rcciting
his lines, and to tho campaign crowds ho
is joy and delight. Mr.. Mason has In
n marked degree the unfailing attribute of
a successful public talker. He is at case
with himself and his audience.
II we'll recall my first practical lesson
in public speaking" said Mr.. Mason to
Times-Herald man. ut was given mo 90
years ago. was making speeches with
Judge Morse, candidate for tho bench
He heard mo talk once or twice, and then
gave me some advice.
'Mason.' no said, you're young yet,
and your oratorial future is all before you.
Don't try to emulate Demosthcnes or
Cicero, or any Of those boys as see you're
pointing out to do. You'll surely fall
down. Talk to your crowds as If you had
ono man alone and had him by tho lapel
of his coat Don't talk over their heads
Get down among 'em and jolly 'om up
Tell 'em stories, Bill That's tho winning
play. Tell EN- stories. Make your point,
and then mako EN- laugh
1t seemed to mo good advice. had
mado but n few speeches Mt that time, and
l reckon WAS too ornate or something. 1
had been chilled twice-nearly frost bitten
and so decided to take leaf from
Judge Morse's book. Our next appoint
ment was mt little country town near
Dcs Moines. / made tho opening speech
In the town hall while tho judge was out
side doing the personal acquaintance, the
'Howdy, Bill; howdy, John; how's your
wife and childrenP handshakinR act He
didn't hear my Speech and he had reason
to regret 1t. had decided to try that Irish
man and tho bull story-you know it-how
Pat thought he'd shake red handkerchief
at tho bull and then jump over the fence
and enjoy the bulls rage 1t was II good
joke, and the man lay down on the grass
and rolled in tho excess of his delight. He
famed himself laughing, and after no had
shaken the handkerchief and stirred up
the animal he was SO tired he couldn't get
out of the way, and the bull tossed tho man
into pond. The Irishman wadod out on
the other side, remarking:
go 1t was fine joke, but it's good
thing did me laughin first
Il started In my speech by compliment
Ing tho gathering on their intelligence, us
Is customary, and then led up TO my story
like this: i SEQ the Democrats are getting
pretty gay over their prospects and are do
ing n good deal of Boosting and q whole
lot of laughing over tho way they are 60
Ing TO lick us election day. They remind
mo of tho Irishman and the BULL And
then I gave 1t 60 them. Remember, the
story was 25 years younger then. They
not only stood 1t, but acted as If they liked
1t. told few moro in the course OF my
speech and then gave way to Judge Morse
who had finished his Misunderstanding outside
and had como in toward tho close of my
talk. He said he was glad of the oppor-
tunity to talk to such an Intelligent gath
ering. L have observed he went on,
that the Democrats arc getting very gay
and clipper and are doing n great deal OF
laughing over the licking they are going
to give us at the polls. My friends and
neighbors, he said, they remind me Of "A
story-a little story about an Irishman
and a bull.
Then he started in with the yarn, and
the crowd began to laugh. The judge was
pleased, and as the laughter increased
with every sentence he took advantage of
one of the stops for the applause and yell
ing to subsido to turn to Inc and say in an
aside: i told you there was nothing like u
story, Bill. 1t always gets EN- But,
Judge, l said in u whisper, 4 told
Hush, ho said, waving me back to my
seat, don't interrupt mc' So he went on,
and before he finished half tho crowd were
exhausted with the fun they had. And
through the rest of his speech there were
outbursts of laughter ut tho recollection of
the bull story, and when no finished he
got such an outbreak of applause as no
man before or since has received from q
house of the same size.
When we were going back to Des
Moines that night, he said: You SEQ my
plan Is good one, Bill. A story is the
thlng to get tho people with you. But
he added, / was surprised with tho sensa-
tion that ono created. never knew it to
be received that way before.
" Neither did T. replied. 4 told 1t
to them not ten minutes before you did,
ana 1t Tell dead by comparison
" Is that true, Mason?
" It's rs true as Repuhlicanism,' said
thought it was singular. Say,
Bill, heprocccdcd gloomily, If you won't
give 1t away to tho boys in Des Moines
LII buy you the best suit of clothes in tho
city"
Tho bull stories are not the only ones
with which Mr.. Mason points morals and
adorns his addresses. Far from it, He
has an endless list, and when he shakes
his name md walks out on tho platform
no man may tell when the laughing will
cease. One story he frequently offers ns