The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-10-22
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.
grin. The grin of one to whom the
yells of Murray fur Bill and the APP
plause of gallery is food and drink
md raiment. Applause, of what kind
i: does not matter is what the ma
tire of the man thrives upon. The rec
ognition of him as great man, a hero,
a delverer 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 melodrama-the tank show" He
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 1t.
The eyes glow and qualification shows
in every movement, glance and acton.
He is introduced and stands erect and
again grins 1t is not the pleasing, dig
nifird acknowledgment i'll keeping with
the honor to which the man aspires but
the smile of the magician to the audience
that cheers because it is mystlhed. 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 II for the
camera He is patient. dlgnlhed
statesman's very presence would com
mand silence after the first burst of APP
nlauSe. 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 plavs for the gallery. and the gallery
whistles. stamps and claims MN lof us
very own. ',
He begins his address with we'll
turned sentence. which he knows will
please his audience. In fact. from hrst
to last. it is his effort by skillful re-
treats never to offend. He is capable OF
y fair flight in words. but at no time Is
he an orator At no time does he bring
a known fact to the notice OF his near
ers: then an argument, then one condl-
tion and still another and then. as
climax. as one indisputable. unanswera-
hIe declaration, rounded and full, guard
oil 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-
tions. He scars in an outburst, the
ground work of which is as old as the
human voice to please the ear OF his
listeners
wing These flights appeal to all that
is emotional They are seldom original;
+boy exnress no new thoughts and they
hoar his trade mark He makes asser-
t;ons while the audience is under the in
Huence of his heroics. He pours forth
what he thinks, and declares 1t to be
true but when the time arrives IN the
course of his remarks when the 1acts 10
hack his assertions should be heard
babold another flight in Fourth of July
fireworks. . -.
Labor applauds itself. and this man I,
Knows if. He recognizes that 'sacrlhce,
..crucified.' ''down-trodden, the. peo-
nile !" sweat of the face. and similar
words and phrases arouse IN the ordinary
audience an imperative desire TO applauu
For logic he uses heroics. for argument
words used by truly great men, but
which no more apply to his subJest than
to the crucihXiOn..
He compares himself to the Man of
Galliee without blush. -,
He defies facts as AJAX did the hght-
sning. - o+
He declares that something can DE 20.
ont of nothing: that a miner VIII be aDie
to oct 53 cents worth of metal coined IN
ia 81 and in the same breath insists that
tho miner will sell that metal to anyone
who will buy it for So cents and give the
buyer the chance to make tnat prom
instead of himself. w ny the iHIliel ~
coll at 53 cents and lose the coined proht
|. he explains by highly colored account
of crime which has nailed labor to
a cross of gold.
He refuses to believe that capital is of
any use except to starve and grind down
mankind.
Insinuations. that every man should
have more than enough in spite of his
bibits. 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.
INV friends" he says. and advises
those to whom he applies the term as a
sane man would hesitate to advise MS
worst enemy. ,
He distributes chaff coolly predicts
manic. quotes the words of Christ as
rIibly as the rowdy uses his name. and
having directed the eyes of his hearers
mon bubble which floats .pleasingly
about. he says: Il thank you"
Paul Armstrong.