Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-22
Some Features Of the Campaign.

tory of this. one of the most eventful OF
orr MANY great presidential campaigns
i One of the features which first
occurs to mind is the amount of public
speaking that is characteriZing the
political work; also the contrast be-
tween the attitudes, in this respect. OF
the two leaders, Mr.. Mckinley and Mr..
Bryan. This public S, Naking appears
to meet popular d, nand. Every
| where large crowds assemble to listen.
This is none the less striking because
of the fact that this is a reading cam
| paign as well. Never before in the
| history of this country, or of the world,
for that matter, was there ever such a
| demand for both speaking and reading.
This is somewhat more significant from
| the fact that political oratory has been
| on the decline for 4 number of years.
Indeed there has been doubt expressed
| if ever the influence of the public
| speaker would be what it was in the
reading people. There remains now
however. little for that doubt to feed
upon. The young man who may have
thought he was specially endowed with
oratorical powers need no longer de-
spair. But he will do well to bear in
| mind that if he would exert favorable
! influence he must not rely merely upon
elocutionary abilities and acquire
, ments. Facts are what the public
thirst for, facts half digested or at
least presented in rememberable lam
Suage. Flights of rhetoric are at a
discount unless they be of exceptional
brilliancy and power, and charity used.
The disaster which is to overtake the
Democratic party because it allowed
itself to be swept off its feet by the
rhetorical and studied effects of Mr..
Bryan's speech, will serve to discredit
any such efforts in the future. But
such speeches as those which Mr. Nc
Kinley is delivering at his home to
delegations coming from different parts
Of the country will so down in history
as political classics, be studied and
used as models by political orators for
at least another generation; whereas,
we suspect, the hippodroming about
the country inaugurated by Mr.. Bryan
will never again be permitted to any
| candidate, however conceited he may
be, provided the committee back of him
represents a party of strength and in
| telligence. Such course draws crowds
but does not make votes.
Doubtless many of our readers will
go to Bath to hear Mr.. Bryan next
Saturday, but we haven't the slightest
| fear that their views of the situation
will be changed in the smallest degree
by what they may hear there. On the
other hand we feel confident that the
reading of Mr.. McKinley's speeches has
made thousands of Republican voters
all over the country. The reasons for
tlllS tolitiuSloll are Ilot ldI u SEEK. MI.
McKinley's series have shown him to
the country to be a remarkable man, q
stronger man, even, than was common
ly supposed. There is scarcely a par
allel to them in several respects. They
embody a calm, clear, able exposition
of the questions at issue, are states
| manlike in tone, dispassionate, filled
with the spirit of a common country
and common interests and are calcu-
| lated to allay rather than excite sec
tional feeling; they are devoid of clap
| trap and appeals to prejudice; they are
argumentative and their appeals are to
reason. Mr.. Mckinley has remained at
home and the people have come to him
| Notwithstanding nearly 100000 called
upon him last week the dignity and ap-
| propriateness of his remarks We're con-
spicuous in every address that he made.
| There is fresh thought in every one of
else and epigrammatical language that
| they stick to the memory.
| In all this remarkable series of ad-
dresses the opposition has sought in
vain for weak utterance out of which
to make political capital. He has been
| frank when they hoped he would not
have the courage to be. He has while
stating the Republican side of the
issues been courteous and respectful to-
| ward his adversaries. In short he has
throughout all his wonderful addresses
| impressed upon the public mind the
wide disparity between his broad
| calibre as a public man and the i'm
mature, reckless, radical and unsafe
| character of his opponent who has
probably found fewer hearers to give
him careful consideration in all his
touring about the country ~.
Mr.. Bryan has conveyed the impress
sion to very many, we believe, that his
purpose is not so much to impart in
formation as to show himself and to
Lame Side