The herald., 1896-06-22
ON THE POLITICAL STUMP
Fun Is Just as Popular Now as
Ever
THE COONSKIN CAMPAIGNS
Are Well Remembered by the Old.time
Orators
Billy Mason Tells Of Experiences Hc Had
When He Was New to the Cam
palgn Platform

stump orators or today are as popular as
they ever were. The wit of tho speaker Of
today may bo shade sharper and finer
than in the robustuous days Of old, but
the happy allusion and the we'll pointed
anecdote still catch the crowd. The boy
and the blind puppy story, the woodchuck
and circuit rider fable, make as big hits
now as they did before the hero Of Tippe-
canoe had grandson.
Perhaps William e. Mason is the most
successful Illinois campaign speaker of to-
day. He Is naturally story teller, mag
netic and of as great drawing power as
circus. His anecdotes are told with the
ease and naturalness of an actor reciting
his lines, and to the campaign crowds he
is joy and delight. Mr.. Mason has in
marked degree the unfailing attribute of
n successful public talker. He is at ease
with himself and his audience.
II we'll recall my first practical lesson
in public speaking" said Mr.. Mason to a
Times Herald man. "It was given me 20
years ago. I was making speeches with
Judge Morse, a candidate for the bench.
He heard mo talk once or twice, and then
gave me some advice.
" Mason he said, you're young yet
and your oratorial future is all before you.
Don't try to emulate Demosthenes or
Cicero, or any of those boys, as SEQ you 're
pointing out to do. You'll surely fall
down. Talk to your crowds as if you had
one man alone and had him by the lapel
of his coat. Don't talk over their heads
Get down among 'em and jolly 'em up.
Tell 'em stories, Bill. That's the winning
play. Tell 'cm stories. Make your point,
and then make 'em laugh
"It seemed to me good advice. had
made but few speeches at that time, and
reckon was too ornate or something. I
had been chilled twice-nefrly frost bitten
and SO l decided to take a leaf from
Judge Morse's book Our next appoint
ment was at little country town near
Des Moines. made the opening speech
in the town hall while the judge was out
side doing the personal acquaintance, the
'Howdy, Bill; howdy, John; how's your
wife and childrenp handshaking act. He
didn't hear my speech, and he had reason
to regret it. 1 had decided to try that Irish
man and tho bull story-you know it-how
Pat thought he'd shake red handkerchief
at the bull and then jump over the fence
and enjoy the bulls rage. 1t was good
joke, and the man lay down on the grass
and rolled In the excess Of his delight. He
famed himself laughing, and after he had
shaken tho handkerchief and stirred up
the animal he was so tired he couldn't get
out of the way, and the bull tossed the man
into a pond. The Irishman waded out on
the other side, remarking:
"'It was a flno joke, but it's a good
thing did me laughin first
II started in my speech by compliment
ing the gathering on their intelligence, as
is customary, and then led up to my story
like this: Il see the Democrats are getting
pretty gay over their prospects and are do
ing u good deal Of boasting and 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 gave it to them. Remember, the
story was 25 years younger then. They
not only stood 1t, but acted as if they liked
1t. told few more in the course Of my
speech and then gave way to Judge Morse,
who had finished his handshaking outside
and had come in toward the close Of my
talk. He said he was glad of the oppor-
tunity to talk to such an intelligent gath
ering. 4 have Observed he went on,
that the Democrats are getting very gay
and clipper and are doing a 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 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 subside to turn to me and say in an
aside: i told You there was nothing like
story, Bill. 1t always gets 'em.' But,
judge I said in a whisper, 4 told
Hush, he said, waving me back to my
seat, don't interrupt mel So he went on,
and before he finished half the crowd were
exhausted with the fun they had. And
through the rest of his speech there were
outbursts of laughter at the recollection of
the bull story, and when he finished he
man before or since has received from
house Of the same size.
when we were going back to Des
Moines that night, he said: You see my
plan is good one, Bill. A story Is the
thing to get the people with you. Butt
he added, II was surprised with the sensa-
tlUu UudU Ou0 CC6tt0u. u0V6r ku6W IL 10
be received that way before
Neither did l. replied. 4 told 1t
to them not ten minutes before you did,
and it fell dead by comparison
is that true, Masonf'
It's as true rs Republicanism, I said.
~ thought it was singular. Say,
Bill, he proceeded gloomily, If you won't
give 1t away to the boys in Des Moines,
I'll buy you the best suit of clothes in the
city.'"
The 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 and walks out on the platform
no man may tell when the laughing will
cease. One story he frequently offers as
an illustration of IN argument is the yarn
told by Mark Twain. One Sunday, when
they were boys, Twain and his brother de-
fed the paternal restraining order and
went swimming Fifteen minutes after
their return from the river the father
sought a personal interview with the
brother and urgently busted his jacket
with a ramrod, all in the interests Of re-
form and the proper observance of tho
Sabbath.
II don't see why the old man whipped
me-, +" said the victim.
Its wrong to go swimming Sunday"
replied Marx.
"Well, you went too. Why didn't he
hand you out one?"
Because made up my mind to con-
less, and told him about it,"
"He should have licked you just the