Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-10-08
A CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY.

| AS he comes upon the stage and as the
applause breaks forth he smiles. 1t
is pleased smile--properly speaking, a
| grin. The grin of one to whom the
yells of Murray fur BIZ and the APP
| plause of a gallery is food and drink
and raiment. Applause, of what kind
| it does not matter, is what the ma
ture Of the man thrives upon. The rec
ognition of him as great man. hero,
| a deliverer cannot but make him smile.
| He 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 melodra ma-thc 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.
lie is introduced and stands erect and
again grins. 1t is not the pleasing, dig
nitied 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 mystitied He
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 dignified
mand silence after the first burst of ap-
pause. 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
whistles, stamps and claims him for its
very own.
lie hegns his address with a we'll
turned sentence, which he knows will
please his audience. In fact. from first
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
crs. then an argument, then one condi-
ton. and still another, and then, as a
climax. as one indisputable, 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 fights 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
Huencc of his heroics. He pours forth
what he thinks. and declares it to be
true. but when the time arrives in the
course of his remarks when the facts to
back his assertions should be heard,
behold another fight in Fourth of July
fireworks.
Labor applauds itself, and this man
t1.nN
"crucificd," "down-trodden. ''thc peo-
ple." sweat of the face and similar
words and phrases arouse in the ordinary
audience an imperative desire to applaud.
For logic he uses hcroics, for argument
words used by truly great men. but
which no more apply to his subjest than
to the cruciiNion.
lie compares himself to the Man of
Galliee without blush.
He defes facts as Ajax did the light
ming.
lie declares that something can be got
out of nothing; that II miner will be able
TO get 80 cents worth of metal coined in
to 81 and in the same breath insists that
the miner will sell that metal to anyone
who will buy it for 33 cents and give the
buyer the chance to make that profit
instead of himself. Why the miner will
sell ut a3 cents and lose the coined profit
he explains by a highly colored account
of a Crime" which has nailed labor to
Il cross of gold"
He refuses to believe that capital is of
any use except to starve and grind down
mankind.
destinations, that every man should
have more than enough in spite of his
hibts, his drunkenness or his IMPROVE
dence, he lavishes upon his hearers.
Declarations. that country is all
wrong which gives every man who will |
work with head and hands a chance to |
he above those who will not. he belches |
forth in torrents.
My friends" he says, and advises
those to whom he applies the term as a |
sane man would hesitate to advise his |
worst enemy.
He distributes chaff. cooly predicts n
panic. quotes the words of Christ as
glibly as the rowdy uses his name, and
having directed the eyes of his hearers
upon a bubble which floats .pleasingly |
about. he says: 81 thank you"
Paul ArmsfronO