The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-24
A Natural Orator.

a Natural orator.
The Republican league of the state of
Ohio has undertaken to collect funds
for u handsome monument of bronze.
to be erected in memory of the late
General William II. Gibson. of Tifn.
Few persons in this region knew Cen
eral Gibson, but in the west he was for
many years renowned as one of the
ablest Republican orators that ever oc-
cupied the stump. He was a man not
unlike Pennsylvania's ANDY" Curtin
natural orator, sprung from the soil;
genius, with marvellous inherited gifts
of eloquence, who could play upon hu-
man feelings as a harpist plays upon
the chords.
We could fill this page with anec-
dotes Of bill" Gibson, for to all who
knew him. he was just plain BILL"
and in this blunt abbreviation was af-
fectionate reverence rather than con-
tempt. One anecdote. however, alone
must suffice. 1t illustrates with vivid
ness some of the peculiarlties of this
wonderful man. In the campaign Of
1884. Mr. Blaine was to speak at James
town, n. Y. Anticipating an enormous
audience, the local committee wrote
to Mr.. Blaine to name an associate
speaker, to address an overflow meeting
Blaine wired back: "Get General Bill
Gibson, of Ttlin, o." Accordingly,
General Gibson was sent for and agreed
to come.
on the morning of the appointed day,
a committee was sent to the station to
receive General Gibson. Nobody alight-
ed from the train whom the committee
men deemed sufficiently distinguished
in appearance to look like an associate
for Mr. Blaine. The committee, there
fore, repaired to it's headquarters with
the report that General Gibson had
failed to come. But to make sure, a
scouting party, toward noon, was sent
to search the hotels. The principal
hotels were visited first, but in vain.
Finally, the searchers entered a third
found upon its register the desired
autograph. One old man sat in the
room-a grisled veteran, in shiny
broadcloth and wearing u dilapidated
silk hat. 1t was "Bilr' Gibson, and he
showed plainly that he was anything
but pleased at the manner of his recep
tion.
Explanations followed-of a charac-
ter to heighten the original neglect
and after dinner he was taken to the
speakers stand. A crowd had gath
cred, but Mr.. Blaine had been unex-
Gibson had begun his address when
the man from Maine arrived. The
latter made so much of General Glib
son that, although the general ceased
speaking, in Difference to the anxiety
of the audience to hear Mr.. Blaine, it
was finally arranged to have both
orators speak simultaneously, Mr..
Blaine from the main stand and Gen
eral Gibson from a stand near the out
skirts of the crowd. For a few mo-
ments everybody crowded around the
Blaine stand, and Gibson's was desert
Gu. alltT IL time lntTe caIle u
movement of stragglers over to the
stand where the Tiffin orator stood;
and as the latter warmed to his theme
this movement grew. The upshot of it
was that in Is minutes Mr.. Blaine was
literally deserted, and had himself to
stop and walk over to "Bill' Gibson's
platform, where he sat until the Ohioan
had finished what is said to have been
the most powerful and eloquent speech
delivered in that whole campaign.
A monument to General Gibson would
Appropriately recognize one of the great
est campaigners ever enlisted in Re-
publicanism's cause: but no monument
could equal the impression which his
eloquence has left upon the memory of
those who had the frequent pleasure
of hearing his silver-tongued voice in
the hurly- -burly of political debate, or
in the sadder and more solemn duty of
speaking tributes over the graves of
the soldier dead.