The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-17
BRYAN AS AN ORATOR.
ON the Toronto Saturday Night.

From the Toronto Saturday Night.
We are told that at last great orator
has come forward in America, ana that
even Demosthenes has been surpassed
1t is stated that in the history of the world
there is no record of any such impress
sion being made by oratory upon mul'i-
tude of men as that made by William
Jennings Bryan upon the DemoNatic
convention at Chicago. 1t seems to me
that in the history of the world there never
was launched more audacious boom
than that which foated this free silver
candidate for the presidency of the United
States. After hearing for two or three
days Of the magnificent speech delivered
by Bryan we We're at last permitted to
read it in Toronto. and l for one was
greatly disappointed.
Anyone accustomed to public speaking
will bear me out in saying that the speech
bore unmistakable evidence of having been
prepared beforehand. Its eloquence was
spasmodic. 1t was sixteen parts dross to
one of pure metal. The opening passage
was clearly memorized piece of rhetoric,
and the carefully polished brilllance of
the reference to miners and farmers as
being business men as truly as the men
who sat IN the back offices and cornered
the money of the world threw into sorry
that made up the center of the speech.
When he fell back upon the inspiration of
the occasion which should have been suf-
ficient to inspire the vcriest clod he grew
commonplace. But he rescued himself at
the finish with a ringing sentence a phrase
or two that ne had fashioned in his leis-
ure and carried with him for days or
weeks.
II II II
Lnl r,y
men. The logical mind of a strong man
would have realized that a question was
up for discussion that called for the eX-
ercise OF intellect. Bryan did not reason,
he did not arguc-he led the multitude
from excitement to madness with such a
speech as the campaign orator uses on
the stump. A match would have started
the blaZe-he used n flaming brand. The
moment and the man came together 1t
was another case of tumultuous mobs on
the streets of Paris and Bryan was the
man who saw the chance and cried: "'To
the Bastile Let us tear down the Bas-
tile!"
The extravagant phrases used by Bry-
an maY have suited the temper of his
over-wrought audience but they would ex-
cite merriment elsewhere. Mckinley
is not greatly esteemed in Canada, but /
tnlnK tne ulslntefeSttu OPINION on this side
of the line is that NcKinley's address in
reply to the official intimation that he had
received the Republican nomination was IL
better effort than Bryan's, and that it
would be so declared by n vote of the col
lesc professors of the United States.
I II
1t Is a long time since any important
presidential candidate on the other side
has put forward any speech or document
so lacking in literary merit as the speech
that won william Jennings Bryan the
Democratic nomination. Grover Cleveland
has always been admired for the states +.
manlike quality of his messages They
have had such perfection that trivial
flaw In recent one set the magazine ed
itors wrangling about it. James G.. Blaine
was very accomplished speaker and
writer, and Benjamin Harrison has shown
that he can write very smoot h-flowing
English. 1t has remained for Mr. BRYAN
TO come out for cheap money and tinsel
generally. If he sees any merit at all in
gold coins it Is because they glitter like
brass door knobs. If Mr.. Bryan is not
beaten In this campaign we shall have
schoolboys for the next generation imitat-
Ing his mock heroics. practicing the most
startling phrases, metaphors alliterat;ons
in the hope of gaining the presidency
with a sentence.